For everyone else, explaining what commitments they are a part of is really easy. Yeah I’m the QB for my College or I’m a part of the Basketball team! Well what I devoted my life to was a little more complicated to explain. When people asked what I was doing during high school and college, I would respond with: “O, I’m a part of the Notre Dame Indoor Percussion Ensemble (NDIPE)!” People would look at me with a confused look on their face because they had no idea what that was. This was always the case, unless I was talking to a fellow percussionist because they always knew what I was talking about. When you are a part of a Percussion Ensemble, you are also a part of an organization called WGI; Winter Guard International. This is where ensembles of all talent levels across the world would come to arenas and compete for the trophies and the famed WGI medals!

When people ask what Indoor Percussion is, I simply just reply with; it’s just drums in a gym, a group of 20+ people, who run around on a designed tarp and play loud instruments and form different shapes. That is the most basic definition I have come up with, so that I don’t have to go into a 20-minute conversation explaining everything that our group did and went through! Everyone always hears about the athletes practice schedule and how hard it is etc. but I’m going to go ahead and live out on the edge here and say that being a part of an Indoor Group is sometimes way more challenging than going through a practice day with a sports team. How dare you say that, Amber, am I right? Trust me; I have gotten into plenty of arguments as to why I am wrong on this one. There will always be that argument saying that Band and Cheerleading will never be considered a sport. I think that is crazy! For five years of my life, I have devoted six months of weekends to this activity. I made a commitment to this group when it started, and I was a member of the group until its last days of existence (long live NDIPE). I am always up to challenging a football player to 12-hour rehearsal days, just to see how long they would last! Sorry, my rant is over now.

Being a part of an Indoor Percussion Ensemble is an amazing commitment to make and it was the best decision I have ever made. I have met some of my best friends through my five years and they are still my friends to this day! The activity teaches you more than just “how to do drums well.” It pushes you past limits you thought you never had; physically, mentally and emotionally. You never in a million years thought you would be able to carry a 25+ pound drum strapped to your body for more than 10 hours a day but somehow you figured it out. The activity shows you a whole new level of respect for the arts and it teaches you discipline.

For the five years that I was a part of NDIPE, I have grown and learned more than I am even aware of at this present moment. I have taken what I have learned and I now apply everything to the drumline that I have started now. I am very blessed to have been a part of such a rewarding organization and group and I will cherish all of the moments that I have shared with my NDIPE family.

Long live NDIPE, FTJ!