From Wednesday, April 29th to Sunday, May 3rd, the Gateway Indoor Color Guard & Percussion attended TIA (Tournament Indoor Association) Championships down in Wildwood, New Jersey, to show off the fruit of their consistent hard work and dedication to their programs all season long.
Entering Atlantic Coast Championships, both the Guard and the Percussion were Region 1 Champions after championships at Eastern Regional High School on April 25th. Region 1 in TIA encompasses many South Jersey high schools. At Region 1 Championships, the Indoor Percussion took a strong first place with a 91.6, and the Indoor Color Guard scored gold with a 90.15.
The Gateway Percussion performs within the Scholastic Open Stationary Class while the Guard performs in Scholastic Novice. After boldly taking gold against their local competition, the Gateway performers were ready for the big leagues down in Wildwood.
The trip encompasses everything that the Indoor programs are truly built on– friendship, dedication, practice, and bonding. Time is spent roaming the boardwalks for lunch, eating delicious dinner provided by the Band Parent Association, spending time with teammates, but most importantly, rehearsing in practice blocks to ensure a clean, precise show for Preliminary performances as well as Finals.
Wait For Me One Last Time
This season, unlike any other season, the Gateway Percussion Ensemble rose to the challenge of performing one of the most difficult programs the ensemble has ever attempted.
Directed by Don Simpson and assisted by Korey Ottmuller, the percussion ensemble took on a Winter Guard International (WGI) A Class production titled “Orpheus.” It consists of three parts: Underworld, Eurydice, and Legend. Though the show was not connected to the musical Hadestown, it carried the same emotional weight and storytelling through music and visual performance. Throughout the season, students pushed themselves far beyond their comfort zones, making “Orpheus” not only a competitive success but also a season defined by growth, collaboration, and determination.
This year’s championship schedule looked different than in previous seasons. Typically, percussion preliminaries occur on Thursday, but due to the overwhelming number of participating ensembles, performances were split between Wednesday and Thursday. Gateway percussion was scheduled for Wednesday evening, the very same day the group arrived in Wildwood.
After checking into the hotel, students immediately shifted into performance mode. Members unpacked equipment, changed into uniforms, and prepared to run through the show several times before their performance slot. With time running short, members of the Color Guard stepped in to help push instruments and equipment across the boardwalk and into the Wildwood Convention Center.
Despite the stressful start to the few days at Wildwood, the ensemble delivered a confident preliminary performance of “Orpheus.” Out of the three ensembles competing in their class, Gateway Percussion earned second place with an impressive score of 94, instantly establishing itself as a serious contender.
However, that success did not mean the hard work stopped there.
Over Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, students spent countless hours rehearsing, cleaning details, and perfecting technique. Performing at a WGI A Class level requires extraordinary precision, and even the smallest details can drastically impact a score. Much of the ensemble’s rehearsal time focused on warm-ups and technical exercises designed to improve consistency and performance quality.
Like stretching before a sport, warm-ups are essential for percussionists to build endurance, strengthen muscles, and prevent injury or overexertion. Judges at this level pay close attention to performers’ technique, especially in four-mallet playing. Students spent hours refining proper grip, maintaining full extension during difficult passages, and learning how to stay relaxed while performing fast and physically demanding music.
In addition to musical technique, the ensemble worked hard to improve the visual side of the performance. With help from Color Guard director Kiersten Cocuzza, students added choreography and visual effects throughout the show to create a more engaging experience for the audience and judges alike. Performers moved underneath instruments, rose and lowered their bodies with dynamics in the music, and synchronized motions directly to the beat of the show. These additions elevated the overall effect of the production and, in turn, boosted the score!
Beyond rehearsals and performances, the time spent in Wildwood also became a place for the percussion ensemble to grow closer as a team and to take a break from school. Between practices, students spent time together on the boardwalk, shared meals (especially from Bagel Time), exchanged secret buddy gifts (along with senior and director’s gifts), and worked together loading and unloading the truck. These moments were just as meaningful as the performances themselves.
Eventually, Saturday evening arrived, and the ensemble made their final walk into the convention center for the finals competition. Emotions were high, but so was the confidence within the group. Overall, finals had the strongest run of the season! It truly came together in the end.
As the final notes rang out and students exited the floor, there was an overwhelming sense of pride and accomplishment. Months of rehearsals, long practices, calloused hands, sore muscles, and constant dedication had all led to this moment. Directors Don Simpson and Korey Ottmuller watched proudly from the sidelines, visibly emotional as their students successfully performed a world-class level production at such a young age.
As Percussion performer Sophia Cosantino explains about the difficulty of their program, “I do think that this season was a bit unfair though. We played a world class show, a piece that was meant for more advanced players than the class we are in. Us getting as high of a score as we did with the music we had was so amazing to achieve.” But, she also adds, “We did really good though in all honesty, we pulled a 96.4 which is still insane to me; plus I also got to play instruments I haven’t played before!”
“I genuinely loved the show; It’s based on one of my favorite stories so I don’t think there would be any way for me not to like it… This year was amazing and I couldn’t ask for anything else.” (Junior Percussionist, Cosantino)
After returning to the hotel one final time to load the truck and pack up equipment, a wave of nervous anticipation settled over the group. Although the ensemble had delivered what many considered their strongest performance of the season, the outcome now rested entirely in the judges’ hands. Students attempted to distract themselves with the final secret buddy gift exchange and heading to the pier, but the anxiety lingered as everyone prepared to head back to the Wildwood Convention Center later that evening.
When awards finally began, tension throughout the arena became almost impossible to ignore. Students stood shoulder-to-shoulder waiting for placements to be announced, squeezing each other’s hands tighter with every score called. Scholastic A Stationary awards were announced first, followed by Scholastic Open Stationary.
Gateway Percussion ultimately earned second place with an outstanding score of 96.4. While the ensemble fell short of capturing the Atlantic Coast Championship title, the placement did little to define the impact of the season itself. The true success of “Orpheus” could not be measured on a scoreboard but instead by the tremendous growth each performer experienced throughout the season.
As I [Viktoria Syvanych] reflect on this season, I can successfully say that I have improved in my playing capabilities. Compared to my performance last year during “Schehiznit” and being thrown onto a mallet instrument with barely any prior experience, the growth is evident.
However, while I improved, it wasn’t without a cost. A lot of us had experienced severe mental battles—sometimes asking ourselves if participating in this program was truly worth it. For many years, I’ve struggled with chronic wrist pain. This season, unfortunately, has made that pain (at times) unbearable. This, as well as unfavorable scoring by the judges, was one of the many mental challenges I had to overcome.
Obviously, having wrist pain when playing a percussion instrument (I was solely on mallet instruments this year) is not ideal whatsoever. Despite that, I pushed myself past my limits to both keep up with the rest of the group, the director’s demands, and to improve my skills. For me, no number could accurately reflect or reward the mental and physical strain I had this season.
I believe that it is also worth mentioning that every person, regardless of the activity, struggles with something that is invisible to the eye, and they still push forward. This idea may be obvious to most people, but it doesn’t truly “click” until they go through it themselves. I’ve been a part of the competitive arts (piano competitions, TOB for marching band, TIA for indoor percussion) for many years, yet this season made me finally realize that it’s okay to take breaks and to accommodate things for my chronic wrist pain.
To those who suffer chronic illness, chronic pain, or sports/life related injury, remember that you are strong, and that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
For many members of the ensemble, that message became one of the defining lessons of the season. Behind every performance score was a group of students balancing physical exhaustion, mental pressure, injuries, academics, and personal struggles—all while continuing to show up every day. “Orpheus” became more than just a competitive production; it became proof of the resilience and dedication within the ensemble.
The impact of the show extended far beyond Wildwood itself. After Championships concluded, Mr. Simpson received the ensemble’s finals performance recording from Tournament Indoor Association (TIA) and sent it directly to Don Barrett, the composer of the show music. Barrett’s response immediately validated the countless hours of work the students and staff had poured into the production.
“This is fantastic…Please tell the amazing performers that I loved their energy, musicality, and attention to detail. They truly brought a new level of drama to the piece. And I very much appreciate their sensitivity and approach in the softer moments too. The performers’ commitment to everything from the slightest cymbal roll to the intense board runs (even at 194 bpm) is very impressive! What really stands out is their overall communication to the audience–not an easy task in Concert Class–but they did it so naturally. Love it!” (Don Barrett, Composer)
That recognition, combined with the consistent encouragement from both the percussion and color guard staff throughout the season, became one of the most rewarding parts of the experience for many students. Time and time again, performers were reminded that no placement or score could fully capture the effort, emotion, and passion poured into a world-class show.
Throughout the entire week in Wildwood, the color guard stood on the sidelines cheering for percussion during every performance. As championships came to a close, percussion members proudly returned the favor, supporting the guard during their own finals performances, especially when they set a new record for Gateway.
Off With Your Head, On With Your Medals— The Color Guard Shoots for the Stars
Along with the Percussion’s fierce performances, the Color Guard was dreaming big this season, shooting for the stars with one of the strongest teams of performers Gateway has ever seen.
Kiersten Cocuzza is the director of the Indoor Color Guard, and this season, her incredible design of the program and effort within the Color Guard secured them the highest score for Gateway in over a decade! The guard performed a show titled “Before The Crown Bled,” revolving around the Queen of Hearts and her backstory—what made her turn so vicious when her heart was broken and how she came back stronger. The show played out to the track “I See Red,” by Everybody Loves An Outlaw, mixing in harsh quotations and an intense, sultry song to create an atmosphere as thick as blood.
On the Friday morning of Championships, the guard came into the Wildwood Convention Center with their chins up high, prepared to lay down a solid performance and establish themselves as a powerful force. It was a bright and early morning— the performers had to wake up around five in the morning to get into uniform, hair, and makeup—so the students were hyping each other up with bravery and excitement. After warming up and sharing energy and smiles, the guard entered, set up on the floor, and absolutely did what they came to do. The guard scored a 91.01 in the Preliminary round, putting them at the top of Scholastic Novice rankings. First place comes with both a lot of happiness and an increased responsibility to deliver at Finals.
Intertwined with practice sessions and performances, through the week, the guard got to celebrate a surprise birthday party for a seventh-grade member, Charlize Meijas. Guard also threw a party to hand out awards, Secret Buddy exchange gifts, staff & senior gifts, and decorate pins together with glitter, markers, and cute messages. The Seniors on this year’s guard team include Cianni Hall and Frankie Hargrove from Gateway, as well as Reana Wested from Woodbury High School.
The rest of the Indoor guard team includes Middle Schoolers Emma Cassidy and Jordan Lesko, Freshmen Ally Bryson and Abri Priolo, and Junior Ana Bradley.
Speaking from personal experience [Ace Smith] with four seasons under my belt, this is single-handedly the best season I’ve ever been a part of. I had full faith in my teammates, new or old, that we were going to perform as effortlessly and gracefully as we had been doing since the season began. Finals were going to happen on Sunday, May 3rd. Nerves were high, but so was our hope and excitement. And in the blink of an eye, the time came for the guard to show up and do this thing as they’d never done it before.
And that is exactly what we did— the guard laid it down on the floor around ten in the morning on Sunday, achieving a run we were all incredibly proud of. Coming off the floor meant a lot of happy tears, hugs, and a strong sense of pride and accomplishment at the show we had just performed. No matter what score or ranking we got, the Gateway guard was happier than ever, and we all agreed that we gave it 110% and should be proud of ourselves.
At the full unit retreat, students were nervously squeezing hands and rocking back and forth, waiting for scores. There is such a fear of being the performer out there, hearing them announce numbers while waiting to hear the distinct “G-” of “Gateway Regional High School” after each one.
But it felt like it would never come. As the announcer racked off the different Scholastic Novice guards and their scores, I felt like my heart was going to pop out of my chest. Until I finally heard it ring out over the speakers: “With a 91.81, first place and your new Scholastic Novice champions… Gateway Regional!” Words will never capture the feeling of hearing that.
Everyone felt so incredibly accomplished this season! I had the chance to talk to Ms. Cocuzza about what made this season, and specifically this Wildwood trip, so special to her.
“The most enjoyable moment for me in Wildwood has to be two distinct events. The first one was when I followed you guys out after the run and saw all of your faces after our finals performance. Right then and there is when I know that you guys felt accomplished and successful and that nothing in the world could stop you in that moment.”
Cocuzza continues, “My second one and probably the most memorable was when they announced our score in the first place, and the first thing all of you did was look up at myself and Miss Jackie (Jaclyn Ottmuller, Guard Staff). That moment will forever be ingrained in my soul because I knew that you guys not only did it for yourselves, but you truly did it for us too.”
I also spoke to Cocuzza about how she figured out this was going to be THE season for the Color Guard. In my four years with the Gateway guard, we had not yet scored a gold, though we had been strongly working up towards it and this was the season something finally clicked into place for us. The perfect squad of members, the spread of talent and dedication… it felt entirely different to me as a performer, so I can only imagine how it felt for our director to see her hard work pay off.
Cocuzza writes, “Honestly, I would have to say our home show really solidified it for me. When that first flag feature hit, I knew you guys were gonna take it all the way. In regards to the whole season I would have to say I knew instantly the amount of passion you all showed the moment you stepped in at our first rehearsal was palpable. This group really just connected and it just took off from there.”
“… Our home show was when I knew we were going to take the gold medal, I had no doubt in my mind.” (Cocuzza)
I would like to give a massive thank you to Ms. Cocuzza, Mrs. Ottmuller, Amelia & Debbie Gilmore, and all the other staff members, parents, Band Parent Association members, and supporters of the color guard this season. We would not be where we are today without your unwavering support, love, and commitment to showing up for us.
I would also like to shout out Lisa Cassidy, mother of Emma Cassidy, within the color guard and president of the Band Parent Association. Ms. Cassidy consistently shows up and provides love and assistance for the color guard and percussion, and without her, the Wildwood trip would be an absolute mess. She organizes fundraisers to keep the band funded, assists performers with hair and makeup, and is always there to make a sassy joke when the guard could use some energy. Her passion and support are evident every day. Thank you for everything you do for us!
And That’s A Wrap, Folks!
The 2025-2026 season was incredible for both the Percussion and the Color Guard. The memories made and skills learned will stick with us past high school and will inspire us far into the future. Congratulations to all performers, and thank you so much for the time and effort you put into this craft! It absolutely shows on the floor or on your instruments.
Supporting teenagers and children in musical fields, as well as the performing and visual arts, makes a world of difference in their hearts as they continue pursuing their passions.
If you or a student you know would enjoy being a part of a squad that performs high-strength, incredible percussion shows, or a team that mixes equipment spinning with dance and performance, reach out to Don Simpson about Gateway’s Indoor Programs! Spots are always available, and the plans for next year are only getting bigger.
I can’t say much about next season, but I can leave you with this: you won’t want to miss it, and you won’t miss the gold dangling around the percussion and guard’s necks this same time next year.
