NHS Winter Percussion Wraps Up Its Season

The Newtown High School Winter Percussion ensemble completed its competitive season this past Saturday, earning a  season-high score of 82.00, 1.4 points higher than Shelton High School, at the Musical Arts Conference (MAC) Winter Percussion competition held at Naugatuck High School, March 31.

The performance showed great improvement for the NHS Winter Percussion, which returned to competition in early March after a hiatus due to practice space issues, and pleased staff instructors Rich Lake, James Hilton, and Tom Sulzicki.

This season the Newtown High School Winter Percussion ensemble returned to participating in Winter Percussion competitions with their show “Flow,” a drill designed by Drew Farmer, with music arranged by Brian T. Harmsen.

“‘Flow’ is about how music flows, how movement flows, how we flow,” said drummer Jimmy Gilbert, a sophomore who plays quints, an array of five drums, during the group’s practice session on Monday, March 19.

Mr Lake said he is thrilled that the renovations at Newtown High School meant the group has practice space.

“Over the years, we have struggled to find a place to practice, with space being at a premium here. The school is providing us with the new cafeteria as a place we can meet every Monday and Wednesday [from 5 to 8 pm] has made all the difference,” Mr Lake said, adding, “[the NHS administration] understand we’re growing and building a strong percussion program. We have 14 members right now, but our goal is a minimum of 20 next year. In fact, if we get enough involvement, we’d like to have multiple levels, just like Color Guard has here in Newtown.”

Mr Hilton, a former member himself of NHS Percussion, also was a staff instructor of the Newtown High School Marching Band & Guard this past fall along with Mr Lake. He said in Winter Percussion, all eyes and ears are on the members.

“Winter is a whole other game than fall,” said Mr Hilton. “We are no longer the support; we are the ensemble.”

Mr Hilton also said he and Mr Lake are pleased with the progress NHS Winter Percussion is making.

“We’ve got a terrific group of young, dedicated musicians,” said NHS Band Director Kurt Eckhardt, who echoed his staff’s sentiments on how delighted they are to have a practice space.

“There are more good things to come,” Mr Eckhardt said.

The 14 members of the NHS Winter Percussion are senior Austin Ryder on snare; juniors Brendan Callery on bass guitar, Corey Hilton on snare, Maggie Kase on mallets/keyboard; sophomores Eric Cassidy on snare, Zach Charles and Jimmy Gilbert on quints, Wilder Carnes on bass drum, Grace Clark on mallets/keyboard, Miranda Erikson and Molly Spak on mallets; and freshmen Rory Phillips, Trevor Palmer, and Danny Romeo, all on bass drum.