After a tumultuous season, a determined local band proved itself at state finals, placing second.
Franklin Community High School’s Indoor Percussion Band placed second at the Indiana Percussion Association State Finals.
The placement is remarkable due to the pandemic-related troubles the band encountered, and because the band improved by eight spots from its 10th place finish at the 2019 state finals. The band not only made it through the season, it ended it with a second-place triumph, said Jason Hammond-Wood, assistant band and percussion director.
“We were just a tenth of a point from first place — that is incredibly tight. The growth of the program from the last state finals experience is unbelievable,” Hammond-Wood said. “Two years ago, FCIP received its highest placement of 10th place with a score of 81.125. After a canceled season and a year off, FCIP has now set a new standard of excellence in second place with a score of 89.5.”
At the start of the school year, band members weren’t sure if there would be a percussion season. The band had its season interrupted in 2020 when classes went virtual in mid-March. When hybrid in-person instruction resumed in fall 2020, school administrators limited band activities due to a study that showed playing musical instruments could proliferate the spread of COVID-19, he said.
Marching band season was canceled in the fall of 2020, and members of all Franklin bands could practice in class, but could not perform at athletic events or put on concerts.
Percussion band students lucked out and were able to perform at a series of competitions in February and March after a 350-day hiatus, Hammond-Wood said.
“This was no fault of any administration. It was done out of an abundance of caution by our governing organizations. The Indiana Percussion Association decided to take a different approach and do whatever possible to provide students with an opportunity to perform,” he said.
Practice for the competition was complicated by quarantines, which at one point, caused 45% of the band to miss practice, Hammond-Wood said.
Fundraising was also a challenge because in-person events were limited, he said. As a result, the band reused last season’s costumes and equipment, modifying the costumes to fit current members.
“This past year was incredibly tough for everyone. We did everything possible to just provide experiences, sound education and hope that a performance opportunity would be available to us at the end of the road,” Hammond-Wood said.
“The whole season wasn’t easy and I would be lying if at one point I didn’t start questioning, ‘what are we doing, this is not going to work because of quarantine and COVID protocols.’”
After last performing on March 7, 2020, the band finally took the stage again Feb. 20. The band placed sixth in that performance.
“That performance will be one I’ll cherish for the rest of my life. It just felt like everything over the course of that time kept getting canceled and there appeared to be no end in sight. Once we got the first performance under our belt, we started to feel good again. It boosted our morale and helped us continue charging through these difficult times,” Hammond-Wood said.
With each performance of the season, the band moved up a spot. Then, at state finals on March 27, they placed second, after the Vincennes Indoor Percussion of Lincoln High School.
It took a village to prepare the band for success this year, Hammond-Wood said.
“None of this would have been possible if it weren’t for the help of every custodian, administrator, driver, parent, secretary and staff member that helped along the way,” he said. “It took an army and boy have we built something special.”
