March 2018 News at Chops

Tuesday, March 13, 2018 No Comments

Demo Gear Updates

Demo List Updates - March 2018

The demo list has some fresh updates for the month of March. Follow the link below to see what’s been added since February.

Visit this page to view the list!

2018 Music For All National Festival

2018 Music For All National Festival

There’s a fantastic opportunity to hear some great concert bands and percussion ensembles from all over the country this week, but we find many people don’t even know its happening right here in our backyard! It’s the Music for All National Festival, featuring high school percussion ensembles, concert bands and orchestras from across the US.

Read more on the blog!

Indoor Percussion Tips: Getting On and Off the Floor

Indoor Percussion Tips: Getting On and Off the Floor

Now that most of you are getting into the contest portion of your indoor season, you find yourselves rehearsing your group on the basics of getting on and off the competition floor in a swift and stress-free manner. Some groups struggle with this aspect of the show day, and that can have a negative impact on the most important part of the day – your performance. I have a unique perspective on this topic. Being a Timing & Penalties judge for the Indiana Percussion Association (IPA), I get to see many groups enter and exit. Here are a few tips that you can use to make sure you’re ready for a quick and efficient entrance and exit.

Continue over to the blog!

2018 Music For All National Festival

Tuesday, March 6, 2018 No Comments

Music for All National Festival
March 15-17, 2018
Indianapolis, IN

There’s a fantastic opportunity to hear some great concert bands and percussion ensembles from all over the country next week, but we find many people don’t even know its happening right here in our backyard!  It’s the Music for All National Festival, featuring high school percussion ensembles, concert bands and orchestras from across the US.  The festival also includes a middle school concert band festival, along with Honor Ensembles for concert band, jazz band, and orchestra.  This is a non-competitive festival, meaning its all about just creating and listening to great music, created by some of the best high school and middle school music programs in the nation.

Here’s a general schedule for the event:

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Indoor Percussion Tips: Getting On and Off the Floor

Tuesday, February 27, 2018 No Comments

Now that most of you are getting into the contest portion of your indoor season, you find yourselves rehearsing your group on the basics of getting on and off the competition floor in a swift and stress-free manner. Some groups struggle with this aspect of the show day, and that can have a negative impact on the most important part of the day – your performance.  I have a unique perspective on this topic.  Being a Timing & Penalties judge for the Indiana Percussion Association (IPA), I get to see many groups enter and exit.  Here are a few tips that you can use to make sure you’re ready for a quick and efficient entrance and exit:

Read More

2018 Indoor Percussion Season Preview

Tuesday, February 20, 2018 No Comments

Welcome back to the Chops blog.  Indoor Percussion season is already underway, and we’re proud to once again be the presenting sponsor for the Indiana Percussion Association!  Indoor Percussion continues to grow in popularity within the state and across around the world.  We’re lucky to have one of the best and largest indoor percussion circuits in the country, and we’re proud to support the efforts of IPA and all of the participating groups.
Along with local IPA contests, there’s also a national WGI regional, hosted by Franklin Central, where you can see performances by ensembles from all over the Midwest.

Here’s a schedule of remaining contests to help you find a show near you!

February 24   IPA Invitational at Knox HS
February 24   IPA Invitational at Owen Valley HS

March 3          IPA Invitational at New Palestine HS
March 3          IPA Invitational at Carroll HS

March 10        IPA Invitational at Ben Davis HS
March 10        IPA Invitational at Zionsville HS
March 10-11  WGI Indianapolis Regional at Franklin Central HS

March 17        IPA Invitational at Plainfield HS
March 17        IPA Invitational & PSB Divisional Prelims at Greenfield-Central HS

March 24        IPA State Prelims & PSB Divisional Finals at Avon HS
March 24        IPA State Prelims at Decatur Central HS

April 7            IPA State Finals at Hulman Center, Indiana State University

April 14          WGI Preview Show at Center Grove HS (for groups going to WGI World Championships)

Come visit us at IPA State Prelims and State Finals!
We’ll be running a booth at state prelims (Avon site) and state finals, so if you’re attending either of these, make sure to stop by and say hi!  We’ll have sticks, practice pads, mallets, stick bags, t-shirts, and many other items to choose from.  It would be a great time to try out all the different sticks and pads and take something home!

If you go to any shows, let us know what you think on our Facebook page! If you wear a Chops Percussion shirt, make sure to post a pic to our Facebook or Twitter page!

For more information on events, schedules, venues, ticket sales and more, visit the following:
Indiana Percussion Association (IPA)
Winter Guard International (WGI)

February 2018 News at Chops

Tuesday, February 13, 2018 No Comments

Demo Gear Updates

Demo List Updates - February 2018

The demo list has some fresh updates for the month of February. Follow the link below to see what’s been added since last month.

Visit this page to view the list!

Advice For New IPA Directors Regarding Schedules

IPA Advice for New Directors

Here is some great advice that came from an Indiana Percussion Association email last week that we thought was worth passing along to everyone. If you’re taking a group to an IPA event this season, this is a must read.

Read more on the blog!

Remembering Ndugu

Remembering Ndugu Chancler

In light of Ndugu Chancler’s passing last week, we offer you this great interview with him by Dom Famularo for The Sessions. It’s a great history lesson. Thank goodness he didn’t play the trombone.

Watch now on YouTube!