2006 Judges Information
Chief Judge: David Cook
(from WCU website) David Cook is owner/president of Visual Dynamics, a marching band consulting firm. An experienced and successful designer of competitive marching band shows, Cook brings more than twenty years of musical and marching experience to his customers. In addition to his custom design business, David also designs shows for Marching Show Concepts of Fort Wayne, IN. David began his musical career as a member of the 1979 Bands of America National Champion Sylva-Webster High School Band and continued to perform as a member of the Spirit of Atlanta Drum and Bugle Corps. After graduating from Western Carolina University with a B.A. in Business, David worked with United Music Enterprises as a business manager, show designer, and instructor. David's adjudication skills place him in demand throughout the Southeast.
Music Performance Ensemble - Dr. David Mills
(from UCONN website) David L. Mills joined the University of Connecticut Music Faculty in 1990 as the Assistant Director of Bands. He is director of the Marching Band, Pep Bands, Symphonic Band and the Concert Band and teaches music education courses. He received the Bachelor of Science in Music and the Master of Music Education degrees from Western Carolina University, and earned the Ph.D in Music Education from the University of Miami.
Dr. Mills is active as a guest conductor, adjudicator, and consultant for high school bands throughout the eastern United States. In Connecticut, he has recently conducted the CMEA Northeast Regional Honor Band and was the conductor for the 1993 Laurel Music Camp.
Dr. Mills was Director of Bands at Valdosta State University in Valdosta, Georgia from 1985-1990, conducting the marching band, the wind ensemble, and concert bands. At the University of Miami, he served as Assistant Director of Bands in charge of show design and rehearsal of the "Band of the Hour", including nationally televised presentations for the 1984 Orange Bowl and the 1985 Fiesta Bowl. From 1975 to 1982 he was band director at Blacksburg High School in Blacksburg, Virginia. During his tenure there, the band developed a reputation as both a superior concert band and a championship marching band. He was awarded the Phi Delta Kappa Distinguished Educator Award.
Music Effect 2 - Mike Davis
Michael Davis recently retired as the Band and Orchestra director for the Walt Disney World® Resort. During his tenure with Walt Disney World, he conducted the Walt Disney World Band and Orchestra and appeared on national TV specials as “Major Mike”. Michael also served as manager of Atmosphere Talent and Education Programs at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World . Within the Educational programs, he was responsible for the development of educational workshops offered by Disney Magic Music Days and was also responsible for the show concept, audition process and the operational procedures for Disney's Collegiate All-Star Band and Orchestra ensembles. Although he has retired from Walt Disney World, he remains active, serving as a contract conductor, music director, and consultant.
Michael received a Bachelor of Music Education Degree from VanderCook College of Music, Chicago, Illinois. He then attended the University of Wisconsin, Platteville and received a Masters of Science Degree in Teaching Music. His Postgraduate study was at the University of Wisconsin Madison in the Doctoral Program of Curriculum Instruction in Music.
Prior to Mike's tenure at Walt Disney World , he was the Director of Bands and Percussion Instructor at James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from 1977 to 1981. He was also Band Director and Percussion Instructor at the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater from 1975 to 1977. From 1967 to 1975 he taught high school, middle school, and elementary band, orchestra, and chorus.
Music Effect 1 - Ken Snoeck
(from bands.org website) Kenneth Snoeck earned Bachelor and Master's degrees at Central Michigan University. He has been teaching for thirty-five years at both the university and public school levels, the last twenty-three at Lake Park High School in Roselle, Illinois. The Lake Park Wind Ensemble has been a University of Illinois Superstate Concert Band Festival participant four times. In 1997 the Lake Park concert bands traveled to Moscow, Russia, and performed in joint and combined concerts with the Band of the Russian Defense Ministry. In 2000 the band did a tour of France including a joint concert with the French Navy Band in Toulon.
The Lake Park Marching Band has been State of Illinois class champion twenty times, State Grand Champion thirteen times, BOA Grand Nationals finalist eighteen times, class AAA Champion twice and BOA Grand Champion in 1996. Mr. Snoeck's marching bands from Bridgeport, Michigan, were finalists in the first three Bands of America (then Marching Bands of America) Nationals, 1976-78. In the late 70's and early 80's Ken and his wife Pamela were clinicians for Bands of America's "Weekend with the Experts" clinic program, presenting hands-on "how-to" programs for band directors in several states. In 1980 he served as adjudication coordinator for Bands of America, writing the first judge's handbook and interpretation documents. He has also served several terms as a member of the BOA contest advisory commission.
Mr. Snoeck is also an arranger and composer. His composition "Scaramouch," Symphony No. 3 for Winds and Percussion was voted "...best original manuscript for band for the biennium 1971-1973" by the membership of the College Band Directors National Association.
Music Performance Individual - Larry Shane
Larry Shane received his Bachelors degree in Music Education from the University of Miami in 1991 and his Masters degree in Education from the University of Central Florida in 2004. Currently, Mr. Shane is the Band Director at Ardrey Kell HS, which just opened this fall in Charlotte , NC . Before moving to the Charlotte area, Mr. Shane spent the last fourteen years as Band Director at several South Florida high schools including Park Vista HS ( Lake Worth ), John I. Leonard HS ( Lake Worth ), Miami Southridge Senior HS ( Miami ), and Coral Shores HS ( Key Largo ). During this time, Mr. Shane's ensembles consistently received " Superior " ratings for marching band, concert band, and jazz band music performance assessments at both the District and State levels. In addition, Mr. Shane has been listed numerous times in the Who's Who Among American Teachers national publication.
Mr. Shane has been a music instructor and consultant with several DCI drum and bugle corps over the last fifteen years including the Blue Knights ( Denver , CO ), Dutch Boy (Kitchener, ONT, Canada ) and Magic of Orlando ( Orlando , FL ). This season, Mr. Shane will return to the brass faculty of the Carolina Crown ( Fort Mill , SC ) for his 2 nd year of teaching with the corps. He is a former Lead Soprano and Soloist with both the Florida Wave ( Ft. Lauderdale , FL ) and the Blue Devils ( Concord , CA ), and former drum major for the University of Miami “Band of the Hour”. Mr. Shane has been in high demand as a music adjudicator over the last number of years, with experience judging for FBA, FMBC, SCBDA, CSJA, and ISSMA. Mr. Shane currently lives with his wife Randi and their three children in the Charlotte , NC area.
Visual Effect - Sandra Bertelle
Coming Soon
Visual Performance - Jack Ratica
Mr. Ratica has been involved in the marching activity since the age of eight. He has participated as a marching member in both marching band and world-class drum corps. As a staff member, he has taught and designed for BOA finalist bands, along with many other regional finalists and circuit champions in Western Pennsylvania . In addition to the many independent marching band shows he judges across the country, he has also judged for Drum Corps International, the Kentucky State Championship, Illinois State Championship, Oklahoma State Championship, and Indiana State championship. Mr. Ratica is the past Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Federation of Contest Judges and currently holds the office of Associate Director.
Colorguard - Russell Reuters
Coming Soon.
Percussion - Jeff Queen
(from jeffqueen.com website) Jeff Queen has been involved with percussion since the age of 10. At the age of 15, Jeff began his drum corps career with the Canton Bluecoats and continued on to March with the Velvet Knights, Santa Clara Vanguard, Blue Knights and the University of North Texas. Jeff was the Drum Corps International Individual and Ensemble Snare Drum Champion in 1994 and 1995 as well as the Percussive Arts Society Individual Snare Drum Champion in 1994 and 1995. Jeff has taught in the drum corps activity for many years, including being the caption head for the Carolina Crown drum and bugle corps from 2003-2004.
Jeff is an original cast member of the Tony and Emmy award winning Broadway Show "BLAST" where he was a solo performer and battery instructor from 1999 - 2003. Jeff has performed on stages across the country and in Europe, including Broadway and London. In addition Jeff has appeared on numerous Television shows including: The Late Show with David Letterman, The Kennedy Center Honors 2000, NBA All-Star Game 2001, BLAST, and The Making of Blast on PBS DVD and Video.
Read more of Jeff's bio at his website, jeffqueen.com.