THREE EMS ISD DRUMLINES ADVANCE TO WGI WORLD FINALS, PLACE AMONG NATION’S BEST
Boswell, Chisholm Trail, and Saginaw high schools make history as the only district with three drumlines at national championships.
Three EMS ISD high school drumlines made history in Dayton, Ohio, as they competed in the WGI Indoor Percussion World Championships April 10–12 — and all three advanced to the World Finals, with national top-12 finishes.
Boswell High School competed in the Percussion Scholastic World division, the most advanced classification for high school teams. Boswell placed 12th in the nation, marking its fourth consecutive year qualifying for World Finals. Their production, Welcome to the Real World, explored the transition from high school into post-graduation life, with a visually striking and emotionally resonant performance.
Chisholm Trail High School and Saginaw High School both competed in the Percussion Scholastic Open division — and both made their first-ever trips to Dayton, capping the experience with powerful showings. Chisholm Trail’s show, Through the Noise, was a conceptual piece portraying the impact of external distractions on our inner lives and earned them a 9th-place finish. Saginaw’s show, Detention Daydream, delivered a theatrical, “Breakfast Club”-inspired performance, finishing 12th in the nation.
“There was no other district in the nation with three drumlines competing — and all three in finals,” said EMS ISD Fine Arts Director Carla Hardy. “People were talking about ‘that school district in Fort Worth’ all weekend. It was incredible.”
Hardy said that throughout the trip, people from other states approached her — often after noticing her EMS ISD badge — to ask if she was part of “those three schools from Fort Worth.”
“It really speaks to the level of respect Boswell has built on the national stage — people come to the parking lot just to watch them rehearse,” she said. “But it also speaks volumes about the passion and work ethic growing across all three campuses. They’ve created something powerful together.”
In addition to the student performers, Hardy credited the tremendous support system of parents, community members, and staff who help make these performances possible — from building props and loading trucks to helping coordinate logistics and fundraising for travel. WGI participation is fully funded through student fees and local support, with no district budget used for travel or competition expenses.
“It’s like the band parent world championships, too,” Hardy said. “Every team is allowed 20 people on their setup crew, and it never feels like enough. The coordination and effort behind the scenes are just as impressive.”
Hardy also noted the camaraderie among EMS ISD drumlines throughout the weekend. Chisholm Trail and Saginaw performed back-to-back all three days, encouraging and cheering each other on from the sidelines. On Friday, Boswell students attended the Open Class semifinals to support their fellow EMS teams in person.
“Whether they were clapping each other out after a performance or standing side by side in the audience, the collegiality between our high school musicians was incredible,” Hardy said. “Nobody gets it like other drumline kids — and now they have each other.”
