Indoor Winter Percussion: How’d Their Camp Go?

As everyone relaxes from the holiday rush and takes a breather the week before school starts, Redwood’s percussion ensemble was up bright and early to start working on their shows. With so much time spent on the activity, it leaves the question of how the members feel.

By: Ella Chan

As previously mentioned, Redwood’s percussion spent the last week of their break focused on putting together their show. 

Winter percussion is an extracurricular program featuring the drumline and front ensemble, as seen through the marching season. Their season is spent indoors, competing against other schools through their musicality, visuals, and overall performance. 

Marimba player Paula Caffarel, ‘27, says, “You get to explore more sounds within the percussion, and how the amount of variety that exists within just one section of the band.”

Their trips offer opportunities to see other groups, “you march and have fun, you go see good groups. And hey, you’re just there for the experience. It’s just like doing a sport,” says snare drum player Johnny Grove, ‘26.

Their rehearsals consist of 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. rehearsals, with breaks for lunch and dinner. During this time, they work on learning techniques, music, and drill.

Caffarel admits that, through the long rehearsals, the group’s attention was prone to wander. However, she shares that this aspect did not hinder what the group accomplished.

Playing together as a group has been another challenge for the members. “It’s difficult getting 3 people to play exactly the same. Imagine 5, 6 people playing exactly the same,” Grove says.

Though so much of their week was taken up with the activity, the members feel the outcome serves them well.

Caffarel shares that despite her lack of sleep, she felt rather successful this time around. “The first time I looked at it, I’m like, ‘oh… this is my end,’ but actually when you work it out in sections with everyone, then it gets easier.”

Snare drum player Izaiah Oviedo, ‘28, says, “I feel the music from last year to this year, it’s a really big jump, like difficulty. We’re handling it really well, for what it is.”

Oviedo shares that he also hopes to improve his music reading and playing abilities, “I would like to help my section get better.”

Grove finds that this season’s rehearsals have been the fastest yet, managing to enhance their performance and drill through visuals, and pushing through the difficult music.

With so much time spent on refining their craft, it leaves the question of why they participate.

“It’s fun,” Oviedo says. “I like traveling on the trips we go on, overnight trips. We get to see some cool groups, and we get to compete.”

Caffarel enjoys the indoor, closer aspect of the activity. “I really like how you can really see front ensemble better, and appreciate the sound and the things that it’s capable of doing.”

For Grove, the people and the personal passion are what really make the experience for him, “I love it, it’s like family… I also think I’m really good at what I do, and I’m really happy I do it… Playing’s just fun, playing hard notes, it’s exhilarating.”

This season will be the last for Grove, in which he admits he has mixed feelings.

Grove says, “The 9 to 9’s are usually really exhausting, and knowing that I’m not going to have one again makes me feel a little happy. Even though it is sad, because it’s a big part of my life, it’s refreshing.”

This year, the ensemble’s show is titled ‘Boundless’, themed around the ocean and Mars. 

Grove shares his take on the show, he says, “There’s 2 ways I know they’re connected: Mars used to have oceans of itself, bigger than the Atlantic, which is pretty cool! And space has been more explored than the ocean. Those are my 2 theories on it.”

Though the show has taken a bit of a different approach from what was originally planned, there’s still some optimism within the group.

“It’s the best music I personally have had all 9 seasons I’ve been in. It’s also the hardest, and I think that’s what makes it fun,” Grove says.

Oviedo says, “I think it’s a cool theme, I like the Anchors Away theme in the beginning, and the Mars stuff sounds pretty cool too.”

Caffarel has a rather positive outlook as well, going on to say, “I think it could be cool; it has potential. [The music], it’s really whimsical, I actually have fun playing it though. I think it’s really fun, there’s a lot of opportunities for visuals.”

As they enter their competitive season, the three members hope to make the most out of the experience.

Oviedo looks forward to their upcoming trip to Monrovia.

For Caffarel, she feels confident, “I’m looking forward to having a better run of everything because I feel like I’m locked in this year.”

Grove shares that this time around, he wants to have a good time, “Obviously, winning would be cool, but that’s not really what I’m looking for. I want to have fun for my last year with the people that I love.”

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