The Arcadia High School (AHS) Percussion Open Line traveled to Las Vegas, Nevada, to attend the American Drum Line’s regional competition. The Percussion members performed their show and ended up receiving first place. This not only keeps up the Arcadian tradition of performing well but also helps solidify the group’s position when it comes to qualifying for the national competition in Dayton, Ohio.

Open Line’s show, titled “Lunaris”, gives a new space-like feel while also telling a story. It follows a mysterious group of individuals trying to survive and thrive on a hostile planet. The meticulous timing of each drum tap helped define the piece, with the choreography being so full that there’s almost too much going on at any given time to keep track of. The class had been preparing for this competition for months, persevering through practices each and every week to make the show the best it could be.

The work leading up to the show not only involved intense hours of learning rhythms and choreography, but also the hard work of sizing players’ uniforms and getting all of the props and flooring properly detailed. This highlights the importance of parents and other adult volunteers who do their best to help get things worked out and all ready to go for a performance.

While there were many other great programs represented in Las Vegas, Arcadia came out on top. Lunaris involves a few main parts, each defined by the introduction, stressing, and resolution of the main story’s conflict. Each part invokes a different feeling, getting the audience pumped and in awe of how well the show goes.

Those attending the show or who have seen it before at past performances have commented on how great the show was. One such attendee, AHS freshman Nathan Greif, shared his experience watching Open Line perform.

“When I first saw the show, I was a bit surprised but mostly amazed,” he explained. “The show was awesome, and seeing many of my peers perform to the best of their abilities was quite an experience. I would definitely recommend going to see the show and will continue to support the show as the season progresses.”

The Open Line definitely deserves much recognition for their hard work and dedication, and so they will continue to most probably succeed going forward. Their show lasts for almost ten minutes and definitely lets people take a break from thinking about their everyday lives to enjoy a good and quick story. The team has and will continue to aim for success in standing out amongst other percussion shows, and so will keep up the good work and make all of Arcadia proud!

Photo courtesy of Aruba Ananthanarayanan and Diana Babapour