Central’s First Winter Guard and Drumline Creates New Opportunity For Students

For the first time ever, Central’s own color guard and drumline will be holding organized rehearsals outside of the usual Marching Band season. The school’s new winter guard and drumline will both be rehearsing weekly throughout the winter months, with the guard eventually putting on a performance at the end of the winter season. The primary goal of both groups is to recruit new students for color guard and drumline, as well as work on improving various skills for the upcoming marching season.

Winter guard will be rehearsing two to three times per week through February 2022. Current Central Senior and color guard captain Anneka Mclaughlin said that “winter guard is open to anyone who wants to join. No skills are required to join, and seeing as this is our first season, we are focused more on building color guard skills, not performing. I would encourage anyone who wants to meet some new people, make some new friends, learn about basic dance and flag choreography to come check out one of our practices”. Coming to one rehearsal is not a commitment, and Central students who have no experience with guard are encouraged to join the group. Winter guard has seen a lot of success and enthusiasm so far, with Mclaughlin saying “I have wanted to bring winter guard to central since my Freshman year, and even though this will be my first and last season, I'm so excited to see what this program will grow into as time passes. Rehearsals have been going well so far; our new team has been bonding and growing closer while reviewing and learning basic color guard skills”.

Winter drumline is not only open to Central students, but future maroons as well. “One main goal of winter drumline is to encourage younger students to join the marching drumline. Elementary, middle and high school students from all Champaign schools (even those going to Centennial) are invited to the meetings,” said winter drumline member Sarah Mizzen. Rehearsals are held each Monday from 6:00-8:00pm. Students with no previous percussion experience are invited to learn the basics of drumming and prepare for the marching maroon’s upcoming season, as well as make new friends from all over the community. Mizzen added that she sees winter drumline as “a chance for me to get together with some of my friends to play drums, learn new grooves, and just have a banging time”.

Anyone with questions about participating in either group should contact assistant band director Mr.Schulze at schulzni@u4sd.org.