Bands of America Indianapolis Super Regional Championship October 19-20, 2018 Lucas Oil Stadium Indianapolis, IN Adjudicator Biographies National Presenting Sponsor MUSIC PANEL (alphabetical by last name) Allan E. Kristensen, Clovis, CA Allan E. Kristensen is a retired music educator and arts supervisor, currently working part-time as an arts consultant with the Fresno County Office of Education. He earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree from San Jose State University, where he studied percussion with Anthony J. Cirone. He also credits Fred Sanford, Robert Kalkofen, Ralph Hardimon and Andy Narrell for his percussion development. He has performed with various symphonies and artists, as well as having marched with and taught the Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps. Mr. Kristensen is a highly recognized music adjudicator and clinician world-wide, having judged both the Bands of America Grand Nationals and the DCI World Championships several times, including this past August. He has served as President of the Western Band Association (WBA) and President of the Fresno-Madera County Music Educators Association (FMCMEA), and in 2015, he was recognized by CMEA as California’s Outstanding Administrator. He is married to Kim, and they have a daughter named Ryann. Steve Page, Paducah, KY Active as an adjudicator since 2002 for DCI & BOA, Steven Page has judged marching band, drum corps, concert band, indoor drum line, indoor winds, and choir at over two-hundred events in twenty-nine states and provinces in the US, Canada, and Colombia. These events include eleven DCI Championships (both Open and World Class), eight BOA Regional Championships, and State Championships in Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, South Carolina, Wisconsin, Michigan, Nevada, and Mississippi. Having taught music in Kentucky since 1999, Steven Page also teaches band and choir in Paducah, Kentucky at Heath Middle School. Steven and his wife, Shana, met in high school and have been married for eighteen years. God has blessed them with seven boys and a girl. John Phillips, Cape Coral, FL Jodie Rhodes, Lubbock, TX Mike Leitzke, Mount Juliet, TN Paul McGarr, Brantford, ONT Jay Kennedy, Holliston, MA Mr. S. Jay Kennedy’s career encompasses varied and successful experiences as a composer, arranger, producer, performer, educator, and administrative leader. He is Vice President for Academic Affairs/Vice Provost at Berklee College of Music in Boston. Kennedy received his Ph.D. from Boston College, and Master of Music and Bachelor of Music Education degrees from Northwestern University. Mr. Kennedy has composed, arranged, and produced music for hundreds of television and radio commercials, for which he has received numerous awards. His music has also been heard in feature films, including “Wayne’s World”, “Electric Horseman”, “Fast Break”, and “Lethal Weapon 2”, and in a variety of television series, including “One Tree Hill”, “Judging Amy”, and “Felicity”. A veteran of the recording industry, Mr. Kennedy has written and produced music for Sheryl Crow, Siedah Garrett, James Ingram, Patti Austin, Little Richard, Stanley Clarke, Brenda Russell, Dave Grusin, and Singers Unlimited. Mr. Kennedy was a Grammy Award finalist in 2002 for arrangements on the recording, “Virtuosi”, by Gary Burton and Makoto Ozone. His published compositions include works for concert band, percussion ensemble, and marching band. Mr. Kennedy has been an active adjudicator for marching band, drum corps, and indoor percussion competitions for over 30 years, and has written for several drum and bugle corps. He has also composed the themes for the Drum Corps Page 1 of 3 International (DCI) championship broadcasts and DVDs. He was elected to the DCI Hall of Fame in 2007 for longtime contributions as an adjudicator, judge administrator, arranger, and composer. Jeremy Spicer, Leander, TX Jeremy Spicer, a Magna Cum Laude graduate from Texas State University is the owner of SASI – The Leadership People, LLC., a student leadership consulting firm focusing on in the empowerment of young leaders. Mr. Spicer is instrumental in the development and presentation of this concept to thousands of students across the nation. Mr. Spicer is the former Director of Bands at Vandegrift High School. The marching band was named the 2013 UIL 4A State Marching Band Champion. Additionally, the marching band was a consistent Class Champion (Class A, AA, and AAA) and Finalist in Bands of America (BOA) Regional Competitions. Prior to his appointment at Vandegrift, Mr. Spicer spent eight years as a member of the staff at Cedar Park High School. While at Cedar Park, he served as the Conductor of the Symphonic Winds and the Director of both the Marching and Jazz Ensembles. During his tenure, the marching band won numerous marching contests and was a consistent finalist at both the UIL State Marching Contest and BOA Regional and Super-Regional competitions. The marching band is the 2006 recipient of the Sudler Shield, an international award for marching excellence awarded by the John Philip Sousa Foundation. Mr. Spicer has also been very active in Drum Corps International (DCI). He has been on the brass staffs of the Carolina Crown (2000), Southwind (2001), Boston Crusaders (2002), and Santa Clara Vanguard (2003 and 2006). He has served in various capacities ranging from Brass Instructor to Assistant Brass Caption Head. Mr. Spicer is active in the United States as a clinician and adjudicator for BOA. His professional affiliations include Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. VISUAL PANEL (alphabetical by last name) Kim Corney, Westland, MI Ken Giese, Henderson, NV Ken Giese is a nationally recognized visual caption designer and adjudicator. He is an active visual caption judge for Music for All/Bands of America, Drum Corps International, Winter Guard International (Percussion Division), the Winter Guard Association of Southern California, the Florida Federation of Color Guards Circuit, and many other local circuits and organizations throughout the United States and abroad. He has served as a visual designer and instructor for numerous high school bands, winter guards, drum and bugle corps, and marching percussion units. He holds a bachelor’s degree in secondary education and a master’s degree in educational leadership. Mr. Giese currently resides in Henderson, Nevada, where he is a high school mathematics teacher. Juno Orefice, Wyoming, MI Bob Thomas, Apollo, PA Bob Thomas currently judges or has judged for Music for All (MFA), Drum Corp International (DCI), Winter Guard International WGI), Drum Corp Midwest, Drum Corp Atlantic, Indiana State Scholastic Music Association (ISMMA), Drum Corp Europe (DCE), Youth Education in the Arts (YEA), Ohio Judges Association, Florida Federation of Judges, Atlantic Indoor Association (AIA), Pennsylvania Federation of Judges, and Marching in Okayama, Japan and Drum Corp Associates (DCA). In 2008 and 2009 he judged the World Marching Band Championships in Malaysia. He judged the 2009 thru 2011 Thailand Drum Line Competition in Bangkok, Thailand. He has judged for Italian Marching Show Bands Association (IMSB) in 2014 thru 2017. He also judged the Grand Prix Marching Band competition in Jakarta Indonesia in 2017. Robert Solomon, Van Nuys, CA Mr. Robert Solomon has been involved in the marching arts since 1979. He performed as a member of the color guard for the Velvet Knights Drum & Bugle Corps, and at California State University in Northridge. He then turned to instructing and has designed for several top programs in Southern California, and continues to do that to this day. Mr. Solomon has been judging since 1996 and is an adjudicator for Winter Page 2 of 3 Guard International (WGI), Drum Corps International (DCI), Bands of America (BOA), and various state and local associations. He played trumpet and was drum major at El Camino Real HS in Woodland Hills, California. Robert is a banker and lives in Los Angeles with his golden retriever, George. Neal Smith, Canton, MA Mr. Neal Smith is a Visual Designer and has designed shows for Drum Corps, Marching Bands, Color Guards, and Percussion ensembles throughout the United States, Canada, The United Kingdom, and Europe. His designs have won numerous Regional, National, International, and World Championships. Mr. Smith’s trademark style of coordinating all the elements of sound, color, and movement has made his designs entertaining, engaging, and effective. In addition to designing, he is a consultant and clinician and has worked on Marching Arts Task Forces in developing programs in inner cities. Mr. Smith is a member of the Massachusetts Judges Association and judges Regional, National and World Championships for Bands of America (BOA), New England Scholastic Band Association, Massachusetts Instrumental and Choral Conductors Association, MAC, Drum Corps Associates, and various independent judging associations. Mr. Smith was a member of the Boston Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps beginning at the age of 12 and continued to march for nine years as brass soloist and drum major. Mr. Smith is a member of the World Drum Corps Hall of Fame, The Massachusetts Music Educators and Drum Corps Hall of Fame, the Boston Crusaders Hall of Fame, and the Connecticut Hurricanes Hall of Fame. CHIEF JUDGE Gary Markham, Dallas, GA Mr. Gary Markham is recently retired Supervisor of Instrumental Music for the Cobb County School District in Marietta, GA. He is the former Director of Bands at Robinson Secondary School in Fairfax County, VA. He has over four decades of experience in music education, with 25 years as a high school band director and 20 years as a music supervisor. He currently serves internationally as clinician, guest conductor, adjudicator, and consultant. The Cobb County Music program has been named one of the “BEST Communities for Music Education in America”, 12 times. Mr. Markham received his B. S. degree from Mansfield State University, M. Ed. degree from Penn State University, and studied for Ph. D. (ABD) in conducting and music supervision at George Mason University with Tony Maiello and Arnald Gabriel.