Westhill Percussion Named WGI Dartmouth Scholastic A Class Champions

 

Westhill Percussion is currently ranked #2 in the country in the Scholastic A class!

On March 8, Westhill High School’s percussion students (Westhill Percussion) competed at the Winter Guard International (WGI) Dartmouth Regional in the Percussion Scholastic A Class (PSA). Westhill swept the competition with a lead of 4.225 points, shattering the school’s previous record, earning a score of 88.000 and the title of WGI Dartmouth Scholastic A Class Champions.  This is the first time in school history that Westhill Percussion has achieved this level of success in competition. The win catapults WHS to #2 in the national rankings for Scholastic Class A programs, behind Clinton High School (MS).  This year’s percussion production is called Song of Sirens and features students playing the marimba, quad drums, cymbals and more; all while precision dancing and entertaining the audience. Westhill Percussions team captains are Richard Baer (12), James Palmer (12), Jackeline Gallegos (12), and Lewis Jean (11). Their team of 10 coaches include SPS alumni Jeffrey Martinez (class of 2022) and Carmen Lopez (class of 2021). 

In April, Westhill Percussion will travel to Dayton, OH to compete at the WGI World Championships. The students will have the opportunity to perform and compete in a large arena setting and interact with performance groups from around the country. The program is currently fundraising to offset the various costs associated with the trip. 

Indoor percussion marries elements of music performance, marching, and theater. The competition scores performances based on both the quality of the music and showmanship, as well as the visual and music effects that are integrated into the program. At this past Saturday’s competition, WHS competed against other school groups from Rhode Island, New York, and Connecticut. 

“The benefits of participating in these competitions extends far beyond simply learning to play an instrument,” explained Blair Roberts, Director of Instrumental Music - Westhill High School. “Students are developing valuable skills that can be applied to other areas of their lives, including time management, problem-solving, and learning to work together as a team to achieve their goals.”

WGI Sport of the Arts is the world’s premier organization producing indoor color guard, percussion, and winds competitions.  As a non-profit youth organization, WGI also serves as the governing body for the indoor color guard, percussion, and winds activities. It is called the Sport of the Arts because it brings music to life through performance in a competitive format. Even with over 45 years of history, the sport continues to evolve and grow. There were more than 40,000 participants at the regional level, and more than 12,000 participants at the Sport of the Arts World Championships held in April 2024.

Jorge Sena playing Marimba and Piccolo Xylophone

 

Richard Baer playing Quads

 

Lewis Jean playing Marimba

 

Charlotte Hayes playing marching Cymbals

Westhill Percussion 2025 

 

Official Digital Award from WGI