Wildcats Got The Beat

The West Ashley High School Band recently competed against 39 Winter Guard Units and 19 Percussion Units at the South Carolina Directors Association’s Winter Ensemble State Competition at York Comprehensive High School. This was quite the event, having more than 2,300 students, spectators, and staff in attendance.
The Indoor Percussion’s show was titled “Beat Generation” and was all about the different “beats” in contemporary music. The percussionists started rehearsals back in January to prepare for the State Competition. They attended a special two-day camp on Jan. 16-17 and attended practice two-to-three times a week to perfect and hone their skills.
The Winter Guard’s show was titled “Feelin’ So Free” with the students dancing to the song “Daft Punk” by the group Pentatonix. The Guard has also been rehearsing since early January to prepare for this competition. They attended a special two day camp on Jan. 2 and 3 and also practiced two or three times a week to prepare.
Including the State Competition, both the Indoor Percussion and the Winter Guard competed in four competitions this year. This year the competition especially meant a lot to both groups as they decided to dedicate their performances to Master Chief Timothy Strickland, West Ashley High’s NJROTC instructor who had recently passed away.
Both groups came in 3rd Place at the Winter Ensemble State Competition.