The Bridgewater-Raritan High School Indoor Percussion took the stage at the WGI Regionals competition held at Toms River High School North, performing their show titled “True North” on Saturday, March 7.
The show begins by unveiling a star, raised high above the rest of the people on the floor and the show props. It is energetic because the performers are following the star as they head forward on their journey, demonstrating this through smiles on our faces, upbeat and inspirational music and visuals reflecting confidence.
As they enter the second movement, their star is lost behind a sky of black, and they lose their footing as many stars appear in the sky, but none of them is truly the North Star that can guide us through our journey.
They face confusion while playing rhythmically intricate music, with many sections on the floor separated into various groups that reflect specific star clusters floating throughout the sky, using light bulbs to represent the stars, feigning guidance in the North Star’s absence.
Finally, the North Star emerges brighter than ever, and they find themselves empowered more than ever in the face of guidance, featuring Skylar Grey’s “I’m Coming Home” as they continue their journey, hopeful to reach their destination as one.
They conclude the show with a high-energy feature to represent them finally reaching home, with their journey ultimately concluding with the line in “I’m Coming Home” where Grey concludes with the powerful phrase “I’m Coming … Home”.
Twenty-four other competing groups from different schools also participated, including Oldbridge, John P. Stevens and Dartmouth High School. The Bridgewater-Raritan Indoor Percussion placed 9th overall, with a score of 79.200, advancing them to the finals, which were held on March 8.
The finals consisted of the top 12 highest-scoring bands, in which the group competed. They finished off with a score of 76.725, placing 11th in the final lineup.
The students put in hours of hard work each week to perfect their show for the judges. This was their first time performing their fully completed show, and they were elated to learn they qualified for finals.
First-year members were thrilled to know that their first season in indoor percussion included participating in the WGI Finals. Seniors felt proud of the group’s hard work as their indoor experience was coming to a promising finish.
They’ve shown significant growth throughout the season, improving their skills and team dynamics immensely since November. This competition was a preparation for their final performance in Dayton, Ohio.
Senior Nandini Kuppachi, front ensemble section leader and marimba player, shared her thoughts about the experience.
“We’re grateful to have made it to finals at our first WGI Regional of the season. Especially considering that we’re going to Dayton, Ohio, for WGI Finals 2026 and facing tens of ensembles across the world, this is a small but powerful stepping stone towards making it to the second round, and even beyond, in Dayton in April. We’ve put a lot of effort into refining the small details in the music, adding visuals that are clear and relay the story to an audience. Our journey isn’t over yet, and I’m excited to see how we grow towards the end of the season,” she said.
Senior Agastya Shahane, bass player, shared his opinion on the day.
“It was so great to see so many bands from throughout the region! I’m really proud of the group for reaching finals and achieving our goal for the weekend!” he said.
The group looks forward to their upcoming competition this weekend on March 14, and continues to perfect their show for the competition at Dayton, Ohio, being held in April.
