Livin' the Dream, Pottsgrove Percussions Ensemble is a Real Hit

Photos courtesy of Kevin Smith

Some rhythms just get into your head and you can't get them out!

Blogger's Note: We at The Digital Notebook was pleased to receive this submission from Kevin Smith over at Pottsgrove High School on Thursday:

The Pottsgrove High School Percussion Ensemble has just completed the competitive portion of our 2012 season. 

For the past five months the ensemble has been preparing and performing our program for music lovers throughout Eastern Pennsylvania. The ensemble performs under the direction of Mr. Eric Williamson and Mr. Kevin Smith. 

High school and middle school students perform
together in competition.

The performers include students from the Pottsgrove High School and select 7^th and 8^th graders from the Pottsgrove Middle School. This ensemble is unique because it includes students who have been playing percussion instruments for many years and students who have never played percussion instruments before. 

This gives the opportunity for the percussionists to fine tune their musical abilities and also to give other students the chance to learn another instrument.

This season, the group is performing an original composition written by Mr. Smith titled “Dreamscapes.” 

The show is a musical representation of the dreams and nightmares you might experience while sleeping. 

Obviously, you can't explore a 'Dreamscape' unless you're in
your P.J.s

During the performance, the audience is taken to dreams of pure joy such as being able to fly or dancing a waltz in a lavish ballroom. 

However, you would also experience nightmares such as being chased, facing your fear of clowns, or sensing that some unknown creature may be watching you. 

The climax of the piece comes when the dreams and nightmares are both silenced by an alarm clock and the dawn of a new day.

All dreams ultimately end when the alarm clock
goes off.

This year marked the ensemble’s second competitive season. The group competes against other ensembles in the Cavalcade of Bands Indoor Judging Circuit. The ensemble performed at five competitions between February and March and received first place at each competition. 

The ensemble completed their season this past Saturday at Cavalcade Championships in Quakertown, PA. The group ended their year with a third place finish and a score of 86.20, the group’s highest competitive score to date.

After a long and fulfilling season, Pottsgrove is not quite done yet. 

The percussion ensemble is scheduled to perform their final concerts of the year at the Pottsgrove Middle School and High School spring concerts. 

The Middle School concert is scheduled for Thursday, May 3^rd and the High School concert is scheduled for Thursday, May 10^th. 

The concerts are open to the public, which allows the chance to see the ensemble one more time before their season finally ends.

Eventually, we all must wake from dreams. But how many school groups let your do your best work in your PJs?