GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colorado — The Glenwood Springs High School Percussion Ensemble sat as champions in the center of the school’s basketball court as their peers began to fill the bleachers Thursday.

“The newest state champions for Glenwood Springs,” said retired GSHS teacher and ensemble driver, Michael Wilde as he introduced the group to its waiting audience.
“Percussion ensemble, please take the floor,” Wilde said.

Each of the 13 students wore first-place medals from the Rocky Mountain Percussion Association State Championships, held in Loveland on April 12. The fruits of their labor were an impressive victory for a group of dedicated percussionists in only their second year of competition.

“It’s been a pretty amazing journey,” Wilde said.

The chatter fell quiet and all was still. Then they played their winning piece titled, “Spinning, Falling, and Flying,” composed by Mike Nevin. They played as they have played all year long, they played the only way they know how to play — they played as champions. And they received a standing ovation from their peers when they finished.

Percussion coach Aaron Lundblad sat at the end of the bleachers with a crooked grin, the culmination of his year with the kids.

“It’s indescribable,” Lundblad said still smiling.

“I was worried that they had a huge target on their backs,” Lundblad said. “But they put in the effort and time and they did it.”

The ensemble’s year was not without hardships, despite only competing in three of the eight RMPA competitions throughout the year. But as they are the only ensemble from the western part of the state, they had to travel to the front range for each of the competitions. As if winning all three competitions wasn’t enough, the weather made each trip memorable — they were stuck in traffic on Interstate-70 for hours.

“This one took us about 10 hours,” Lundblad said. “We had to sit in Avon for about five hours, so we took the kids to a restaurant and watched the Avalanche game.”
The group didn’t reach their hotel room in Loveland until 3 a.m. the morning of the state competition. Lundblad woke them three hours later for their big day.

“I think they were probably too tired to be nervous,” Lundblad said.
Their nerves didn’t take hold until after the students performed their winning piece, when they had to wait about another five hours for the results of the competition.

“There was a lot of nerves at that point,” Lundblad admitted.

When the judges came back with the scores, the Glenwood ensemble had won narrowly — by half a point. Then the smiles came, Lundblad said.

“To see their smiles, that made the whole season worth it,” he said.

For team captain and drummer, sophomore Carson Wilde, the experience was definitely one to remember.

“To bring home a championship is really cool,” he said after the performance
Thursday.

It didn’t even bother him to play drums with the medal around his neck.
“It feels good,” he said. “It didn’t get in the way or anything.”

With only two graduating seniors, the ensemble members have time to savor the taste of victory before they prepare to defend their title next year. But Lundblad is already looking toward the future as he has plans for the group to compete at the world competition in just two more years.

Even seeing what they’ve accomplished after only two years of competing, the bar has been set high. However, even Lundblad will take some time to savor this victory.
“I’m very proud of them,” he said. “It’s a championship, you can’t ask for much more than that.”

Contact John Gardner: 384-9114jgardner@postindependent.com


Post Independent, Glenwood Springs, Colorado CO