Longmont Combined Schools Winter Percussion
Drumline is more than drums! Winter drumline is a competitive program that combines percussion, athletics, theater, and musical performance. It can include guitar, keys, string, and wind instruments and even dance and gymnastics. The team consists of a (usually) stationary “pit” of mallet percussion and other instruments along with a “battery” of marching drums. Costumed members play music while moving around on a gym-sized mat in choreographed formations.
Longmont High School has hosted a winter drumline team for more than two decades, and students from any St. Vrain Valley School District school (who meet academic requirements) are encouraged to join. Rehearsals are held at Longmont High School. They begin in late fall and competitions happen throughout the spring (ending in April). Winter drumline requires a significant investment of practice time and fundraising, including mandatory practices during winter and spring breaks, but the students think it is worth it and the team continues to grow in popularity.
Over the years, Longmont’s combined team has often won state championships with the Rocky Mountain Percussion Association and even made the finals at the Winter Guard International (WGI) World Championships in Dayton, Ohio. Although the program is competitive, it is also very much a community. Students often have friends in teams across the state and country, and they can enjoy watching their fellow percussionists perform and succeed. You can stream WGI drumline events with a monthly or annual subscription to https://www.flomarching.com/.
Support the Drumline by ordering a celebratory Flamingo Flocking: Let the Fun Land in Your Yard!!
Information for the 2023-24 season:
The next parent meeting will be on Tuesday, Jan 9 at 6:00 at LHS.
Please bring ear plugs and water. to practice.
- 2023-24 Drumline Schedule
- Upcoming competitions (on the RMPA website)
- 2024 Dayton Trip – WGI World Championship
- Link to scholarship application (due Jan 15, 2024, mail to: scholarships@lhs-performs.org)
Mattress Fundraiser
The mattress fundraiser is coming up quickly!!! If you need a sign to put in your front yard, let me know and we’ll get one to you. Please reach out to friends and family members to encourage them to come. There’s a lot riding on this sale! For one, it’s the best opportunity for individuals in drumline to earn in-kind hours, which can help reduce your drumline fees. Be sure to tell your friends and family members to mention that you/your student sent them to the sale. Students will earn in-kind hours only if they’re responsible for the purchaser being there. Also, the better this sale goes, the more likely we’ll be able to do it next year. Having a repeated fundraiser like this really helps us raise money every year and it gets easier the more we do it. So, please invite at least 3 people you know to come!
Corporate Fundraising
We’ve had some success with our corporate fundraising effort! There’s still time to reach out to people in the community to see if they’d like to sponsor us. Please revisit Jennifer K’s emails and reach out to potential sponsors. Jennifer made the process super easy.
Bingo
Bingo is still going on! Here’s a link to the signup page. Please sign up for Bingo if you can! Bingo supports our scholarships and our programs in general. https://signup.com/client/invitation2/secure/1061348656055/false#/invitation
Shoes
We are asking students to purchase their own shoes for drumline costumes this year. The shoes are available on Amazon here:
Women’s: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08TBVMN4C?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
Men’s: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B091GSRLVR?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
They run true to size. Be sure to order gray shoes, and please order shoes by Jan 8. If you can order them in time for our Jan 4, 5, 6 rehearsals, that would be best.
Parent Meeting and Parent Travel Fees
Our next parent meeting will be on Tuesday, Jan 9 at 6:00 at LHS. The next drumline fee payment installment will be due at that time ($712.50). Also due at that time is half the payment for parents traveling with the group. If you are sharing a room, the total cost is $1300/person, so the first payment is $650. If you’re staying alone in a room, the total is $1650, which makes the first payment $825.
Information from the 2022-23 season:
Latest News…
- Longmont Combined Schools Winter Drumline Named a 2023 Regional and World Finalist
After placing as a regional finalist, Longmont Combined Schools Drumline finished 6th in the world at WGI 2023 World Championships in Dayton Ohio. Their score of 92.863 was the highest that the team has ever earned at World Championships! We are so proud of these incredible student muscians! - Longmont Combined Schools Winter Drumline Named a 2022 Regional Finalist
Drumline Contacts:
David Merrill
merrill_david@svvsd.org
(Kathy Von Hatten (2023-24 Parent Coordinator) kathyvh1@yahoo.com)