Anyone can bang a drum, crash a cymbal, or tap a triangle. But making music out of noise–that takes skill. The Perry Indoor Percussion Ensemble are first and foremost musicians and their  fine-tuned skills have set them up for a competitive season.  

“The level of energy that we’re putting forward is a lot higher than we’ve put forward in the past,”  senior Pablo Bastidas says. “We’re doing a lot of really new, interesting things.”

Winter Drumline is a focused, intensive activity that cuts the traditional marching band down to its loudest, heaviest section. Snare, quad, and bass drums have to convey not only rhythm, but melody also, aided only by a cymbal section and a keyboard-based front ensemble. It is the kind of challenge only a dedicated and determined team can succeed at.

Perry Drumline is that kind of team.

“We’re one of the top schools in the state right now,” section leader McKay Chamberlain states. “It’s us, Casa Grande, Basha, and Millennium.”

Drumline  is responding to the competition with an ambitious show. In “Going Under,” the ensemble portray characters who escape the drudgery of everyday life through hypnosis. But subcumbing to their subconsious brings more than they bargained for, with both enlightening and startling consequences.     

“The slow ballad kind of explores that weird psychedelic kind of emotion,” Bastidas explains. “Then the fast closer–[…] it’s basically just like the freak-out.”

While they may simulate a freak-out, the ensemble is always in complete control. They rehearse every zero hour, arriving at 5:45 on Wednesdays and Thursdays, plus four hour practices each Monday and Friday night. The schedule is a difficult commitment but it allows the group to absolutely master their material.  

“Our shows are very difficult,” Chamberlain says. “It takes a lot of hard work and practice in order to even get close to playing the right music. That’s the biggest thing: if you’re not there to practice and push yourself to the next level, you’re going to have a real tough time being in [Drumline].”  

“We’re getting a lot done really fast,” cymbal player Camille Herrera adds, “and that shows a lot in our shows as well.”

Their effort also shows in their scores: this is only their second year in Scholastic Open, the top division in the state, and they are more than holding their own.

“We boosted up our regular score from like the 60s into the 70s in just a week,” said Herrera.

At the first show of the season, Drumline scored 71.60; the next week they made an astronomical nine point jump  to 80.05, only 0.15 points away from first place winner Millennium. While their scores at Mesquite the following week solidified at 77.50, the competition remains close going into regional and state championships.

But ultimately, the true winners are the members of the ensemble and the real prize is the opportunity to improve their skills and create a performance as a team.

“[When I first joined Drumline] I realized that everyone was better than me and I was like, ‘Oh man, I’ve gotta step my game up,’” said junior CJ Floyd. “It’s humbled me and it’s made me improve every day.”

“You perform together, you become a family,” Herrera says. “It’s not only a learning experience but it’s also a type of growing experience.”

Drumline’s next performance is at the WGI Regionals, March 14.