Posted Date: 04/11/2017
For the first time in almost a decade, the Paris High School Drum Line participated in the north Texas indoor drum line circuit contests (NTCA). The drum line competed in the standstill and their final competition was on Saturday, April 1. The groups were evaluated in two areas: Music and Artistry. The Paris drum line ranked first in Music and second in Artistry, which averaged out to second place overall—just .8 of a point behind first.
The show was an homage to classic Western and sci-fi films, and it was entitled "Codi the Cowgirl Battles the Aliens." The keyboard percussion players (xylophone, marimba, vibraphone, and synthesizer) and auxiliary percussion players were the cowboys, and the battery percussion players (snare drum, tenor drum, bass drum, and cymbals) were the aliens. The concept was designed by three members of the drum line: senior Codi Clark and sophomores Grace Hamm and Carol Anne Starnes. The music was arranged by the drum line instructor James Christian.
In reflecting on the season, Christian said: "This was the first year for this group to compete in this circuit. Our show theme was fun and campy, and we played some challenging music. We didn't know how we would do our first year out. We just wanted to present a high quality product and entertain the audience. The students had a lot of fun. Judges and audiences alike always enjoyed our show. To place as well as we did our first year was quite an accomplishment. We have a great group of students this year. They are super talented, and I couldn't be more proud of them."
The entire Paris percussion section, which encompasses 6th to 12th grade, will perform their annual Spring Percussion Concert on Monday, May 22, at 6:30 p.m.
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