Winter Percussion
On a hot, sunny day in Soweto township, South Africa, the percussion Ensemble from Spirit of America Band participated in a “dueling drum” exchange; the culmination of the WumbaWumba Drum Ensemble’s Battle of the Bands. On the site of a partially constructed new Arts facility, dozens of drummers from the city of Johannesburg competed on traditional South African drums for the title “top band”. At the close of the competition, Spirit of America and the South African Womba drummers shared their drumming styles – each learning new techniques, style, and cultural heritage, while both groups fully expressed the joy and creative energy they found through their drumming.
A local South African artist, John Adams, created a work of art to present as a gift to Spirit of America at the end of this exchange. His painting shows a Spirit of America and South African drummer side by side — their different appearances heightening the impact of their combined unity of energy and spirit!
When the painting was presented to Spirit of America’s Director Richard Pugsley, he gently protested because the band’s intention was to offer its drumming as a gift to South Africa – they expected nothing in return. However, in typical generosity of both South African heart and spirit, the artist explained that because the walls of the new Arts facility had not yet been plastered, the sound of the drumming would sink into the stone, a permanent part of the building forever. Therefore, he protested, the band’s gift was recorded in the walls, and so the painting was their gift to us.
This is the backdrop represented on the floor, for the Spirit of America Winter Percussion show “Spirit Fusion” — standing as a reminder of the fusion that took place between our hearts and those of the people we met in South Africa.
The liveliest and most energetic unit in the band, the Winter Percussion ensemble includes members of Spirit of America aged 22 and under. It’s a slice of all the sections in the band: saxophones and flutes learn to play keyboards, a clarinetist takes on the tympani, brass and guard members form the battery, and percussion members and instrumentalists get to hone their dance skills. Every year they embark on a new adventure that takes them all the way to the WGI Finals in Dayton! Winter Percussion encourages these young musicians to reach the next level of excellence in music and marching skills, develop a sense of teamwork, and have a blast as they experience the joy of performance.
View Photos and Video:
2009 Photo Gallery
2009 Video Part 1
2009 Video Part 2
2008 Photo Gallery
2005 Photo Gallery
2004 Photo Gallery
