Winter percussion is officially in full swing, with the weekend of IPA competition completed! The next few weeks students and instructors will be working hard to complete and perfect their shows. Chops Percussion is a proud to be the presenting sponsor for Indiana’s own winter percussion circuit: Indiana Percussion Association. There are shows every weekend with IPA Prelims on March 21st, and the season concluding with IPA Finals on April 4th. This season’s IPA Finals will return to Ben Davis High School, while the Hulman Center at ISU is being renovated. Interested in scores, schedules, or additional information? Go to www.indianapercussion.org for all the details you will need to enjoy this winter percussion season! Don’t forget to follow us on social media, as Chops will be returning to WGI Finals for more #TeamIndiana coverage in April!

  Below is some great advice that came from an Indiana Percussion Association email last season that we thought was worth passing along again to everyone: IPA Contest Schedules Schedules for IPA can be found on the IPA website. Please remember that schedules are subject to change through the MONDAY prior to the event for minor adjustments. Advice for new directors regarding schedules: When building your itinerary for the day, start with your warm up time and work backward Allow at least 1 hour between arrival at contest site and transit to warm up. This will allow your kids plenty of time to unload/assemble, dress, and feel relaxed going into warm up. Identify travel time to the site and add at least 20 minutes for the slower bus travel times. Look at traffic maps for any delays you might encounter. Give plenty of time post rehearsal for Pack/load at home. Have a plan for your students/chaperones if you are staying for critique. Many directors have communication with their chaperones that allow them to send kids home while directors stay for critique. If not, be prepared that your kids could be waiting at least an hour for you after awards to

Although it is “officially” Spring, the Indiana Percussion Association was thrown a snowball this past weekend for State Prelims day.  A band of blizzard-like conditions came roaring through central Indiana, in a narrow stretch that beat up on some areas, but left much of the state untouched without a single snowflake.  The IPA executive board did an excellent job staying on top of the weather conditions, communicating to school directors, and making decisions for the safety of all involved.  Ultimately, both show sites (Avon and Decatur Central) had to cancel midway through the day, as it became obvious the weather band was going to continue to sit right over the contest sites and not let up.  Everyone packed up quickly and headed home while there was still daylight. The IPA board announced on Sunday that all units would be performing state finals day, and they are currently working on the schedule, which will be available HERE as soon as it’s announced.  If you plan to attend, please remember to stop by the Chops Percussion booth and say hi! Thank you again to the IPA board for their tireless efforts, volunteering their time to make decisions in the best interest of

Here’s a repost from last year, just before the first IPA State Finals at Hulman Center in Terre Haute. We thought it was worth sharing again heading in to state finals weekend. This weekend is only the second contest in the history of the IPA (Indiana Percussion Association) that requires an outside warm-up. Those groups who have performed in Dayton for WGI Championships or participate in circuits in warmer regions of the country know this is a normal process. The outside extended warm-up can be very beneficial to preparing for the large arena environment. But for those who have not gone through that process before, here are some tips to make sure the experience is smooth and beneficial for everyone.

Welcome back to the Chops blog.  Indoor Percussion season is right around the corner, and we’re proud to once again be the presenting sponsor for the Indiana Percussion Association!  Indoor Percussion continues to grow in popularity within the state and across the country.  We’re lucky to have one of the best and largest indoor percussion circuits in the country, and we’re proud to support the efforts of IPA and all of the participating groups. IPA has recently launched a brand new website and it looks fantastic. Head on over there to view scores, schedules, scholarship info and all of the latest news. Here’s a current schedule of contests to help you find a show near you! February 11 IPA Invitational at New Palestine HS February 11 IPA Invitational at Owen Valley HS February 18 IPA Invitational at Pendleton Heights HS February 18 IPA Invitational at Franklin Central HS February 25 IPA Invitational at Plainfield HS February 25 IPA Invitational at Knox HS March 4 IPA Invitational at Greenfield-Central HS March 4 IPA Invitational at Zionsville HS March 11 IPA Invitational at Ben Davis HS March 11 IPA Invitational at Warsaw HS March 11/12 WGI Indianapolis Regional at Franklin Central HS