Competition season for Cypress High School’s Percussion has arrived, and they take the floor with their 2025 production entitled, SOW. In their division, the team has received high placements.
“[SOW] follows the journey of a farmer as he works to nurture a seed and helps it grow into a big, beautiful tree,” Arts Assistant and Percussion Instructor Lorenzo Everett said. “During my journey as a musician, I’ve had many influential mentors and I love that I get the opportunity to pay that forward with the future generations of percussionists here at Cypress…ever since I started I just haven’t wanted to stop, and I’m so grateful that I still get to perform music pretty regularly and that I get to share the joy of performing music with so many young musicians,” Everett reflected.
Being involved in percussion takes time and dedication, and students sometimes find it difficult to balance it with academic activities and other commitments. In addition to zero and first period rehearsals every morning, Cypress High School’s Percussion holds practices every Monday and Wednesday from 5:00 P.M. to 9 P.M. On Monday nights, they usually focus on learning new music or movement, and on Wednesday nights, they spend time on putting larger chunks together with the full ensemble. During show weeks, the group focuses more on maintaining endurance and the mastery of musical and visual ideas during larger show chunks. Over the course of about four months, Cypress High School’s Percussion spends over ten hours a week rehearsing, learning, and producing a five minute show with music and choreography.
Senior Dakota Thompson said percussion has helped him with leadership skills, time management, and being disciplined. “I just love the rush,” Thompson expressed, “I just love it…everything about it. It’s just so fun to do.”
According to Junior Ezra Jarvis, SOW is about “putting in the work…and reaping the benefits of your labor.” Jarvis values the skills and friendships he’s made in percussion. “I learned to work as a team. I learned how to lead as well. That’s really something I use every day,” he said. In the moments leading up to performing, Jarvis “breathes, and talks [himself] through it.” He enjoys the adrenaline and the feeling of walking off the floor, knowing that his work paid off. He emphasized, “practice, practice practice. Nonstop.” Jarvis is passionate about percussion, and practicing makes him better as a performer. “I find fun in what I do,” he reflected, “fun with friends as well.”
