Music filled the gym as flags moved through the air and performers hit every count, transforming the floor into an immersive experience of color for the community. The Winter Guard and Drumline Showcase gave both groups a chance to perform their full shows at home, a rare occurrence given that competitions take place off campus.
Winter guard has their championships coming up this Saturday, and drumline’s is in two weeks,” percussion director Quiyan Murphy said. “The showcase is a performance and practice opportunity for both groups.”
The showcase is meant to highlight the importance of the drumline and color guard during football season.
“This showcase lets them perform independently from the band and gives the audience a chance to see what an indoor drumline really is,” Murphy said. “It’s a mix of drumming, athleticism, acting, and dance.”
The color guard team competed at their championship competition this past Saturday, after months of preparation and hard work.
“It takes a lot of dedication, and it can be hard for us to find enough time to get everything done,” color guard captain Roslyn Xie said.
The performance, while lasting about eight minutes, shows weeks of practicing in and out of rehearsals. Rehearsals were structured to build both individual skills and group coordination.
“We separate into different groups, so some people work on flags, some on dance, and some on rifles. We practice in those groups and then come together to run the full show,” Xie said.
Performing in front of a familiar audience created a different kind of pressure for both teams. Instead of unknown judges, the performers were surrounded by classmates, friends and family.
“At competitions, we don’t know the audience, so it’s less stressful. But at football games or in our community, there are people I know watching, which makes me want to perform better and be more perfect,” Xie said.
Later in the evening, the focus shifted to the drumline. While many students are familiar with drumlines from football games, the indoor performance presented a more detailed and performance-driven side of the group.
“It’s kind of similar to marching band, except we’re inside the gym instead of out on the field,” senior co-drumline captain Izzy Arnold said.
Preparation for drumline began months earlier, with rehearsals starting as soon as the music was introduced.
“[We have been practicing] probably since November. That’s when we got our music,” Arnold said.
Practices focused on building both section skills and full ensemble timing.
“We usually warm up in small groups by instrument, then we stay in those groups and play parts of our show. After that, we come together in the gym and play everything as a full group,” Arnold said.
The drumline and winter guard teams are unique in that they are a mixture of middle and high school students, performing as one.
“It’s been challenging balancing that with having seniors and high schoolers and trying to get everyone up to the same level,” Arnold said.
Including the middle school performers in the showcase and competitions is meant to provide them with early exposure in preparation for high school
“We invite middle school students through auditions, and they join the group. It helps accelerate their skills because they’re learning alongside high school students,” Murphy said.
Before stepping onto the floor, captains focused on keeping the group grounded.
“We usually do a huddle and remind everyone not to worry about it, just have fun, and do the best they can without trying to do too much,” Arnold said.
The drumline and winter guard showcase was meant to give the audience a closer look at the teams. Both teams go beyond that to provide the audience with a unique experience for viewers without the chance to be overshadowed by the chaos of Friday night lights.
“The performance should evoke emotion when people watch it. A lot of people say they didn’t realize what drumline could do. Our goal is for the audience to forget they’re sitting in a gym and feel like they’re watching something transformative,” Murphy said.
The winter guard and drumline are often forgotten about as the teams don’t have many performances near Highland Park, separate from football games.
“It’s about supporting classmates. For some students, this might be one of the last times they perform, so it’s important for them to have that audience and recognition,” Murphy said.
