BBBTV12 Serving Anderson, Roane, and Morgan Counties
The Oak Ridge High School (ORHS) Indoor Percussion Ensemble is hosting a free community performance tonight, Tuesday, April 18, 2023, prior to their Wednesday departure to the WGI World Championships in Dayton, Ohio. This is Oak Ridge’s first Indoor Percussion Ensemble to compete at the championship level.
The ensemble is an extension of the Oak Ridge High School Band—similar to a marching band but uses only drums and keyboard instruments such as xylophone, marimba, and vibraphone. Indoor percussion is often referred to as the “sport of the arts,” combining elements of music, theatre, and dance to tell a story or narrative all while moving, sometimes running, around a gym while playing an instrument that can weigh more than 25-30 lbs.
“Our students have put in hundreds of hours of practice this season to hone their skills to compete with some of the best groups in the country,” said Assistant Band Director Sean Rutherford. “We began practicing at the end of marching band season in November and have had one of the best years in school history. This group continues to improve every week. They have been undefeated through all our winter competitions, setting us up to be very successful on the biggest stage for the WGI Championships in Dayton, OH.”
