Ocoee High winter drumline to perform at 'Evening at the Pops' concert

IF YOU GO

Rotary Club of Winter Garden's "Evening at the Pops"

When: 6:30 p.m. Saturday, March 14

Where: Newton Park, 29 Garden Ave., Winter Garden

Details: The Ocoee High School Echo Percussion winter drumline will perform before the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra.

Tickets: $10

Information: (407) 877-6440

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OCOEE — Outside, the Ocoee High School campus is quiet. The massive parking lot is nearly empty, and the lights in all the classrooms have been turned off.

But, from inside the school’s cafeteria, Morgan Freeman’s instantly recognizable voice booms.

Out of the night that covers me,

Black as the pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

For my unconquerable soul.

It’s the opening lines of William Ernest Henley’s classic poem, “Invictus.” In West Orange, it’s serving also as the opening of Ocoee High’s indoor percussion ensemble’s 2015 competition show.

For the uninitiated, visual performing-arts organization Winter Guard International developed indoor percussion as a competitive division in 1992. The format — combining the precision and technical demand of marching percussion with other, more theatrical artistic expressions such as acting, singing and dancing — has continued to rise in popularity in the last decade. Ocoee’s line, called Echo Percussion, is now in its fourth season, and instructor J.D. Ralph says the line has become a favorite among his students.

“Initially, it was started as a way to keep the playing skills up,” he says. “Now, it’s the centerpiece of the program.”

Without the setting of halftime under Friday Night Lights, the world of indoor percussion has remained largely a mystery to anyone not directly connected to the marching arts or related to someone who is. That’s why Ralph — himself a veteran percussionist, educator and member of the Orlando Magic Drumline — is particularly excited for Saturday night, when Echo Percussion will perform before the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra at the Rotary Club of Winter Garden’s “Evening at the Pops” concert.

“It’s drumline, choir, dancing and drama all rolled into one,” Ralph says. “The struggle (with recruiting new students) has been that no one knows about it. Until they see it, they didn’t even know it existed.”

Sure, Echo Percussion’s 2015 “Invictus” show features plenty of drumming chops to make marching-band aficionados grin from ear to ear. But, the theatrics — including carefully choreographed drill, solos and props — allow the drumline to tell a deep, emotionally charged story. The group started working on the music for this year’s competition show last November. Ralph installed the drill in January, and the line has been slowly building the show since then. 

“We’ve gone from our first year always coming in last place to winning first places now,” Ralph says. “The thing about this group is that they all have a lot of heart and spunk.”

And a willingness to work. At a recent rehearsal, Ralph and the line worked for more than an hour to install a series of movements that total less than 20 seconds of show time. But, that’s the kind of work required when the goal is perfection.

Furthermore, Ralph says, the drumline has given him a platform to teach more than just music. Each of the ensemble’s twice weekly rehearsals begins and ends with recitation of the drumline’s mission. Its members also do morale calls, reminding their colleagues about the power of hard work, discipline and more. 

“We do this every day to let the kids know why we are here, and what we are doing this for,” Ralph says.

For its upcoming performance at “Evening at the Pops,” the drumline will be performing, among other pieces, selections from “The Chronicles of Narnia.” The group also will be performing at its Family and Friends Knight, scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday, March 16, at the high school, 1925 Ocoee Crown Point Parkway, Ocoee.

Contact Michael Eng at [email protected].

2015 ECHO PERCUSSION

SNARES

Noah Grace (show soloist, captain)

Chris Jimenez (captain’s assistant) 

Kegan Sulkowski

TENORS

Katie Alexander (show soloist)

Connor Haugen

BASS DRUMS

Austin Muniz

Sebastian Orrego

Kara Owens (doubles as vocal soloist in show)

CYMBALS

Jayle Garcia

Kensie Thomas

MALLETS

Kacy Cartwright

Logan Hall

Kevin Mayfield (secretary)

Nicole Peery

Tyler Perez

Jayme Poitevien (lead soloist outside of show)

Ryce Robinson

KEYBOARD AND SOUNDBOARD

Jacob Crabtree (captain’s assistant)

TIMPANI

Brianna Bomia

AUXILIARY PERCUSSION

Najae Forrester 

John Garber

STAFF

Drumline instructor: J.D. Ralph

Band director: Bernard Hendricks Jr.

Arranger: James Watson