The heartbeat of every song lies in the rhythm that is created by the percussion section. The beat of the drums is usually overshadowed by trumpets and other melodic instruments when playing alongside the rest of the marching band. It is at the annual Sun City Throwdown tournament when the drumline and percussion sections get their chance to shine.

Undoubtedly, their success has come from the combination of practice, teamwork and passion.

“We like to play to relax and have fun and focus on the task at hand,” drumline member Sebastian Ceballos said.

Although there was pressure to maintain the first place streak they held for the previous six years in a row, the ensemble handled it by using those feelings to drive their energy.

“I was very energetic while performing and so was the crowd,” front ensemble member Brianna Ramirez said. “It was very emotional.”

The ensemble performed Nov. 11, and claimed the first place victory once again for the seventh consecutive year.

“I feel like we deserved the win. We worked really hard and practiced a lot. We had a 13 hour rehearsal the day before,” drumline member Naythen Ortega said.

The music selection played an important role in the performance. With dramatic crescendos and shifts from hard choppy beats from the drumline to soft melodies from the front ensemble, it was easy to gather that a story was being told.

The passion from the performance was further conveyed through their costumes, dramatic makeup and props. Some players dressed in black pants and shirts while others were in all white. The players in all black wore dark red eye makeup and eerie looking black masks as decorated caskets stood in the background.

“The music we were playing is titled “The Search for Paradise” by Eric Witticker which comes from the story, Dante’s Inferno,” Ramirez said. “Dante’s Inferno is a story about a guy who has to travel through Hell to get to Heaven. The people in the black costumes represent demons and the people in white represent angels,” Ortega said.

The group did their part not only as musicians but for the production aspect as well.

“We designed and helped make the costumes and caskets, which were made out of paper and cardboard,” Ortega said.

Matthew Fernandez, percussion section teacher, has been teaching on campus two years. He attributes the history of the school’s success to the students.

“We didn’t have that much time to prepare for the tournament,” Fernandez said. “But the reason they have been successful throughout the years is because of DV’s value in the art of indoor percussion marching and their willingness to put in the work. I feel that we are setting an example for the rest of the city.”