Drumline left for Indianapolis for their first competition of the year on Feb. 14. This competition was regional, so schools from multiple states were in attendance, and

necessary to compete in to qualify for world finals in Dayton, Ohio. They competed at Franklin Central High against fifteen other schools and ended up taking fourteenth with an overall score of 62.75. According to drumline members, their main disadvantage was their lack of practice because of snow days, which combined with a large number of new people who are still learning and getting used to their instruments, resulted in a lower score than hoped for.

“All things considered, I think we had a pretty strong performance,” senior Michael Beaver said. “Although, we lost a lot of points because of issues with the microphone, causing the judges to not really understand what our show concept was about.”

On the way to the competition, the bus broke down because of leaking antifreeze. The students stayed in a nearby Subway restaurant, then were moved to a hotel in Effingham, Illinois because the roads were becoming icy. They left early on Feb. 15 to ensure a timely arrival in Indianapolis and successfully made it to the competition, which took place on Feb. 15 through the 16.

“The situation never really escalated much,” Beaver said. “We took the proper precautions, and everyone stayed calm about it. In the end, it was just a nuisance, but everyone acted maturely.

Drumline practices are two or three times a week for four hours, therefore missing practice is a big deal. Watching other successful lines, however, helps give the members an idea about how to perform better during competitions and achieve higher scores.

“It was an interesting experience,” sophomore Zoe Willott said. “My favorite part was watching other lines perform, just to see what our competition was and to see how to perform better. I’m super excited for the competition in Dayton.”