PARADE OF

CHAMPIONS JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY

2016 ADJUDICATORS

LUTHER APPEL is the current director of bands at Bay Port High School in Green Bay Wisconsin and has been involved with the marching arts for 35 years. He was the director of the Regina Lions Band from Regina Saskatchewan which won 14 consecutive Canadian Championships as well as performing at the Midwest Band Director's Clinic in Chicago and the IAJE International Jazz Convention. He served as the program manager for the Colts Drum and Bugle Corps and currently is a DCI music and brass judge as well as judging marching band competitions throughout the country.

DAVID DUFFY is a native of Collinsville, Virginia. A 1985 graduate of Fieldale-Collinsville High School, he attended James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, where he studied Bass Trombone Performance and Music Education. He was a proud member of “Virginia’s Finest” and he graduated in 1989, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education. Mr. Duffy has been the director of bands at Powhatan High School, Nelson County High School, and John D. Bassett Middle School in the Commonwealth of Virginia and at West Johnston High School in North Carolina. He has been the director of WGI finalists in all categories of color guard including, Powhatan High School, Bassett High School, Dominion, the STUDY, and West Johnston High School. His design credits include the Magic of Orlando Drum and Bugle Corps, and the Spirit of Atlanta Drum and Bugle Corps. His groups have performed BOA finals and have been seen at the Macy’s Parade and the Disney World Christmas Day Parade. Mr. Duffy is currently an Assistant Band Director at Hendrickson High School in Pflugerville, Texas.

MARLON FOSTER recently retired from Harrisonburg City Public Schools, where he served as a middle school instrumental music teacher for 26 years. He has also conducted and adjudicated workshops involving concert percussion, , and jazz band rhythm sections throughout Virginia. He has conducted many city, county, and All-District concert and jazz honor bands at the middle school level. He was a member of the Air Force Band at Langley Air Force Base under the direction of Lowell E. Graham. He has performed with the Shenandoah Valley Choral Society, Rockbridge Symphony, Harrisonburg/Rockingham Concert Band, and the Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival Orchestra. He continues to perform jazz with many local and regional jazz ensembles. Mr. Foster received his B. M. Ed and M.M. from James Madison University.

STEPHEN HOWARD is a native of Richmond, Virginia. Mr. Howard holds degrees in Music Education (B.M. from Radford University, 2005) & Instrumental Conducting (M.M. from George Mason University, 2007). Stephen moved to Austin, Texas in 2007 to teach at James Bowie High School as an Assistant Band Director. At Bowie, Mr. Howard received Division I ratings at several UIL Concert & Sight Reading Contests with the many of the schools wind ensembles. The James Bowie High School Outdoor Performing Ensemble also experienced success during his time, being named a UIL 5A State Finalist in 2008, 2010, & 2012, a Grand National Finalist in 2009 & 2012, and was a consistent BOA Regional Class Champion & Super Regional Finalist. As Director of Bowie’s Color Guard, the program grew considerably to include over 50 members and two levels of courses. Most notably, the Winter Guards competed at the Texas Color Guard Circuit State Championships where both the JV & Varsity teams were named class champions in 2014. The Varsity team went on to appear in the Scholastic Open Class Finals at the WGI World Championships that same year. Currently, Stephen serves as Director of Bands at the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders, a magnet school for women grades 6-12 in the Austin Independent School District. Under his direction, the band program has doubled in size. The Marching Stars most recently were named the 2016 Bands of America Austin Regional Class A Champion for a second straight year. Mr. Howard is a member of the Texas Music Educators Association, the Texas Bandmasters Association, the Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America, and is President of the Texas Color Guard Circuit. He lives in Austin with his wife, Hannah, and daughter, Aria

MATTHEW McCUTCHEN is the Associate Director of Bands & Director of Athletic Bands at the University of South Florida where his responsibilities include directing the 370 member “Herd of Thunder” Marching Band, overseeing the university’s “Rumble” Pep Band, conducting the Symphonic and Concert Bands, and teaching courses in conducting and music education. He also is the founder and conductor of the Bay Area Youth (BAY) Winds, which features the finest high school band students from throughout the Tampa Bay Area, and is the Assistant conductor of the Florida Wind Band. Dr. McCutchen earned a Ph.D. in Music Education with an emphasis in Instrumental Conducting from Florida State University, a Master’s degree in Conducting from Virginia Commonwealth University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Furman University. Dr. McCutchen’s teaching experience spans from middle school to the university level. His public school positions include four years at Thomson Middle School in Thomson, Georgia and five at Atlee High School in Hanover County Virginia. In addition, he spent one year as a full-time adjunct professor at VCU where he taught several music classes and directed the athletic bands, followed by four more years on the faculty teaching percussion part time. Dr. McCutchen is an active guest conductor, clinician, adjudicator, and performer who has been published in the National Band Association’s Journal, the 7th and 8th editions and the “Solos with Wind Band Accompaniment” editions of the Teaching Music through Performance in Band series, The Instrumentalist magazine, and the Florida Music Director. He was nominated as the Florida Music Education Associations 2014 College Teacher of the Year, and currently serves on the National Band Association/William D. Revelli Memorial Band Composition Contest Committee, and the John Philip Sousa Foundation Legion of Honor Selection Committee.

IBE SODAWALLA is the Executive Director/CEO and founder of the Legends Performing Arts based in Kalamazoo MI. This organization sponsors the Legends Drum Corps along with education outreach programs and drum corps events in Michigan. Under his direction, Legends is rapidly becoming a household name in the activity and is a participating organization of the Drum Corps International (DCI) Open Class. He is the Chair for the DCI Open Class and serves on the DCI Board of Directors. Ibe was selected DCI Open Class Director of the Year (2009, 2015) with Legends also being named DCI Open Class Most Improved Corps (2009, 2012, 2015). Ibe is a music arranger through his business Impax Productions, a company that focuses on creative music design and entertainment production. He is currently the brass arranger for the Legends Drum Corps and arranges for a number of high schools and colleges across the country. Ibe maintains an active schedule as an arranger for the Western Michigan University Bronco Marching Band, and is a sought out clinician and adjudicator for various programs/events. Prior to building the Legends Organization (2001-present day), Ibe performed as a rook-out with the Madison Scouts in 2000 (Euphonium). He served as Program Coordinator and Brass Arranger for Dimensions Drum & Bugle Corps (2002-2003) and Director (2003). In 2004-2006, Ibe joined the administrative team for the Colts Youth Organization in Dubuque IA where he assisted in Operations. Additionally, he served as the Tour Manager for the Colts Drum & Bugle Corps (2004-2005) and Brass Arranger for the Colt Cadets Drum & Bugle Corps (2005-2011). As an entrepreneur, Ibe is the owner of Legends Trucking & Transportation and Legends Group Travel. Ibe holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Western Michigan University, where he studied music education and entrepreneurship.

LORI VALENZUELA started her color guard career spinning rifle and flag at Linden High School in Linden, Mich. Prior to participating with the marching band at Linden she was a competitive baton twirler on the national level for 10 years. Lori went to Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Mich. where she was the captain of the color guard. She was a member of the Star of Drum & Bugle Corps from Bloomington, Ind. for the 1986, 1987 and 1988 seasons. Lori was also a member of the 1988 and 1989 Winterguard International World Champion State Street Review Winter Guard from Madison, Wisc. Lori started teaching drum corps in 1989 with the Bandettes All-Girl Drum & Bugle Corps from Ste. St. Marie, Ontario Canada. In 1990 she moved to California to teach the Freelancers Drum & Bugle Corps for two years. That short-term job turned into a sixteen year stay in California, during which time she met her husband, Rick, while she was teaching the Freelancers and he was with the Santa Clara Vanguard. Lori has taught numerous high schools across the country including Plymouth-Centennial Educational Park Marching Band, which won the high color guard award at the Bands Of America Championships in 1989, and the James Logan Marching Band from Union City, Calif. She is currently in her 11th year as the Head Color Guard Instructor for the Northern Illinois University Huskie Marching Band in DeKalb, Ill. Lori moved back to the Midwest 11 years ago with her husband who is the Executive Director of the Phantom Regiment Drum & Bugle Corps from Rockford. She is the Office Manager for the corps and is a busy mom for her two children.