ZCHS Indoor Percussion Headed to Worlds

This season's Zionsville Indoor Percussion (ZIP) competition performance is called, The Rhythms on the Corners, set up with a group of percussionists playing the traditional stationary percussion instruments like marimba, vibraphone, timpani, and auxiliary percussion in each of the four corners. 

Student musicians were challenged to perform perfectly in sync with each other while other group members, including the drum line, the eight-person cymbal line and the nine members of the visual team, are in constant motion. This year, visual team members move drum set kick drums around the floor and up and down ramps in each corner while playing notes with the foot pedals. 

It takes dedicated practice to bring a show like this to life.

ZIP is made up of 42 students including percussionists as well as several woodwind/brass band students who also learn to perform on percussion instruments.  The vast majority are also in our marching band.

ZIP participates in two competition circuits each year.  One is the Indiana Percussion Association (IPA), and the other is Winter Guard International (WGI).  In each of these competition circuits, there are different categories, or levels of competition.  The majority of groups are in the Scholastic A category.  There are usually around 25 Scholastic A percussion groups in Indiana. After having won state championship titles in 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2019 (the 2020 season did not finish due to COVID), toward the end of the 2021 season, the judges determined that ZIP needed to be promoted to the Scholastic Open Class (a more challenging level that involves more difficult musical and visual skills).  ZCHS won a state championship in 2021 in spite of being sent to the tougher class just before the competition. They finished in third place at this year's state finals.  

It is exciting to now send this group of talented and very hard working artists to world competition. We send them on Eagles' wings of respect and affirmation! Good luck, ZIP. You are an amazing annual story in perseverance and artistic teamwork.

Several staff members work with the students: Michael Rennaker, Orion Avery, Jacob Sleek, Stephan Garber, Colton King, and Bekkah Bennewitz . The music is written by Don Barrett and the visual design is by Jack Pursifull.

Thank you to Roger Manning for capturing this season's performance photos that are included in this piece.

Seniors: Send in a photo by May 10!

Recently we made a request for photos and a school memory so that we could compile them for a senior year presentation. That's a heavy lift with all that is happening. We have received some submissions but not enough to represent our ZCHS senior class. To make it easier:

Will you help us by sending a photo of your senior student wearing a shirt that shows what your student will be doing after graduation (college, trade, military, etc). Feel free to share future plans when you send the photo. If we get enough photos of seniors, we will create a mosaic video of all that will visually capture future plans for the Class of 2022.

We would love to see everyone included!

Submit photos to Janet Mann at jmann@zcs.k12.in.us.

Please share with ZCS senior families you know!