MU

Bands of America Powder Springs Regional Championship September 18, 2021 • McEachern H.S. • Powder Springs, GA

MUSIC PANEL (alphabetical by last name)

Van Mathews, North Richland Hill, TX Van Mathews is Director of Bands at L.D. Bell High School in Hurst, Texas. He is also an active adjudicator, clinician, and consultant for pageantry organizations throughout the United States and Europe. Under his direction, the L.D. Bell Blue Raider Band has earned multiple Bands of America Regional and Super-Regional Championship titles. His bands have advanced to the Grand National Championships Finals four times, with three top-three finishes. In Texas University Interscholastic League competitions, his bands have twice finished as Texas 6A State Marching Contest silver medalists and once as bronze medalists. Prior to L.D. Bell, Van instructed at Haltom High School, Lewisville High School and Lake Highlands High School in Texas. Van is excited to return to the position of consultant to the staff and members of the Crossmen Drum & Bugle Corps. His experience with Drum Corps started in 1984, as a member of Florida’s Suncoast Sound. He aged out as a member of the Madison Scouts, continuing with them as an instructor and brass caption coordinator through 1999. Van served on brass staff for the Concord Blue Devils from 2000-2009 and returned to the Madison Scouts as consultant and Music Coordinator in 2016-2017. He feels fortunate to have been partnered with incredibly talented educators and brass performers throughout his drum corps career, having earned DCI’s Jim Ott Memorial Award on six occasions. Van received his Bachelor of Music degree from the University of South Carolina and his Master of Science degree from the University of Illinois. While at the University of Illinois, he completed all course work for the Ed. D. in Music Education. His professional affiliations include the Texas Music Educators Association, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Pi Kappa Lambda, and Gamma Beta Phi.

Ronnie Rios, Harlingen, TX Ronnie Rios, a multi-Grammy nominated music educator, holds a Bachelor’s in Music Education and a Master’s in Music Education from Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Mr. Rios was the Director of Bands at Harlingen High School in Harlingen, Texas, for 21 years. Under his direction, all six concert bands received consistent UIL Sweepstakes awards. The Big Red Cardinal made 11 consecutive appearances at the Texas State Marching Band Championships and were finalists at Bands of America Regional Championships. While at Harlingen, the jazz ensemble was selected as the Honor Jazz Ensemble for the State of Texas. Mr. Rios’ groups have performed throughout Texas, Florida, California, New Jersey, Washington, D.C., Illinois, and Central Park in New York City. In 2011, the Harlingen High School Band was named the Texas Bandmasters Association Exemplary High School Band Program of the Year. Mr. Rios is currently the Director of Music Programs in the Harlingen CISD. Mr. Rios is a past Phi Beta Mu Texas Young Bandmaster of the Year recipient. He also created and serves as the Artistic Director for the Rio Grande Valley Jazz Orchestra in Harlingen, Texas, which has performed at the Midwest Clinic in Chicago and shared the stage with the world-famous Count Basie Orchestra. He is a member of TMEA, TBA, TMAA, TJEA, Phi Beta Mu, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. He is the Past President of IAJE-Texas, TJEA, past TMAA Vice President, and served as the TMEA Texas State Band Chair. He is currently the TMEA Area G Band Chair. Mr. Rios has served as a clinician and adjudicator in Texas, Arizona, Kentucky, Georgia, Nevada, Utah, California, New Mexico, and Indiana. He currently serves as an active adjudicator for UIL, , and Bands of America.

David Starnes, Acworth, GA Mr. David Starnes is the Director of Orchestras at Kennesaw Mountain High School in Kennesaw, Georgia. Previously, he served as Director of Athletic Bands at Western Carolina University from 2011-2020.

During his time at Western Carolina University, the Pride of the Mountains Marching Band performed at halftime for the Carolina Panthers, in exhibition at Bands of America Regional and Grand National Championships, and twice in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Mr. Starnes received the Western Carolina University College of Fine and Performing Arts Service Award and the James E. Dooley Excellence in Music Teaching Award.

From 2000-2011, Mr. Starnes served as the founding Director of Bands at Kennesaw Mountain High School. Under his direction, the band was recognized at the local, state, and national levels in all performance areas, including concert band, jazz band, marching band, winter guard, and winter percussion. In December of 2003, the John Philip Sousa Foundation presented Kennesaw Mountain High School with the prestigious Sudler Shield Award for world-class excellence in marching band.

Mr. Starnes is sought out nationally and internationally as an adjudicator, clinician, guest conductor, and creative designer. He is a member of the John Philip Sousa Foundation’s Sudler Shield Jury and has previously served as Design Advisor for Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps. He is a founding board chairman for United Sound, a nationally recognized music education program serving students with special needs. Since 1994, he has adjudicated for state, national, and international organizations, including Bands of America, Winter Guard International, and Drum Corps International.

Additionally, he is an Educational Consultant with Music for All, serving as the program director for the Bands of America Honor Band in the Tournament of Roses Parade. Mr. Starnes is a 2019 inductee in the Music for All Hall of Fame.

VISUAL PANEL (alphabetical by last name)

Marie Czapinski, Des Plaines, IL Marie Grana Czapinski is an expert in the field of pageantry and the only individual to hold Hall of Fame membership in all three elite marching arts organizations: Winter Guard International, Drum Corps International, and Music for All.

She is a co-founder of Winter Guard International, played a key role in forming and developing Bands of America, and was a DCI Championship adjudicator for 25 years.

Marie has instructed numerous championship winter guards, drum corps, and marching bands, including several Bands of America Grand National Champions. She is well known for her clinic presentations, integrity, and creativity. She is an active clinician and consultant, including with the Pride of Missouri State Winter Guard and Jubal Drum & Bugle Corps in Amsterdam.

Marie is an adjudicator with Bands of America and a Conn-Selmer educational clinician. She is devoted to all aspects of education in the marching visual arts. She serves as Director of Education for the Midwest Color Guard Circuit and is a member of their Hall of Fame. Marie is currently the Director of Educational Outreach for Phantom Regiment Drum & Bugle Corps.

Austin Greene, Raleigh, NC Austin Greene is a professional visual designer and educator from Raleigh, NC. He is an adjudicator throughout the country for Bands of America, Winter Guard International, and numerous local circuits. Austin joined the instructional staff for Blue Knights in 2019 after serving as a visual judge for DCI. Austin previously instructed The Cadets Drum & Bugle Corps from 2012-2015 and served as Visual Caption Head from 2014-2015.

Previously, Austin was Director of Bands at Concord High School in Concord, NC, and Director of Bands and Performing Arts Department Chair at Durham School of the Arts. In 2010, he was hired as an adjunct instructor at the Dublin Institute of Technology's National Conservatory of Music in Dublin, Ireland. He has served for 10 years as a program consultant and clinician for the Bands of America Grand National Finalist Kennesaw Mountain High School Marching Band. Austin attended Western Carolina University where he earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Music Education in 2003. He went on to earn his Master of Music in Conducting Degree from the University of Connecticut in 2006. He is in regular demand as a designer, clinician, and adjudicator throughout the United States and abroad.

Adam Sage, Delray Beach, FL Adam Sage is an active choreographer, designer, and adjudicator in the pageantry arts. Adam’s drum corps experience includes being a performing member of the Suncoast Sound from 1988 to 1989 and The Cadets of Bergen County from 1990 to 1991. Adam is also actively involved with Winter Guard International. He was the director of The Company Colour Guard from Tampa Bay, Florida from 1995 to 1999. The Company was a two-time WGI World Champion in the A class (1995) and Open class (1996).

Currently, he is the designer and choreographer for the Yokohama Scouts Drum & Bugle Corps in Yokohama, Japan and the artistic director and color guard co-director at Park Vista High School (FL). Park Vista was recently named the 2019 Bands of America Grand National Semi-Finalist and the 2018 WGI Scholastic Open champions. Adam is the color guard designer and visual director at the Phantom Regiment Drum & Bugle Corps from Rockford, Illinois. Adam is an adjudicator for Bands of America and Winter Guard throughout the country. When he is not teaching color guard, Adam is a third-grade teacher in Parkland, Florida where he resides.

CHIEF JUDGE Susan Smith, Troy, AL Susan L. Smith is a Lecturer in Music Education at Troy State University in Alabama and serves as chair of the NAfME Collegiate Advisory Council. Previously, she served as Director of Bands at the Saint James School in Montgomery, AL.

Smith received her bachelor’s degree in Music Education from James Madison University and taught in the Virginia public schools shortly after. Her responsibilities included the direction of elementary and secondary instrumental music programs, as well as teaching other arts-related courses. Her ensembles consistently received superior ratings from the Virginia Band and Orchestra Director Association festivals during her tenure. After receiving her master’s degree in Music Education from Troy State University, she taught as an Adjunct Professor of Music and served as the Executive Director of the Southeastern United States Concert Band Clinic and Honor Bands. In addition, she coordinated the visual program for the Sound of the South Marching Band. Her professional affiliations include the National Association for Music Education, Alabama Music Educators Association, Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma Alpha Iota, and the National Band Association.