Indoor percussion is a marching band that performs indoors during the winter months and uses the battery and pit sections of the band. The music is rich and rhythmic, with a variety of tones and melodies if the group is an indoor ensemble. The listener can expect heart-pounding, complex rhythms, and hand clapping beats from an all-drum line ensemble. Bands choreograph routines to give audiences a moving visual experience that tells a story based on the music they are listening to. There are percussion groups for high school students, college students, and private groups, all of which compete in the spring in various competitions.
The bass drums, tenor drums, and snares make up the battery section of an indoor percussion group, also known as the drum line. Mallet percussion instruments, auxiliary percussion, and even electronic keyboards are examples of pit instruments, or the front ensemble, used in the band. Some competitions allow bands to perform with guitars as well as unusual instruments like trash cans, pipes, and other everyday objects that make percussive sounds. Prerecorded music or sounds are not allowed to supplement or add to any part of the band in competitions.
Indoor percussion groups’ musical choices differ significantly from those of outdoor marching bands. Indoor marching bands’ music is more melodic, whereas outdoor marching bands’ music is more technical. The brass section of the indoor band is completely removed, allowing the band to play softer compositions. Classical compositions, pieces from various cultures around the world, popular American music, and show tunes are all possible musical choices.
Indoor percussion performances are highly physical, and instrumentalists must coordinate a dance routine in addition to playing an instrument. Every member of the group, including musicians playing stationary instruments, is expected to move around in some way. The flag corps is sometimes included in percussion groups to add to the dramatic effects of a performance. Stage settings, props, and unique costumes that fit the mood of the music can all be used to enhance the performance.
Indoor percussion groups today are very different from marching bands of the past. In order to maintain the band’s skills, schools began encouraging marching bands to play indoors during the winter months. Bands evolved from marching back and forth on a football field to more complex routines and musical compositions as a result of this. This practice has spread throughout the United States and into Japan, and spectators all over the world enjoy it.