By Nandini Kuppachi
The Prowler, Arts Editor
A successful opening performance of 2025 was delivered by the Bridgewater-Raritan High School Indoor Percussion Ensemble on Saturday, February 15.
Bridgewater-Raritan's Indoor Percussion presented “The Sound Gallery” at Perkiomen Valley High School on a snowy day in Perkiomen Valley, Pennsylvania.
Fighting the weather’s elements was one of the biggest hurdles for the group, yet they braved this obstacle by cooperating as a team and focusing on the end goal -- a successful production run.
Due to inclement weather, the Mid-Atlantic Percussion Society (MAPS) Competition at Old Bridge High School on February 8 was canceled, giving the group more time to clean up their show and put effort towards their best work.
Bridgewater-Raritan’s Indoor Percussion relied on its Friends and Family (F&F) show on February 6, which was scheduled to simulate a real competition amongst an audience who wanted them to succeed, and being in front of an audience after all the pre-show preparation definitely highlighted the importance of the trial F&F show.
Bridgewater-Raritan placed sixth at Perkiomen Valley High School with a score of 71.700, while competing alongside Egg Harbor Township High School and two Pennsylvania schools, North Penn, High School and Owen J. Roberts High School
Owen J. Roberts placed first with a score of 77.250.
Meanwhile, Bridgewater-Raritan earned the caption title of Best Visual and the Esprit de Corps Award presented by Sgt Leatherneck for Best Musicianship, an award affiliated with the United States Marines.
The Mid-Atlantic Percussion Society (MAPS) is a competitive circuit dedicated to showcasing indoor percussion and marching ensembles across the Mid-Atlantic region. It provides a platform for high school and independent groups to perform and refine their craft through judged competitions, fostering excellence in percussion performance and show design. MAPS events serve as a crucial step for many ensembles preparing for larger national competitions like WGI (Winter Guard International).
Bridgewater-Raritan was proud that it ranked at their first competition, especially considering that they were performing an incomplete show.
Earning what the group affectionately refers to as the “Dog Award” was a big milestone for the group, an achievement they achieved for the first time during last year’s competitive season.
Using the judge's tapes provided during the competition, covering the categories of Music, Musical Effect, Visual, Visual Effect, and General Effect, Bridgewater-Raritan’s Indoor Percussion team will prepare for their next competition at North Penn High School on March 15.
Bridgewater-Raritan freshman Aahana Anupam, a Marimba,2 Front Ensemble member, shared her perspective on her first Indoor Percussion competition
“It was a really exciting experience! I was definitely nervous at first, but once we started performing, I felt so in sync with the rest of the ensemble,” she said. “The energy from the crowd and my teammates made all the hard work worth it. I learned so much from this first competition, especially about staying focused under pressure. It made me even more excited for the rest of the season and to keep improving with my section.”