Blast! Part I: Unexpected Opportunity
By Mai Tran Every summer, the Emmy and Tony award-winning show Blast! tours Japan, utilizing percussion, brass, and a visual ensemble (VE) to create shows. Many WGI performers have participated in Blast! over the years, submitting detailed video auditions before traveling abroad. We spoke to three performers who went on tour with Blast! the music […]
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We are all WGI
It is safe to say these past weeks have been among some of the most tumultuous and emotional than any of us can remember. The abrupt end to the WGI season, with all its promises of small and big moments, left us to discover something profound and moving about ourselves: an overpowering wish to be […]
Virtual Program Books
WGI Statement on Remaining 2020 Events
With our announcement of the cancellation of the WGI World Championships, questions about remaining events for the year have naturally arisen. On March 12, the Board of Directors unanimously voted to suspend all other events for the remainder of the 2020 season. After reviewing the social distancing recommendations of the CDC, WHO, as well as […]
2020 Solo & Ensemble
Hall of Fame: Caleb Rothe
By Michael Reed 2020 Hall of Fame inductee Caleb Rothe had a unique introduction to the world of WGI. When he was a front ensemble section leader as a senior at Etiwanda HS, he was asked by his instructor to assist with another school, Ayala HS. At his first WGI Regional, Caleb performed with his […]
Hall of Fame: Shane Gwaltney
By Michael Reed In the records of great WGI Percussion Championship shows, three that readily come to mind are Music City Mystique’s Se7en, Mantra, and The Hand of Man. 2020 Hall of Fame inductee Shane Gwaltney lead the design team that created those shows. While many designers specialize in either the visual or musical aspect, […]
Hall of Fame: Tim Bray
By Michael Reed In the 27 years WGI has hosted Percussion World Championships, there aren’t many ensembles that have competed as long as Tunstall High School. In the Scholastic Concert Percussion realm, their longevity has no equal, as they’ve competed every year since 1996. Their leader for that entire time is 2020 Hall of Fame […]
WGI Announces New Training Partnership with U.S. Center for SafeSport
WGI Sport of the Arts, the world’s leading producer of indoor events for color guards, percussion ensembles, and marching winds groups, today announced the creation of a strategic partnership with the U.S. Center for SafeSport. The partnership will focus on providing training to safeguard those participating in WGI from bullying, harassment, hazing, physical abuse, emotional […]
WGI Welcomes BAND App as a 2020 Sponsor
WGI Sport of the Arts, the world’s leader in producing indoor marching arts events for color guard, percussion ensembles and winds groups, announced today that BAND App will serve as a Corporate Partner for the 2020 WGI season. BAND App, a leading group communication app, is built to help organize and facilitate peer-to-peer communication. “Heading into […]
Hamilton Southeastern HS: An Underdog Story
By Caroline Meister 2018—Hamilton Southeastern Indoor Percussion Ensemble competes in WGI Percussion Prelims and ends their season with a score of 79. 2019—Hamilton Southeastern Indoor Percussion Ensemble competes in the WGI Percussion World Championships and advances to Scholastic Marching A Semi-Finals for the first time ever. They end their season with a fourth-place Finals finish […]
WGI Fan Club: The Ultimate Fan Experience
Get the ultimate fan package with the WGI Fan Club. By becoming a member of the “WGI Fan Club,” your tax-deductible donation grants you larger club seating spaces and access to a new private lounge, hosting invitation-only receptions throughout World Championships World Semi Finals, A Finals, Open Finals and World Finals events. Gain access to the […]
Rebirth and Renewal: Aftermath Percussion
By Caroline Meister Competition colors all activities. The stark pressures of competition and a daunting drive to win can bury the heart of any activity and detract from the raw passion and drive that brought participants to it in the first place. The indoor marching arts are no exception to this phenomenon. When Aftermath announced […]
WGI and IMG Announce 2020 Event
WGI Sport of the Arts, the world’s leader in producing indoor marching arts events for color guard, percussion ensembles and winds groups, announced today the next step in a continuing strategic partnership with Indoor Music Games (IMG). Both organizations are pleased to announce the return of WGI United Kingdom on Sunday, March 22. The venue […]
WGIcon 2019 Recap
WGIcon will return in 2021! On Friday, September 6, and Saturday, September 7, 2019, WGI launched the first-ever WGIcon in New Orleans! WGIcon is an educational event for all instructors, designers, technicians, and administrators of Percussion, Winds, and Color Guard groups around the globe. Featuring multiple motivational speakers and a Cirque Du Soleil® workshop, we heard […]
Visual Performers in Percussion Ensembles: Etiwanda HS
By Trudy Horsting Are you a percussion director who has been considering using visual performers in your next program? In this follow-up to the visual performers feature with Evidence from William Carey University, Director of Etiwanda HS Percussion (SW) Bryan Nungaray shares with us his perspective on how these individuals can be incorporated in a […]
WGI in Latin America
By Jenny Lyons On May 11, 2019, one month after the final scraps of glittering confetti had been swept up from the UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio, a new chapter of WGI history was being written 3,504 miles away in the BN Arena in San Jose, Costa Rica. Outside, the balmy 85 degree heat hung […]
Becoming “PHRĒ”
By Joselyne Grace A traditional percussion ensemble uses drum harnesses to move around the floor with their equipment. However, it can be quite demanding and restraining to carry a heavy drum with you while you perform. Then came Dark Sky Percussion’s 2019 program: “PHRĒ.” what is “PHRĒ”? “PHRĒ” takes the audience on the journey of […]
A Balancing Act: Academics & The Marching Arts
By Caroline Meister College students are notorious for living in a constant state of exhaustion and stress. They run from classes, to work, and to extracurriculars with barely any time to breathe in between. As a result, they perfect a necessary balancing act between their various responsibilities. Let’s raise the stakes. Not only are you […]
