Saints Percussion Places 10th In World Championship Event

Saints Percussion, Limestone College's indoor drum line, recently finished in 10th place in the Winter Guard International (WGI) Percussion and Winds World Championships April 19-21 in Dayton, OH.

Under the direction of Coordinator Jonan Keeny, the Limestone group scored an 87.950 in the finals of the Percussion Independent A (PIA) Class. A total of 27 lines competed, with the top 15 advancing into the finals that were held inside the University of Dayton Arena.

A review on the Winter Guard International website described the performance: “With a carefully raked sand garden as a floor, Saints Percussion’s ‘Zen’ didn’t tell a story as much as it created an attitude of one with the universe. Mallet parts re-created the whole tone essence of Southeast Asian music, offering a sonic landscape that was relaxing to the ears and the soul. A little bit of tai chi martial arts added to the mood, the tranquility of the entire show belying the fact that there was a great deal of impressive drumming going on while the line was seeming to bliss out to the calling of an astral plane.”

The WGI Percussion and Winds World Championships are considered the premier showcase for indoor percussion units and wind ensembles. The event is produced each year by WGI Sport of the Arts, which also produces the WGI Color Guard World Championships.

The recent championships drew over 15,000 participants over two weekends, including more than 350 color guards and 250 percussion ensembles from 40 states and five countries.

“I could not be more proud of our group and this amazing accomplishment,” said Keeny, who also teaches percussion classes at Limestone. “It was an incredible three days that we will never forget. This really provides a foundation for our Saints Percussion to grow greatly in the future.”

Limestone marked its fourth straight year competing in the World Championships, with this being its best finish to date.

The percussion contest featured preliminary rounds in eight classes of competition, providing opportunities for units at all levels of expertise, from beginning to advanced.

WGI is focused on education and provides curriculum materials for classes in equipment, movement, and design. WGI also provides a full educational program for instructors and judges. The organization promotes higher education by annually awarding $20,000 in academic scholarships to student performers. Winter guard and indoor percussion are the fastest growing of the marching arts, and high school marching bands benefit from the skills developed in these winter programs.

Currently, about one-third of Saints Percussion is composed of Limestone College students, with the remaining membership coming primarily from high school students within a 150-mile radius of the campus.

In March, Saints Percussion competed at the Carolina Winter Ensemble Association (CWEA) Championships at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, and earned hardware in that competition for the first time by claiming a Bronze Medal.