The Ledford Indoor Percussion Ensemble (LIPE) is a dynamic marching performance organization comprised of band students attending Ledford High School and Ledford Middle School. The group was founded in 2004 by Lenny Keesee and former Ledford band director Phillip Riggs. The group utilizes marching and concert percussion instruments as well as electronics (guitar, bass guitar, synthesizers, etc) to perform a four to seven minute long production. Recently the group was a regional championships finalist at the 2008 Winter Guard International Spartanburg, SC competition

and it garnered silver medal honors in their classification at the 2005 and 2008 Atlantic Indoor Association Circuit Championships. In 2009 the ensembles were split into two groups (JV and Varsity) to help accommodate the growth and interest in the indoor percussion activity at Ledford. The 2009 Varsity group was the first from Ledford to attend WGI World Championships. The group finished 21^st out of 56 ensembles in competition in A class at WGI Championships that season. After a season off from competition in 2010, both ensembles returned to the floor as finalists at the 2011 AIA Circuit Championships with the JV Ensemble taking bronze medal honors in the Scholastic Novice Class. The Varsity ensemble was also a participant at the 2011 WGI World Championships and was featured on the WGI Fan Network during World Championships week.

WGI LIPE Video

The activity of indoor percussion is sometimes referred to as “Percussion Theater” as many groups tend to tell a story or relay a common theme to their audience and judges throughout their production. Indoor percussion is similar to marching band; however no brass or woodwind instruments are utilized. Performances take place in gymnasiums or large arenas and the competition season typically runs from the end of January to the middle of April. Groups start rehearsing as early as September to prepare for highly competitive local, regional and national competitions.