2012 Winter Guard International Championship Medalists Favor Yamaha

DAYTON, Ohio—At the 2012 Winter Guard International (WGI) Indoor Percussion World Championships, ensembles playing on Yamaha marching percussion instruments took away one-third of all the medals awarded at the world's largest indoor percussion competition, including seven medals or 30 percent of the total awards.

Some of the top winners include 1st Chino Hills High School (CA) and 2nd Dartmouth High School (MA) who took first and second respectively in Scholastic World; South Hills High School (CA) who took 1st place in Scholastic Open; Pulse Percussion (CA) who took 3rd in Independent World; Woodbridge High School (CA) who took 1st in Scholastic Concert World and eNVision Percussion (NV) who took the Fan Favorite Award in Independent A.

The WGI Indoor Percussion World Championships is the culminating event of the season for indoor percussion, commonly called "The Sport of the Arts." An indoor percussion ensemble, sometimes called an indoor drumline, consists of the marching percussion and front ensemble sections of a marching band or drum corps. Indoor percussion marries elements of music performance, marching, and theater; thus, the activity is often referred to as Percussion Theater.

Although most indoor percussion ensembles are affiliated with high schools, there are also many independent groups that draw participants from a large area. It is estimated that over 45,000 students participate in this activity each year in the United States in more than 49 regional indoor percussion circuits.

Over 180 percussion units traveled to Dayton for the 2012 Championship finals. With the support of an estimated 30,000 parents and volunteers, 520 WGI-related events were hosted from January through to May 2012.

"Yamaha has supported WGI and Indoor Percussion for nearly 20 years," said Troy Wollwage, Percussion Marketing Manager, Yamaha Corporation of America, Band and Orchestral Division. "These groups know that they have strong ally in Yamaha; this confidence is reflected in the growing number of ensembles, instructors and educators that turn to us for their marching percussion needs."

For more information about Yamaha products, write Yamaha Corporation of America, P.O. Box 6600, Buena Park, CA 90622-6600; call (714) 522-9011; email infostation@yamaha.com; or visit usa.yamaha.com.