Winter Percussion, Winter Color Guard, and L Pattern drum majors all competed in Winter Competitions this past spring.
Consisting of precise drum work, dancing with flags, rifles, and sabers, and rigorous routines on the field, these teams have not only been through tough challenges, but stellar victories.
The show theme for Winter Percussion this season was “A Pirate’s Life for Me,” a three movement piece telling the story of a little girl’s dream of evil pirates.
Their highest score was 73.8 out of 100 at the Northern California Band Association (NCBA) Championships, and their highest placement was 2nd at the Granada High School Winter Show.
Sophie Sage ’28, the drumset player for the line, shared her experience this season.
“I extremely enjoy being in Winter Percussion. It’s a nice opportunity to get to play the drum set. This season had some ups and downs, but overall I had fun and would do it again.”
Not so similarly, Winter Guard’s show theme this season was “Jazzercize with Me,” parodying 80s TV broadcasts with jazzy moves.
Their highest score was 76.52 out of 100 at the NCBA Championships, the highest color guard score in Riordan history, and their highest placement was 2nd at the San Mateo Winter Show.
Kaitlyn Juhl ’27, the color guard captain and triple threat flag, rifle, and saber user, talked about her season.
She said, “The experience overall this year was extremely enjoyable and successful.”
“We were able to make such strong bonds with each other and worked so hard to be able to create an outstanding and rewarding show,” she added
Drum Majoring was the last sector of the Winter Activities season. The team of 13 drum majors set out on the field for L Pattern and Field Conducting competitions.
Notably, Logan Dee’26 and Ally Greebaum ’29 placed first and third at the San Mateo Winter Show, respectively.
Band Director Lance Ohnmeiss commented that “L Pattern is very important in choosing next year’s drum majors” and that he’s “very proud of the competitors this season.”
Through it all, this team’s effort and hard work, from rehearsals to their successful performances, highlight the band program’s dedication and commitment to their students, both on and off the floor.
