The thrilling score of this year's musical production, Little Shop of Horrors, is brought to life by a talented and enthusiastic cast, crew and musicians, but let's shine a light on the incredible percussion section! Though they'll be tucked away unseen, their impact will definitely be noticed.
Meet our team of percussionists, Emma (Year 10) and Austen (Year 7), two talented musicians who seamlessly navigate a vast array of instruments that you need to shake, scrape or hit to make music!
Why did you choose to learn Percussion?
"I used to learn piano and I enjoyed it but when I was in kindergarten, I had a chance to play some percussion instruments and really enjoyed it and I started learning percussion" - Austen
"My parents wanted me to be more diverse in sports and music so they chose percussion because it looked cool [laughs], it is challenging because you have to move around a lot, playing many different instruments like drums and mallet instruments!” - Emma
What do you enjoy most about playing?
“How everything is changing and one person has to play so many instruments and it is unique” - Austen
These musicians play everything from a variety of types of drums hit with sticks and mallets like concert toms and bass drums, hand drums as well as suspended or crash cymbals. They also are responsible for playing melodies and harmony on mallet instruments and tuned percussion including the xylophone, marimba and timpani using up to 4 mallets!
Their work in the orchestra is essential. They not only reinforce the rhythm and add power to climaxes in the music but also double the melody adding a unique texture. Their diverse sounds add colour, elevate emotion and help bring the story to life!
We invite everyone in our school community to come and enjoy Little Shop of Horrors on 3 and 4 December the DC Performing Arts Theatre. While you won't be able to see Emma and Austen dashing back and forth from instrument to instrument, we encourage you to listen carefully for the colour, shimmer and power they bring to the show.