EASLEY – The Easley High School Band will host a Winter Guard and Indoor Percussion competition this weekend, on Jan. 16 in McKelvey Gym from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m.

42 Winter Guard and Indoor Percussion units from throughout North Carolina and South Carolina will assemble at EHS for the Carolina Indoor Performance Association (CIPA) South Carolina Qualifier sponsored by Amica Insurance and hosted by Easley Band Boosters.

EHS Band Director Patrick Mainieri explained what Winter Guard and Indoor Percussions contests are and how they came to being.

“Well, do you ever wonder what happens to the marching band after State finals and the last football game?” asked Mainieri. “Most of the students who play wind instruments begin working on concert preparations for winter and spring concerts as well as concert festival. In the 1990s, directors began to notice a decline in the abilities of their color guards and percussionists because of their lack of training and performance for the eight months that Marching Bands weren’t rehearsing,” he explained.

The idea to hold color guard and indoor marching percussion contests began and have evolved into a high level of pageantry, Mainieri said.

EHS has two indoor Winter Guards (JV and Varsity) and also hosts Trifecta Indoor Percussion Ensemble which is made up of percussionists from EHS, Pickens High School and School District of Pickens County percussion alumni.

EHS Winter Ensembles participate in the Carolina Indoor Performance Association Circuit and Winter Guard International.

Admission to the event is $5. The public is invited and encouraged to attend.