On Top of the World

By Alex Mendoza

In 1999, Ayala High School’s Percussion Ensemble earned the right to become Percussion Scholastic A (PSA) World Champions in an unbelievably close margin against Mt Juliet - an astonishing 96.75 to 96.72. Unsuspectingly, this monumental achievement would only fuel the creative fire in the following years to come.

Each season the ensemble was taking considerable risks from a conceptual, musical and visual standpoint, and it would seem that only Ayala possessed the skill (as well as bravery) to utilize repertoire from diverse artists/band such as the Grammy-Award Jethro Tull, the banjo-tinged virtuosity of Bela Fleck, or the hypnotic beats and blips supplied by groups such as The Knife and Radiohead; all the while consistently incorporating a breathtaking visual design that set the precedent for swift marching years ahead of the crowd.

This past season, however, topped off an especially incredible year for the ensemble, whose record setting accomplishments extended as far back as November.

“This season was different in several ways, one of the most significant being the departure of Caleb Rothe. He was the front ensemble arranger for Ayala for quite some time and 2009 was an extremely successful season. He was already a father, as well as a teacher, so he wanted to move onto the next stage of his life. As a father myself I completely understood his position, so I brought in Brian Nungaray. He was a tenor tech here at Ayala, but he was the front ensemble arranger and instructor for Arroyo and Cypress High School,” Ike Jackson – the Battery Caption Head – explains.

Like his other trend setting pals in the World Class category, Ike has made a name for himself by creating high-energy programs that rely on velocity and a constant barrage of difficult rudimentary passages; the type of stuff you would hear some of the most elite drum corps play on a consistent basis, but Ike thrives on challenging his students and pushing the envelope. As a result it has yielded more than awards in the activity, but paved the way for a healthy roster of former alumni to join the ranks of some of the activity’s finest independent winter percussion ensembles, as well as top-notch World Class drum corps.

“We ended up taking 1st Place in Percussion at Western Band Association Championships for the first time in the ensemble’s history, so we wanted to ride that momentum going into the winter season. We wanted to try new things and see how we could design a show that was different than anything else that had come before it. That’s always been my thing since I’ve been here with the ensemble, and Ayala has been part of my life for nearly twenty years.

“We may not always be successful with what we’ve done in the past from a scoring standpoint, but sometimes in order to push things forward you have to be willing to take risks that may not always yield success in the way most people view it in this activity – that being the aspect of winning. I know there’s more to it than that, as does the staff, so we do our best to teach that to the kids and explain to them they’re part of something bigger than themselves. That they inspire other ensembles in the other classes, so there’s a responsibility to uphold.”

This momentum inspired the design of two evocative productions that didn’t simply expand creative boundaries: it shattered them entirely.

The Percussion Scholastic Concert World (PSCW) program, “Home”, detailed the emotional and physical struggle of a soldier trying to make his way home through the backdrop of World War II just in time for Christmas. It earned the ensemble another Gold Medal in the PSCW category; their fourth PSCW Gold Medal in five years, solidifying Ayala’s front ensemble as one of the most consistent and elite in their class – a challenge Brian Nungaray tackled head-on.

“I’ve always admired Caleb’s work with the front ensemble. Granted I worked with the battery at that point, it didn’t keep me away from watching him teach these kids how to become incredible performers. Considering the legacy he left with the success in 2009, as well as the countless seasons beforehand, I knew I had big shoes to fill. But I have to thank my old instructors, Mike Jackson and Jim Wunderlich, as they were responsible for much of the knowledge I gained through their lessons.

“Plus I had lots of input from Ike, the rest of the percussion staff, as well as friends and colleagues. I can’t take all the credit because I feel fortunate to be part of the Southern California percussion community. We’re a highly collaborative group of instructors and designers, but we’re also friends eager to help each other out with sharing our knowledge to enrich the activity.”

The winning streak continued when Ayala earned their 1st Gold Medal in Percussion Scholastic World (PSW) with their program, “Live to Tell” – a stirring meditation on the fight to maintain peace in the face of history’s greatest social and political conflicts.

With two championship titles in tow, Ayala became the first ensemble to medal in the PSA, PSO, PSW, PSCO and PSCW categories. And to add to that, front ensemble instructor Sean Gordon – a former Ayala student, as well as an alumni of the Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps (2006 – 2008), Pulse Percussion (2006) and RCC Winter Percussion Ensemble (2007 & 2008) – was the first instructor to earn gold medals in all Percussion World categories: two with Ayala and one with fellow 1st time PIW Gold Medalist Pulse Percussion, where he also serves as one of the front ensemble instructors.

Yet even with accolades stacked upon accolades, Ike is showing no signs of slowing down in terms of the creative process.

“Winter percussion is approaching a point where full-fledged productions are being placed on the floor. You look at ensembles like RCC, Dartmouth and MCM. Those ensembles are taking you to different places. It’s more than just a show with music and notes, but it’s a place where you can see workers in a heart, convicts and people from a dream world. I’m certain that as the activity continues to evolve more designers are going to lean towards this form of storytelling, because the activity is becoming a combination of theatrics and music. It keeps it fresh and pushes people to explore their creativity at all levels of competition.”

Reflecting upon Ayala’s success this season, it’s not far-fetched to imagine “Live to Tell” and “Home” representing the culmination of the strongest traits from their past programs. Consider the visual insanity of “Moving Without Traveling” and “Superficial”; or the fierce musical demand of “Opportunity” and “Daphnis & Chloe”; and the emotive qualities of “6:37” and “Goodbye”, as the 2010 programs were living, breathing history lessons; art imitating life. And with the 2011 season on its way, it’s clear the success gained from this past season is a sign of an ensemble hitting its stride and showing no signs of restraint in the future.

Rest assured the percussion community will be eagerly waiting.

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