IPA
Our History
History of the IPA (10th Anniversary)
Our
History
An article written by Daniel Fyffe in preparation
for the 10th anniversary presentation at the 2006
Indiana Percussion Association State Finals. This
document details the history of the IPA organization
in-depth.
Download
History of the IPA, written for the 10th
Anniversary Season (.pdf)
This document was written with assistance from: Mark Harasim, Jimmy Haskell, Mickey Ratliff,
Michael Scheiber, Nate Noble, Jeff Huffman, Rusty
Bottomley, Jay Webb, Barbara Doll, Matt Bonfield,
Jim Bailey, Jason Trigg, David Robbins, Ward
Durrett, Steve Yoder, Sheryl Fyffe and Piper
Harriman.
Pre-IPA Years
Before the Indiana Percussion Association existed in
reality, it existed in necessity and in the dreams of a
few active marching percussion instructors and band
directors. The marching percussion instructors, myself
included, felt the frustration of beginning each fall
marching band season with percussionists whose chops and
skills were quite rusty. The annual process of
“beginning all over again at square one” was an
educational dead-end for the drumline. The percussive
and musical skills of the members of the drumline would
at best, move forward slowly and would max out upon the
graduation of a large class. Only if the educational
process for the percussionist could continue in the
winter at the same rate that was established in the
fall, would the percussion student reach their full
musical potential. For percussion instructors in the
pre-IPA era, the dream of leading their students into an
indoor arena in the dead months of winter to compete and
sharpen skills was realized only through a few
intermittent performance and competition opportunities.
For band directors with the vision to see that other
opportunities could be provided for their percussion
students, the idea of indoor percussion and an Indiana
indoor percussion circuit was a necessity. Transporting
their students to various out of state contests and
looking for opportunities at home was a beginning, but
an Indiana indoor percussion circuit was needed.
In the pre-IPA days of Indiana indoor percussion,
creative directors found home grown indoor performance
opportunities for their marching drumlines including
half-time shows at basketball games and exhibition
performances at winter guard competitions. The world of
indoor marching competition was heating up by the late
1970’s. DCI was entertaining the notion of a winter
color guard circuit and in 1978, Winter Guard
International, today’s top pageantry circuit in the
nation, was formed. WGI began as a color guard (winter
guard) only club. It would not be until 1993 that its
founders fulfilled their vision and added percussion
units.
While the indoor activity was stirring in the color
guard world, innovative percussion instructors and band
directors were creating independent indoor contests for
their drumlines. The granddaddy of this event was the
Glenbrook Spartan Marching Percussion Festival organized
by future WGI Hall of Fame member Ward Durrett.
Drumlines from Indiana including Goshen High School
(1992 champion) found the drive to the Chicago suburban
school of Glenbrook acceptable. The nineteen-year reign
of this contest began in 1980 and ended in 1998.
In the late 1980’s independent indoor contests were
popping up throughout Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky.
Perhaps the most famous was the Morehead State
University “A Day of Marching Percussion”. The Morehead
State University Contest, hosted by Frank Oddis, ran
from 1983 through 1998. The Morehead State University “A
Day of Marching Percussion” became the model for many
other independent indoor drumline contests and would
have a great influence on the Indiana Percussion
Association. The Center Grove High School Indoor
Drumline was very successful at this contest.
Drumlines from Indiana were successfully competing in a
number of Midwest indoor percussion contests. The indoor
drumlines of Indiana quickly proved themselves on the
national stage. Indiana, with a rich history of marching
percussion, connections with the birth (and future home)
of the Percussive Arts Society and an innovative
percussion education program, established itself as a
center of the indoor percussion activity.
The Percussive Arts Society was the first national
organization to sponsor an indoor drumline percussion
competition. The Percussive Arts Society began hosting
competitions in 1982 as part of PASIC (Percussive Arts
Society International Convention. The Center Grove High
School Indoor Drumline of Greenwood won this competition
in Nashville. At the same time that Center Grove was
blazing a trail for Indiana indoor drumlines, Warsaw
High School in Northern Indiana was gaining notoriety on
the national indoor drumline competition scene. In 1993,
Warsaw won the Bands of America Indoor Drumline
Competition that was part of the Bands of America
National Marching Band Competition held in Indianapolis,
Indiana.
Many Indiana high school drumlines were seeking out and
finding a variety of indoor performances opportunities.
Records of these events are scarce and most of the early
indoor drumline performances are now recorded only in
the memories of those who had the opportunity to
participate in such events. Besides Goshen High School,
Warsaw High School and Center Grove High School, other
Indiana schools were participating in indoor drumline
competitions including Blue River Valley High School,
Sheridan High School, Clay City High School,
Martinsville High School, Franklin Central High School,
Northview High School, etc…….
By 1993, Winter Guard International was sponsoring a
national indoor percussion competition and in 1994,
Indiana had its first entry in the national competition.
In 1994, the Wheaters independent indoor drumline placed
2nd in the competition. In 1995, Indiana returned to the
Winter Guard International Championships with the
Wheaters and two high school units, Laporte High School
and Avon High School. Avon High School would become one
of the most successful high school drumlines in the
history of the WGI circuit and the model for the
innovative three-tier system of classification. In 1996,
the Wheaters independent indoor drumline and Avon High
School once again returned to WGI. In 1996 Sheridan High
School replaced Laporte to complete the trio of Indiana
units competing. Avon High School won its first of five
Winter Guard International World Titles in 1996! Avon
High School’s first WGI World Title was in Percussion
Scholastic A class (WGI had adopted the three-tier
system by 1996). Formation of the
Indiana Percussion Association
Throughout the late eighties and nineties, many Indiana
band directors and percussion instructors kept a
continuous dialog about creating an Indiana circuit. In
the fall of 1996, Avon High School Band Director Jay
Webb sent a letter to Indiana band directors about the
formation of an Indiana Indoor Percussion Circuit. On
November 23, 1996, an organizational meeting was held at
Avon High School. There was an impressive turnout at
this meeting. Many precedents and wise decisions were
made including the adopting of WGI rules and procedures
(with some minor alterations for Indiana). Officers were
chosen (see appendix for officer listing) and possible
judging panels were discussed.
The first officers of the Indiana Percussion
Association:
1. Jay Webb – President
2. Michael Scheiber – Vice President
3. Jimmy Haskell was Treasurer and Judge Coordinator
4. Daniel Fyffe – Secretary
The Indiana Percussion Association began with
sixteen charter members:
(PD = Percussion Director, BD = Band Director)
I. Avon High School, BD Jay Webb, PD Adam White –
Marching A
II. Blue River Valley High School, BD Jeff Carnall, PD
Nate Noble – Marching AA
III. Center Grove High School, BD Tom Dirks, PD Rodney
Smith – Concert
IV. Chesterton High School, BD George Hattendorf, PD
Michael Scheiber
V. Columbia City High School, BD Brian Taubert, PD Nate
Noble – Marching A
VI. Columbus North High School, BD Bill Stultz, PD Tim
Brookshire – Marching A
VII. Franklin Central High School, BD Ray Hauser, PD
Daniel Fyffe – Concert
VIII. Frankton High School, BD Mark Harting, PD Ralph
Johnson – Concert
IX. Logansport High School, BD David Cole, PD Murray
Weaver – Concert
X. Mooresville High School, BD Jerry Weber, PD Stacy
Duggan – Concert
XI. Owen Valley High School, BD Jimmy Haskell - Inactive
XII. Penn High School, BD Keith Rudolph, PD Murray
Weaver – Marching AA
XIII. Plymouth High School, BD Cindy Wagoner, PD Kent
Arnsbarger – Marching AA
XIV. South Bend Adams High School, BD Dean Swihart, PD
Charlie Lawrence – Concert
XV. Warsaw High School, BD Martin Becker, PD Mickey
Ratliff
XVI. Yorktown High School, BD Vincent Early, PD Jim
Jones – Marching A
The first years of any organization are precarious. Not
only were the students who participated in the early
years of IPA new to the indoor percussion activity, but
also the band directors, percussion directors, some
judges and the band booster organizations. IPA
essentially began with little funding. It was only
through the generosity of a few band booster
organizations and officers that the organization was
able to move forward.
The First Competition Season (1997)
In 1997, the first Indiana Percussion Association State
Finals took place at Avon High School on March 22, 1997.
The State Finals occurred after two IPA sanctioned
invitationals took place. The first was held at Frankton
High School on February 15, 1997 and the second occurred
at Blue River Valley High School on March 1, 1997. You
may find scores for the early IPA shows at the Scores
Archive section of the IPA website –
http://www.indianapercussion.org.
Units participating in the first IPA state Finals
were:
1. Frankton High School
2. Franklin Central High School
3. Mooresville High School
4. Warsaw High School (State Champions Concert Class)
5. Columbia City High School
6. Yorktown High School
7. Columbus North High School
8. Avon High School (State Champions AA Marching Class)
9. Penn High School
10. Blue River Valley High School (State Champions A
Marching Class)
As a footnote to the 1997 season, Avon High School
returned to the Winter Guard International World Finals
and won its second world title in Percussion Scholastic
Open Class!
The Second Competition Season (1998)
It seemed that no sooner than the 1997 season ended that
the 1998 season was beginning. Instead of repeating the
first year and settling for steady growth, IPA undertook
a bold initiative. President Jay Webb envisioned a
statewide percussion clinic day which would put IPA at
the forefront of percussion education in the state of
Indiana. IPA Secretary Daniel Fyffe undertook the task
of organizing and hosting the first Indiana Percussion
Association Clinic Day at Franklin Central High School.
Over the years, many national leaders in percussion
education would present clinics and concerts at the IPA
Clinic Day.
IPA grew greatly in its early years. In 1998, IPA
sanctioned five indoor percussion competitions including
the state championship which was held at Owen Valley
High School. The second state finals consisted of
fifteen units.
State Champions for the 1998 state finals include:
Carmel High School (Class A Marching)
Avon High School (Class AA Marching)
Franklin Central High School (Concert Class)
As a footnote for the 1998 season, Franklin Central High
School won the Winter Guard International World Title in
Concert Class (the first of six). Only after some
serious encouragement from IPA judges Kevin Miles and
George Hattendorf, did Franklin Central High School
decide to participate in WGI competitions.
The Third Competition Season (1999)
In 1999, IPA once again took a bold initiative in which
they would continue to demonstrate a commitment to
education. IPA adopted the innovative three-tier
classification system already used by WGI. In the
three-tier system, classes (or divisions) were
determined by curriculum, not unit or school size. A
unit’s placement in a particular class was determined by
the difficulty of the music and skill sets demonstrated.
IPA sanctioned seven competitions including state
finals. With three sites being added in the southern
part of the state, IPA was spreading out across the
state of Indiana. Groups from as far south as Castle
High School and as far North as Lake Central High School
were participating in IPA events.
The third IPA state finals grew to 24 participating
units.
State Champions for the 1999 state finals include:
Columbia City High School (Class A Marching)
Carmel High School (Open Class Marching)
Avon High School (World Class Marching)
Franklin Central High School (Concert Class)
As a footnote for the 1999 season, Franklin Central High
School won its second Winter Guard International World
Title in Concert Class.
The Fourth Competition Season (2000)
In its fourth season, IPA continued its growth, both
numerically and educationally. Thanks to the work of
Treasurer Jimmy Haskell, IPA was able to begin offering
college scholarships to seniors (scholarship winners are
listed in the appendix).
The first IPA scholarship recipients were Jake Hayden of
Franklin Central High School and Sarah Whybrew of Mt.
Vernon High School (Fortville).
In 2000, IPA also demonstrated its continued commitment
to percussion education through the launch of its
impressive website, www.indianapercussion.org. The
website would not only serve as an outlet for practical
information concerning the circuit, it would also
include an Education Zone.
The 2000 IPA state finals featured 39 units including an
amazing 15 units in concert class.
State Champions for the 2000 state finals include:
Chesterton High School (Class A Marching)
Lake Central High School (Open Class Marching)
Avon High School (World Class Marching)
Franklin Central High School (Concert Class)
As a footnote for the 2000 season, Franklin Central High
School won its third Winter Guard International World
Title in Concert Class.
The Fifth Competition Season (2001)
With the growth of IPA, it became apparent that a state
prelims competition would soon be needed. IPA decided to
be proactive in this matter and in 2001; Avon High
School hosted IPA’s first state prelim competition.
Fifty-one units participated in this event including a
few out of state units. Out of state drumlines were
drawn to the Indiana circuit by IPA’s reputation for
excellent adjudication and enthusiastic audiences.
In keeping a consistent educational philosophy, IPA and
WGI added open concert class in 2001. IPA also added an
Individual and Ensemble competition to the annual Clinic
Day. Winners of the Individual and Ensemble competition
would perform at the end of the clinic day for their
peers.
Mickey Ratliff of Warsaw High School became scholarship
committee chairman (see appendix for scholarship
winners).
State Champions for the 2001 state finals include:
New Palestine High School (Class A Marching)
Owen Valley High School (Open Class Marching)
Avon High School (World Class Marching)
New Albany High School (Open Concert Class)
Franklin Central High School & Warsaw High School (World
Concert Class)
As a footnote for the 2001 season, Franklin Central High
School won its fourth Winter Guard International World
Title in World Concert Class and Avon won its third
Winter Guard International World Title in Percussion
Scholastic Open Class.
The Sixth Competition Season (2002)
Perhaps the big story of the 2002 indoor season was
IPA’s dominance of the Winter Guard International World
Percussion Finals. Five units from Indiana won world
titles in 2002. From its beginning, IPA had consistently
produced world champions. By participating in numerous
indoor percussion invitationals judged by WGI sanctioned
adjudicators, IPA units were arriving at world finals
prepared and ready to compete. National winners included
the newly formed independent group Plan B of Fort Wayne,
recurrent world title winners Avon High School and
Franklin Central High School, the strong concert program
of New Albany High School and the exciting New Palestine
High School.
State Champions from 2002 were:
Mt. Vernon High School of Fortville (A Class Marching)
Center Grove High School (Open Class Marching)
Avon High School (World Class Marching)
Ben Davis High School (Open Concert Class)
Franklin Central High School (World Concert Class)
World Champion winners from 2002:
Avon HS – PSW (Fourth Title)
Franklin Central HS – PSCW (Fifth Title)
New Albany HS - PSCO
New Palestine HS - PSA
Plan B - PIA
The Seventh Competition Season (2003)
By 2003, the IPA State Finals are amazingly large. IPA
has become the circuit that national percussion
adjudicators seek out. The IPA state finals have grown
to the point that two alternating judging panels are
working the finals.
Indiana was setting the standard in the percussion
concert class. Franklin Central High School, New Albany
High School and soon Goshen High School were
experiencing great success on the WGI circuit, and the
number of groups participating in concert class at IPA
sanctioned competitions outpaced other state circuits.
In 2003, IPA kept consistent with its educational
philosophy and added a Concert A Class. To this day, IPA
is the only circuit with three divisions for concert
class.
State Champions for the 2003 state finals include:
Goshen High School (Concert A Class)
Bishop Dwenger High School (Class A Marching)
Anderson High School (Concert Open Class)
New Palestine High School (Open Class Marching)
Franklin Central High School (World Concert Class)
Avon High School (World Class Marching)
Footnote to the 2003 season. Ironically, after the
amazing success of 2002 on the national circuit, 2003
was the first year since its inception that IPA did not
produce a national champion.
The Eighth Competition Season (2004)
In 2004, the IPA networking system became an asset for
groups heading to San Diego for the WGI World Finals.
Three concert units, New Albany High School, Franklin
Central High School and Anderson High School teamed up
to rent a semi in order to transport equipment to San
Diego. Working together at world finals was not new for
schools from Indiana. Thanks to the bridges built by
IPA, units from Indiana were able to combine equipment
onto one truck, share travel information and assist each
other loading and unloading during the heavy downpours.
The 2004 State Finals also introduced a new class of
units, the independent indoor drumlines. Now, students
whose high schools did not sponsor an indoor drumline
had an indoor percussion outlet.
State Champions for the 2004 state finals include:
Chesterton High School (Concert A Class)
Maconaquah High School (Class A Marching)
Greenwood High School (Concert Open Class)
Norwell High School (Open Class Marching)
Plan B (Independent Open Marching)
Franklin Central High School (World Concert Class)
Center Grove High School (World Class Marching)
As a footnote for the 2004 season, Franklin Central High
School won its Sixth Winter Guard International World
Title in World Concert Class.
The Ninth Competition Season (2005)
With 2005 came the emergence of Indiana’s first
Independent World Group. In similar fashion as IPA’s
other accomplishments, the independent group I-2 of
Indianapolis rocketed from its beginnings as an Open
Class Group to the WGI Finals of Independent World
Class. Amazingly, this occurred in a matter of months.
State Champions for the 2005 state finals include:
Twin Lakes High School (Concert A Class)
Decatur Central High School (Class A Marching)
New Palestine High School (Concert Open Class)
Franklin Central High School (Open Class Marching)
Warsaw High School (World Concert Class)
Center Grove High School (World Class Marching)
As a footnote for the 2005 season, Goshen High School
won the WGI PSCO World Title and Center Grove High
School won the WGI PSW World Title.
Our Tenth Anniversary Season (2006)
And here we are, our tenth year. Ten years, a decade,
went by in the blink of an eye. The Indiana Percussion
Association has seen and undergone many changes. IPA has
been a national leader in the indoor activity since its
inception. It is to be noted, that an organization is
made up of dedicated and hard working individuals.
Besides those mentioned, many percussion instructors,
band directors, administrators, participants and fans
have done their part to insure the continued success of
the Indiana Percussion Association. Quicker than we can
imagine, another ten years will pass, and another, etc.
Enjoy and cherish these moments and those around you! To
see what these young people can achieve on the floor is
truly unbelievable! To hear and see what the design
teams and directors create year after year is amazing!
To witness the love and support the parents show their
children who participate in this activity is uplifting
and inspiring (which I say as an understatement)! Appendix
The Officers of the Indiana Percussion Association
1997 - 1999
Jay Webb – President
Michael Scheiber – Vice President
Jimmy Haskell – Treasurer & Judge Coordinator
Daniel Fyffe – Secretary
2000 - 2001
Daniel Fyffe – President
Michael Scheiber – Vice President
Jimmy Haskell – Treasurer
Nate Noble– Secretary
2002 - 2003
Michael Scheiber – President
Rusty Bottomley – President-Elect
Jimmy Haskell – Treasurer
Ron McClure – Secretary
2004
Rusty Bottomley– President
Nate Noble– President-Elect
Jimmy Haskell – Treasurer
Dave McCracken – Secretary
2005
Rusty Bottomley – President
Nate Noble – President-Elect
Mark Harasim – Treasurer
Dave McCracken – Secretary
2006
Nate Noble – President
Dave McCracken – President-Elect
Steve Angel – Treasurer
Jeff Huffman – Secretary
Sites of the IPA State Finals
1997 – Avon High School
1998 – Owen Valley High School
1999 – Franklin Central High School
2000 – Franklin Central High School
2001 – Avon High School
2002 – Decatur High School
2003 – Decatur High School
2004 – Ben Davis High School
2005 – Ben Davis High School
Sites of the IPA Clinic Days
1997 – Franklin Central High School, Daniel Fyffe, Host
1998 – Franklin Central High School, Daniel Fyffe, Host
1999 – Anderson High School, David Robbins, Host
2000 – Anderson High School, David Robbins, Host
2001 – Hamilton Southeastern High School, Michael
Niemiec, Host
2002 – Hamilton Southeastern High School, Michael
Niemiec, Host
2003 – Hamilton Southeastern High School, Michael
Niemiec, Host
2004 – Hamilton Southeastern High School, Michael
Niemiec, Host
2005 – Plainfield High School, Brad Roberts, Host
IPA Scholarship Winners
2000
Jake Hayden of Franklin Central High School
Sarah Whybrew of Mt. Vernon High School (Fortville)
2001 Valerie Amstutz of Warsaw High School
Mat Snyder of Maconaquah High School
Gretchen Rohlfing of East Noble High School
Jason Hammond of Owen Valley High School
Brian Omerso of New Albany High School
2002 Jonathan Jasinski of Merrillville High School
Jason Lindsey of Franklin Central High School
Katie Meloy of Ben Davis High School
Jeremy Votaw of Greenfield Central High School
Paul Woods of New Palestine High School
2003 Michael Cotton of Warsaw High School
Christiana Cushing of Franklin Central High School
jared Stephens of Avon High School
Emily Sorg of New Albany High School
Bradley Teach of New Palestine High School
2004 Joseph Hake of Bishop Dwenger High School
Nichole Horner of Logansport High School
Wesley Lindauer of Heritage Hills High School
Michael Lindsey of Franklin Central High School
Nate Wilkerson of Avon High School
2005 Mark Guiles of Warsaw High School
Andrea Hilliker of New Palestine High School
Kendra McFarland of Taylor High School
Craig Rogers of Ben Davis High School
Cliff Raschick of Decatur Central High School
IPA Contests
|
Navigation Menu
Download
History of the IPA, written for the 10th
Anniversary Season (.pdf)