The First Tap-Off of the 2022-2023 Season!
On December 17th, 2022, the first tap off of the 2023-2023 Percussion League season was played by the Max M. Fisher Boys & Girls Club Drumline! The first event of the year was the CHOPS Drumline Competition hosted by Piper Sr. High School in Sunrise, Florida. This years event featured nine groups from the South Florida region which included: Roosevelt Middle School, H.L. Watkins Middle School, Max M. Fisher Boys & Girls Club, Faiths Place Center for Arts Education, Blanche Ely High School, Deerfield Beach High School, Dillard High School, Fort Lauderdale High School, and Palm Beach Lakes High School.
As each group took the floor, it was clear that they were excited to be back and competing after the hiatus due to effects of the world-wide pandemic.
The Roosevelt Middle School drumline provided a great performance filled with section highlights and a fantastic snare-line that showed maturity and proof of practice. As a consistent line from year to year, Roosevelt showed that they are working to continue their legacy in the region.
H.L. Watkins Middle School drumline came onto the floor with ALOT of energy and the crowd was soaking it all in! Showing a lot of great training through musicality, intensity, and showmanship this line was all in on the art of performance and will be a great contender as they continue to develop.
Newcomers to the Percussion League, Max M. Fisher Boys & Girls Club drumline came out and humbly performed for the encouraging crowd and managed to finish strong with confidence and the look of proud performers! The students played with a lot of heart and showcased their hard work while finding their zone which paid off in the end. We look forward to seeing the growth of this line!
The Deerfield Beach High School "Bucks" drumline is on the way back up to the days of their legacy, and they are another line we're looking forward to seeing grow both in numbers and confidence! Great playing by their solo snare player, with support from the multi-tenors. And there's a lot of good things happening within the lower voices that will show with more practice and time. The Blanche Ely High School "Earthquake" drumline came out swinging with intricate rhythms and technical passages which helped create some nice grooves while still showing they've been taught well and possess a lot of talent. Fort Lauderdale High Schools "Blue Smoke" drumline entered the floor subtly with a extra side of swag, and kicked off their performance by going from 0-60 in a matter of seconds with a variety of section features and grooves which led into an intense transition of great technicality.
Dillard High Schools "Take 1" percussion section came through and gave a clinic in versatility and musicality by showing a variety of genres in just a few minutes. Between their use of intricate modulations, rhythmic clarity, and musical textures this years ensemble is creatively taking things to the next level. The Palm Beach Lakes "Ram Regiment" drumline came onto the floor thunderously deep with a group that nearly took up the entire gym floor. The line showed no signs of falling behind on previous years, and maintained clarity, control, and confidence across every section while making sure each section had their time to shine! A true highlight of this years group is the bass drum section that rivals some schools multi-tenor sections. And the final group to perform in competition were the defending champions, Faiths Place Center for Arts Education "Drumline of Victory" who took the floor in honor of the late Keith Gaskin, III. The line put on a great show with a fantastic performance across the board from both veteran and new members that displayed how and why their legacy continues to live on from year to year. Each section got a chance to shine in the spotlight through their positively designed show that featured complex movement and focused musical context. Finally, Piper High Schools own "Chop Symphony" drumline showed out with a spectacular exhibition performance that showcased each sections capabilities and let the audience and future rivals know that they are on the rise, hungry, and ready to go at the next competition. As young line currently consisting of a mix of underclassmen and a few upperclassmen, this group should be on the radar of every group throughout the Percussion League!
IN THE END
the competition came down to a final head to head battle between Dillard's "Take 1 Percussion" and Palm Beach Lakes "Ram Regiment" going one round a piece, and finishing with the Ram Regiment in 1st place!
View the complete score recap by visiting our Score page.
This season marks the first official year of events hosted across the nation with competitions happening in 5 States. To see the full list of events, Click Here.
Pictures Provided by ShotzbyJayyy