Percussion groups from Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New York competed at a Musical Arts Conference (MAC) competition on March 31 at Jonathan Law High School in Milford. Newtown Percussion continued its undefeated season, scoring 87.45 to place first in its division.For more information about the NHS Band and Guard, including these winter season groups, visit .newtownbandandguard.weebly.com

The group debuted its new black Newtown Percussion jackets, provided through a generous donation by the Russell Agency.

The group's show, "Moving Forward," is based on the five stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining depression, and acceptance). Expressing emotion is a key element to connecting with the audience and to the success of a show. Visual director Ricky Grasso said he believes, "Doing a show based on emotion is great for kids. High school is a hard time figuring out yourself, and expressing emotion helps kids find their way. I feel it makes them more comfortable in a day-to-day setting, too. My favorite part of doing this is seeing kids grow up and seeing them more comfortable in their own skin."

The Varsity and Junior Varsity Winter Guards also performed on Saturday. The varsity group performed its show "Stormy Weather," and earned second place with a score of 79.38. Junior varsity placed third with a score of 75.69 with its show "Mining for Gold."

Newtown Winter Percussion and both Varsity and Junior Varsity Winter Guards will perform in a MAC competition at Trumbull High School on Saturday, April 7.