Check out this blog to stay up to date with IMPACT Percussion as the group travels to Dayton, OH to compete in the WGI Percussion World Championships!
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Tuesday, April 24th – 9:00 AM (PST)
And we’re back for one more post! After a long day of traveling across the country on Sunday, all members and staff made it safely back to Washington and went home to get some well-deserved rest.
When our Tri-Cities members finally arrived at the MAC Sunday evening, we were greeted by cheering parents and friends who couldn’t wait to celebrate with us. Thank you for all your support!
The semi-truck made it back to town Monday evening. As soon as it arrived, we unloaded all our equipment and started putting everything away for next season.
Now, it’s time for everyone to relax, enjoy this moment with the fresh wash of WGI still on us, then get back to reality. It’s always a unique transition coming back to the real world after a trip like this. It felt like we were gone much longer than six days. Members and staff have created memories that will last a lifetime, friendships and bonds that will never break, and we had an experience that will have a lasting impact on the rest of our lives. 😉
Congratulations 2018 IMPACT Percussion. We are World Champions, and nobody can ever take that away.
Sunday, April 22nd – 7:30 AM (EST)
Well, it’s been a pretty wild past two days. On Friday night at the University of Dayton Arena, we were named WGI World Champions in the Percussion Independent A division! Woo-hoo! We received the highest score of our season and in our organization’s history: 95.300.
This is an incredible achievement for everyone in our ensemble! But before we go deeper into that dream-like night, let’s rewind to Friday morning for Semi-Finals…
We got to BB&T Arena around 10:30 AM to warm-up and perform. Since we were in first place going into semis, we were the last group on that morning, and it felt a little odd warming up in the parking lot while all the other groups went inside. There were actually a few minutes when we were the only group warming up outside – definitely not something we’re used to. But the weather Friday morning was incredible. Blue skies and warm(er) weather. It was a great lot!
Our Semi-Finals performance was good, but the consensus of the members and staff was that our prelims performance on Thursday was just a touch better. However, we scored a 94.050, and we stayed in first place, earning a spot in Finals that night at the University of Dayton Arena.
After we loaded the truck at BB&T Arena, we went back to the Club for some downtime before Finals. The break helped everyone relax and rejuvenate before the biggest performance of the season. Once we arrived at UD Arena for Finals, we unloaded our equipment, started warming up, and crowds started to gather and watch. Members and staff from OC Indoor also watched the lot to help pump up our members and show some Northwest love. It was a pretty special warm-up.
After warming up, we headed into the arena. This was it. The biggest moment of the season. The biggest performance of the year on the biggest stage of the year. Our members went down the ramp and onto the floor with such poise and professionalism. Even when one of our keyboards shut down seconds before our performance, our members stayed calm and resolved the issue without worry – truly a testament to their mental toughness and focus.
Then then performance… it was magical. The best performance of the year. And the crowd response was incredible. So much love for IMPACT from everyone in the stands. This performance at UD Arena was one for the history books.
After the performance, members and staff met outside to recap the show. Our friends at FloMarching.com captured part of that moment.
“You have made history. You have MADE history.” @impact_wp #wgi2018 pic.twitter.com/GfTNw64UtF
— FloMarching (@FloMarching) April 21, 2018
After a heartfelt talk about the show and the season, members loaded the truck and prepared for full retreat awards.
15 excellent ensembles made Independent A Finals, and one by one those groups were announced with the scores they earned, until there was just one group left: IMPACT Percussion, with a final score of 95.300. We became World Champions!
If I may change writing gears into the first-person and write as the Director of IMPACT Percussion, I cannot describe how proud I am of these members. Their hard work, their dedication, their sacrifice, their desire for excellence amazes me. I am constantly inspired by their work ethic and their passion for music and growth. I am honored and humbled to guide them on their journey. A season’s success is not measured by first place finishes or points, but it certainly feels incredible to be recognized for what we have done at the highest level, and to be named World Champions is amazing. Especially since this is our first year going to World Championships! Not one member in our group has been to Dayton before! What a wonderful and life-changing experience for these young musicians. The members and staff of this year’s ensemble will never forget this night for the rest of their lives. This is the night we all became World Champions, and that will stay with everyone forever.
*Taking a moment to soak everything in…
After awards, we went back to the Club and had pizza, hung out, then crashed. It was an extremely long and emotional day.
On Saturday morning, members loaded their sleeping supplies in the semi so our driver could start to make his way back to the Tri-Cities. Thank you, Dustin!
After loading, we held our annual awards banquet at the Club to recognize our members, then we went out to eat at Golden Corral. Our friends from OC Indoor were also there, so we got to hang out with them again, which was great!
Once we finished eating, we all went to UD Arena to watch World Class Finals up close. We had great seats, right next to the sideline!
After the scores were announced (congrats RCC and Chino Hills!), we headed back to the Club, packed up our stuff, cleaned up the building, then left for the airport about 2:30 AM (Sunday).
Now, members are starting to travel back home to Washington. Some members have left already, and some are hanging out at the airport, waiting for their flights (and trying to get some sleep).
And some members are drumming. Because… they’re drummers…
This has been a great trip so far, and we’re almost done. Although this journey has been amazing and truly life-changing, everyone is excited to go back home and share this award with friends, family and the community. See you soon Tri-Cities!
Friday, April 20th – 8:00 AM (EST)
Yesterday was a history-making day for IMPACT Percussion as the group competed in its first-ever WGI World Championships competition. After warming up outside in the cold and windy weather, members headed inside BB&T Arena at Northern Kentucky University to perform.
After mentally preparing for a great run-through, members took the arena and threw down!
We scored a 94.875 in prelims. That’s the highest score we have ever received, and it was the highest score of the day, putting us in first place out of the 27 competing groups, and earning us a spot in Friday’s Semi Finals competition. The staff and the members felt very good about the run.
After performing, members headed backstage for a group picture.
After loading all the equipment, we went out to lunch. Most members went to Chick-fil-A, and of course, hyped IMPACT inside.
When we came back to the Club, we had some down-time to relax after a long morning. Then, we unloaded the truck and got back to work. But before we started our evening rehearsal block (which was our last rehearsal block of the season), we performed for all the members and staff from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Dayton. That was great!
After our performance, we went to the gym to have our last rehearsal block of the season. It was 2 hours of pure excellence. The staff is incredibly proud of what the group has accomplished so far, but we’re not done yet. Semi Finals are today. We perform at 12:06 pm (EST). Right now, members are getting breakfast, getting in costume, and getting mentally prepared for the day – this is our last competitive day of the season (Finals are tonight). We’re ready for a great day.
Thursday, April 19th, 2018 – 6:45 AM (EST)
After a bit of a cloudy morning yesterday, the weather really got nice in Dayton, and we saw some sunshine as we rehearsed all day at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Dayton.
We took advantage of the sunshine as much as we could by rehearsing outside in sections and as a full ensemble. By noon, the weather was gorgeous!
We had a couple staff members fly in to Dayton Wednesday, and we also had some special guests stop by – our visual designer and battery arranger came to our rehearsal Wednesday night to check out the show and give some feedback. It was great to have them around!
Now, members are waking up, eating breakfast, getting in costume, and getting ready to perform at prelims. There’s a lot of energy around the group right now, and all the members are ready to throw down. Here’s to a great show!
Wednesday, April 18th, 2018 – 11:00 AM (EST)
After a day of non-stop travel, including some delayed and cancelled flights, and extra driving to the Seattle airport to avoid the snow, all our members made it safely to Dayton, Ohio for the WGI World Championships late Tuesday night!
Our semi-truck also safely made it to Dayton with all of our equipment. It took our driver three full days to get here through nine states! (The trip from Kennewick, WA to Dayton, OH is more than 2,200 miles.)
A couple staff members prepared for championships on Tuesday by checking in the group at the University of Dayton Arena. It’s very cool to see the arena in person – it’s always been a place that seems larger than life. By the way, it’s pretty cold in Dayton – definitely colder than the Tri-Cities. It was snowing here Monday night/Tuesday morning. But today’s weather is a little nicer. 40 degrees, with cloudy skies right now…
After arriving in Dayton late Tuesday night, everyone went to the Boys & Girls Club of Dayton for some much needed rest. It was a long day…
Now, we’re preparing for a full rehearsal day, before we perform at prelims tomorrow. We’re on at 10:45 AM (7:45 AM PST). Head to FloMarching to watch the LIVE stream of our performance!