Tina Wong

Hannah Courtney lights up the stage during the 2022 WGI Percussion regionals. Courtney is known her exceptional drumming technique and passionate storytelling.

Shortly after winning 1st place at the Winter Guard International (WGI) Percussion World Championships, Hannah Courtney (11) has become well known across the percussion community for her fierce expressions and impressive drumming technique. 

Courtney discovered drumming for the first time in 5th grade, watching her sister who was in the Ayala Band and Colorguard (BAC) during practice. As Courtney watched the band practice, she was automatically drawn to Mary Pena, who was a snare drum in the BAC at the time. 

“She inspired me to be like her,” Courtney said. 

Shortly after attending her sister’s band practice, Courtney began learning to play the snare, just like Pena. Courtney took part in her elementary school’s band and took drumming lessons on the side. 

“I thought drums were really intimidating at first because they’re really loud so I thought it was very scary,” Courtney said. “It was very hard for me to learn.”

Following Courtney’s season in the Canyon Hills percussion program, she joined the Ayala snareline in the marching band season where she completed her first fall season with the Ayala BAC. Courtney marched with the rest of the percussion ensemble and winds, gaining even more passion around the art of drumming. 

“She’s gotten to be really passionate about the activity,” Ayala Snare instructor Sean Ye said. “She’s definitely become a real nerd in some sense, which is great. You know, I can definitely tell she’s invested herself a lot into this.”

After the fall season, Courtney began rehearsals for Ayala Percussion’s indoor season. Indoor drumline is where the Ayala Percussion ensemble is able to really shine with stages being more focused towards the percussion students and more intricate. During indoor drumline, not only are drummers marching with their drums nonstop through an eight minute show, but they are also telling a story to the audience through body movements. 

Through Courtney’s two seasons of indoor drumline, she discovered her impressive ability to tell stories. Having to balance both at an extremely high level requires tons of individual skill, but Courtney is one who accomplishes outstanding drumming technique and storytelling. 

“She moves her body to the music, it’s not just about her hands. I could tell her when she’s really comfortable with the piece of music; her whole body kind of dances,” Ye said. “I could tell she’s playing it from her heart rather than just thinking about it.”

Part of Courtney’s storytelling is her animated facial expressions which led her to gain much popularity through the drumming community. Many drumline photographers captured Courtney’s performances throughout the indoor seasons, posting them onto social media accounts where users praised her powerful stage presence. 

“I do think the expressions add to the performance [for] the people watching,” Courtney said. “It just makes everyone feel way more hyped.”

Aside from her individual drumming skills and performances, Courtney is also a valued teammate of the snareline. 

“Having Hannah as a teammate has been amazing, especially her being a new upperclassmen,” Ayala Battery Captain Nathan Wong (12) said. “She sets a high standard for all the other members since her musical capabilities are high.”

As Music in Motion approaches, Courtney will kick off her third fall season with the Ayala BAC. Courtney hopes to inspire other young girls to strive for their passions in this next season. 

“When we’re practicing on Mondays, we have some kids who come down and watch us and you know, sometimes I hope that they’re just watching and enjoying the show and being inspired by us,” Courtney said.