The stage was full of over 30 percussion instruments as the PCC percussion ensemble made a lot of noise on Friday in the Westerbeck Recital Hall.
Early on in the performance it was hard not to get lost in the music with the piece “Slopes” that created a powerful and primal rhythm with just a handful of drummers.
And the tempo never slowed down, such as in the highly recognizable “Sabre Dance” which showcased many instruments.
”[Sabre Dance] has a lot of energy,” said Benjamin Upchurch, who was on chimes. “It’s something the crowd recognizes. It just gets you into it.”
Upchurch naturally conveyed his charisma and finesse on stage because it was his eighth performance on stage.
Director Tad Carpenter let the audience know that it was OK to get up and move around during the parts of the show that had more jazz and hip hop influences.
“Sushi Funk” in particular dared the listener to stay in their seat.
“I felt really comfortable going into this,” said Carpenter. “Most of the players are very efficient in what they do.”
The show went off without a hitch as the sounds of triangles, a gong, marimbas and a myriad of instrument reverberated off the walls, the floors and up through the feet of everyone in attendance.
Some of the less experienced players shook off their nerves and powered through the night.
“I recently joined a year ago,” said Vivian Rodriguez, who was a first-timer on stage.
Rodriguez liked percussion so much she switched from a saxophone major to percussion.
“They love playing and they love putting on performances too,” said Carpenter.
Carpenter says the hardest part of putting on an ensemble is getting 20 people to class because “everybody is important in an ensemble…if you’re missing one part it’s detrimental.”
The high energy carried on after the show backstage as the players were all laughs, creating their own rendition of One Direction’s “Story of My Life”—vocals and all—to end a fun night.
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