Yuktha Perneti 

Name: Yuktha Perneti 

Grade: 11th

Instrument: percussion 

Future College: undecided

Future job: Sustainable Urban Designer or Software Engineer

Years of experience: 6

Inspiration: the unforgettable feeling when you perform 

Favorite musicians: Ji Su Jung and beabadoobee

Wingspan: What made you choose your instrument?

Perneti: “At first I wasn’t super interested in percussion, and considering that you had to audition to make it, I just thought “oh I’m probably not gonna make it anyway so I might as well choose a wind instrument from the get go.” However, my dad forced me to stand in the line to audition, and after walking in the room and seeing the different instruments a percussionist can play, I thought it would be cool if I made it. I also thought the audition itself was pretty fun because a few exercises I was required to do were pretty fun.”

Wingspan: What made you want to choose to do band?

Perneti: “Originally I wanted to do art because I loved painting and making crafts, as I took art lessons when I was younger. But when I would see middle school band kids having a lot of fun, I wanted to be part of that experience as well. A memorable moment I have is when was in elementary school and I went to Liberty’s Trunk or Treat and saw headchoppers. I thought band was cool.” 

Wingspan: How does band impact your daily life?

Perneti: “The magnitude of band impacting your life, I would say, depends on how good you want to be, and how well you want the program to develop. Because I want Liberty Band to be a good program and I want this group to be good, I put a lot of time and effort into practicing outside of rehearsal time, whether it’s percussion ensemble, All-Region, or marching band. I have met so many people I wouldn’t have interacted with if it weren’t for band, and I enjoy being with my section. It impacts my life enough to say that being a percussionist is a lifestyle.”

Wingspan: Are you considering continuing band beyond? Why?

Perneti: “I’m not really considering doing marching band after high school because I am interested in other aspects of band, specifically percussion. It would be nice if I could play in percussion ensembles in college, and I enjoy playing marimba solos especially, so it would be cool if I had access to a studio after high school.”

Wingspan: What are your personal goals for this year?

Perneti: “This year, I want to further my skills in timpani, especially for the All-Region audition. I’m working towards making the All-Region band. But I think my main goal despite nailing my solos and making a TMEA organization, is to improve as a player and become a leader.”

Wingspan: What is your favorite thing about band?

Perneti: “My favorite thing about it is the experiences you get. Competitions are really fun, especially drumline competitions, and the people you’re surrounded by are amazing. It’s the amazing experiences I can look back on that make band so fun.” 

Wingspan: How do you balance band, school, and any other extracurriculars?

Perneti: “At first, you can be really overwhelmed, but this lifestyle teaches you to use all the time you get in class and advisory to be super productive. I learned a lot of time management from this program, and as soon as I come home and settle done, I try to get all of my work done quickly and efficiently.” 

Wingspan: What’s your favorite memory of band?

Perneti: “My favorite memory of band is when the tenors got the caption award for Best Tenors for the Lewisville Drumline Competition. The three of us in the tenor line weren’t really expecting it, but now that I look back on it, we worked really hard to perform our part to the best of our abilities. Also, getting pasta afterwards was fun and chaotic. When I look back on this experience, I always find myself looking forward to perform and have fun.”

Wingspan: What is your advice to anybody thinking about joining band?

Perneti: “Just join! Don’t be afraid that there will be a lot of work, or that it is really hard. You will learn so many life lessons in band, and you will make so many new friends. After all, you never know if you don’t give it a shot. My advice to you is practice a lot when you’ve mastered the basics of your instrument. You’ll have a lot of fun, especially because it’s a new experience for you.”

Wingspan: If you had to pick a different instrument to play what would it be?

Perneti: “Honestly this is pretty tough. I would say trumpet? I think the trumpet section is pretty fun, and I like listening to trumpet parts as well.”