There is a group of five guys that walk the halls of the Garvey Fine Arts Center; a group that pushes each other around, cracks jokes and has a good time. Have you ever wonderded who these guy are? Well the answer is percussionists.

“Drummers together are crazy and fun,” said Theo Musick, senior percussionist. “We wrestle and throw stuff at each other.”

These five guys are what make up the small percussion ensemble. The idea for this group came about this year because no other school has something like this.

“Schools like KU and KSU don’t usually have anything like this and if they do, it is all grad students,” said Musick.

The mad behind all the madness is Tom Morgan, director of percussion studies at Washburn.

“I pretty much stay out of the way because they are so self-motivated, creative about their repertoire and low maintenence,” said Morgan.

The camaraderie between the percussionists can be sensed in their performance.

“The people in the ensemble are the icing on the cake,” said Lucas Whippo, sophomore percussionist.

When watching the group play, the love for what they do radiates from the stage.

“We really like to play,” said Hansen. “That drives us.”

This drive can be seen in their faces, whether they are marching on the field or practiving in the percussion compund. Currently, the group practices twice a week for two hours.

“Rehearsing – it sounds simple, but it can be really hard,” said Jason Degenhardt, junior percussionist.

Outside of the ensemble, the guys play on the drumline in the fall and in concert band after marching season is over.

The start of the percussion ensemble is bringing the percussive arts out and showing everyone how much fun it can be.

“Everything with percussion ensembles is so new and evolving,” said Will Arasmith, junior percussionist. “It’s constantly moving forward with new material and challenges.”