Indoor Guard and Percussion Trip to Wildwood for Championships

From April 31st to May 4th, the students involved with Gateway’s Indoor Color Guard and Percussion programs took a trip to stay down in Wildwood to attend Tournament Indoor Association (TIA) finals championships and close off their season with a boom.

The student groups had the opportunity to perform their shows two last times– one for the preliminary round, and one for finals– and compete against other groups in TIA from all across the East Coast. Some groups that the programs competed against were common rival teams, and some competitors hadn’t been seen by Gateway all season until this point.

A few days prior to the East Coast Championships, TIA hosted the Regional Championships at Eastern Regional High School. On April 27th, Gateway’s Indoor Percussion scored 1st with a score of 93.4 points, taking home beautiful golden medals. The GRHS Guard placed 3rd in their group with a score of 83.90! The Region 1 Championships are like the playoffs for Indoor performers, before leaving for the big leagues in Wildwood.

Pre-Performance Preparations

After arriving at the Vibes Hotel in Wildwood, New Jersey, Gateway’s student performers got set up in their rooms with their best teammate friends. Just a few blocks away from the boardwalk and ocean, the view was gorgeous and the smell of the beach was present. Apart from the seagulls that would swoop down at mealtime, the environment was as beautiful as to be expected from the Wildwood shores.

The main goal of downtime was for the Guard and Percussion to practice their music and shows until they were perfected for performance. Practice blocks for the Guard would include setting up flags and equipment and doing repetitions of the show to clean details and body placements, practice performance faces and energy, and ensure that the work was as pretty as it could be. For the Percussion, they’d focus on technique, running their show music over and over with attention to detail, tempo, and dynamics, to make it sound stunning.

One dedicated Percussion member, freshman CJ Marsden, was asked about his memories regarding Wildwood. He described, 

“My favorite part of the Wildwood trip is most definitely the rehearsals and the last two competitions. Despite only being down there for at most five days, you really get the feeling that the amount you’ve improved since you’ve been there is greater than how much you’ve improved from the beginning of the season up to that point. Knowing that you’ve improved, not only as an individual but as a group as well, is a feeling unmatched. It sparked the competitive edge in me I wasn’t aware was even there.” (CJ Marsden)

Similarly, Don Simpson was very happy about rehearsals during this Wildwood trip. When asked, he responded, “This year, no one complained about having countless hours of rehearsal (18 hours to be exact), no one complained about having to change bandages consistently because their hands were bleeding, no one complained about “not having enough free time”. Everyone was focused on making this final performance the best that it can be. I love seeing this dedication and focus from the students. It really brings the whole season to a nice close for me when the overall point of this activity and this trip comes full circle.” 

Apart from practice blocks, the students had many opportunities to make memories with their teammates. Designated free time would give them chances to go shopping on the boardwalk, pick up lunch and treats, go swimming in the beach or hotel pool, and bond with friends. Even Morey’s Pier was open starting Friday of the trip, so many Gateway students could be found on rides such as the infamous Sea Serpent, or wandering the pier’s rides and arcades, rain or shine. 

Senior Guard member Jaydn Bennett has been in this program for four years. She’s going to be graduating in a few weeks, but her legacy will last on past her. She was also interviewed regarding memories she’s made in this program, and she detailed,

“My favorite part about the Wildwood trip is that I get to spend a week with my favorite people as my senior farewell. It’s a great way to end the best season of my color guard career.” She later added, “Some of the notable memories are last year when we got second place at Wildwood and that was the first time we placed [received medals] in over a decade.”

Jaydn Bennett, Amelia Gilmore, and Kaitlyn Legenski were the Class of 2025 Guard members that have graduated. For the Percussion, the members Colin Flynn and Nora Seeburgh will be graduating. All of the Indoor Program’s seniors will be missed, and their impacts on the younger generations of building this program have not gone unnoticed. 

Three, Two, One… Performance Time!

On Thursday, May 1, 2025, the Percussion had their preliminary performance held in the Wildwood Convention Center. Their show was titled “Sche-Hiznit,” and was composed by Jim Wunderlitch. It was an adaptation of the symphony Scheherzade, which follows the story of A Thousand Nights.

At their Prelim round performance, they scored a 95.1 and placed first in their group! This got energy high and students even more competitive than before. They’d practice their show music nonstop for a chance to taste that sweet, sweet gold. 

Director Don Simpson, with the help of Korey Ottmuller, would train these students to their highest ability but make sure they were having fun in the process. The group of students this year was incredibly driven to win, and would rehearse their hearts out when they weren’t goofing around. 

Some interesting Percussion students even showed up to their rehearsals in gorilla costumes. Wildwood Finals is quite the event. In the words of percussion enthusiast CJ Marsden,

“…because despite the fact that they were costumed, they were still just as dedicated as they were earlier in the rehearsal. Knowing that our group was able to balance dedication and fun in a moment like that is what truly made it a good memory.”

 

On the following Friday, the Color Guard had their own first performance in Wildwood, scoring a solid 85.36 and securing their spot in Finals! Their show is titled, “Sirens Of The Seas,” under the direction of Kiersten Cocuzza, Jaclyn Ottmuller, and new staff member Lauren Brown. The show’s music is Addicted by the wonderful Kelly Clarkson.

The theme of the show was very oceanic, describing how alluring sirens lure people in with their calls and their beauty. Blue makeup, glitter, scales, and mermaid-like costumes brought the vision to life. Only 13 groups in the Guard’s division progressed to the next round, and out of those 13, Gateway was ranked 6th. Not bad at all!

The Guard kept getting stuck with very early performance times… so four or five A.M. wakeup calls became the norm for this group. Getting into uniform, doing hair and makeup before the sun even rose… nothing phases this group of talented performers.

After meticulous work and many pep-talks, the Percussion’s final performance was held on Saturday, May 3rd. They went out and performed a stellar run, knocking the audience’s socks off and leaving the floor crying happy tears from how much they’d accomplished. No matter how scores turned out, this group of students gave it 110% and deserved to be proud of themselves. 

Gorgeous silver medals draped the necks of Gateway’s percussionists that night, with an astounding score of 96.1, giving Gateway one of its highest ever performance scores! Isn’t that mind blowing? The students couldn’t have done any better or played any harder, and the awesome outcome they received was proof of that triumph. Congratulations! 

Lastly, Color Guard Finals took place on Sunday, May 5th, which also happened to be the departing date of this group. The Guard’s last performance of, “Sirens Of The Sea,” was enough to bring directors to tears as they saw all of the hard work from their season culminate into one final stellar run. All the critique they’d received, all the hours spent rehearsing in the stinky gyms, and all the work that had been cleaned was all worth it to leave the floor feeling like a million bucks. 

The GRHS Color Guard’s final season score was a whopping 89.14 points, jumping nearly 4 points from their last performance just two days prior! Amongst the very tough competition of their division, Gateway was able to walk out with shining bronze medals, an accomplishment they won’t be forgetting. The high of a good performance is a memory that sticks with a performer even after the season ends. 

So… What’s Next? And How Do I Join? (Because, Between You and Me, You Really Should.)

Both the Indoor Percussion and the Indoor Guard had wonderful experiences in the 2024-2025 seasons. Making new like minded friends, learning new musical and performing skills, and creating unforgettable team bonds are only a glimpse into what the Indoor Programs experienced this year.

Finishing off a stellar season such as this one could bring a lot of emotions, both good and bad. As a 3-season member of the Color Guard myself, I can say that my final hugs to team members who may not be returning could spring some tears into my eyes. But rather than dwelling on the fact this season’s over, students and directors are already looking towards what next season may have in store.

Each season, getting better and bigger as a program is a common goal. Next year has been hinted to be a spectacular one… that any Gateway students, grades 7-12, interested in music, dance, and performance are not going to want to miss. The program is always recruiting– there’s always room for more proud medalists on the teams. Guard director Kiersten Cocuzza has expressed interest in the 25-26 season being one to go down in the history books, and knowing how dedicated she is, that’s going to be achieved with flying colors.

When asked about how this year’s Percussion season went, Mr. Simpson had a lot to say.

Each week, the students got better and better as they learned and perfected this show. Throughout each competition, they were able to listen to the judges’ recordings and watch their performance to gain the awareness they needed to focus on what needs to be done. From there, they were more self-motivated to achieve that for the next performance.

Thank you to all the wonderful directors, staff, Band Parents, and supporting families that made this season possible! Without all the help and dedication from Lisa Cassidy, Band Parent President who was THE major powerhouse at Wildwood, and the rest of the Band Parent Association, this season wouldn’t have swam as smoothly as it did. Thank you for giving students a space to learn music and the arts, explore their interests and skills, and make memories they won’t find anywhere else.

Interested, or know someone who’d be interested? Reach out to Gateway’s awesome band director, Mr. Simpson, for more information on the Indoor Programs, or the outdoor Marching Band season that can often end up being a skill-gaining warm-up into the Indoor seasons! This program can only get stronger from here, so don’t hesitate to become a valuable part of something great.