MUSIC ENSEMBLE Name: Gregory Snyder Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee Gregory Snyder is an adjunct music professor for Bowling Green State University. He is the Nashville Youth Wind Ensemble Conductor and a Side by Side Director for Metro Nashville Public Schools band program, coaching and advising band directors. From 1988-2015, Mr. Snyder was the Lakota and Lakota West High School director of bands, West Chester, Ohio. During his tenure, Lakota West Symphonic Winds performed at the world-renowned Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in 2000, 2006 and 2011. The Marching Thunderbirds and Firebirds earned more than 70 grand champion awards. The Marching Firebirds performed at the iconic Tournament of Roses Parade in 2008 and 2015 and the Macy s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2013. Mr. Snyder is an elected member of the exclusive American Bandmasters Association. He was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award from Bowling Green State University in 2014. Following his bachelor s degree from Bowling Green State University in 1980, Mr. Snyder earned his master s degree from VanderCook College of Music, Chicago. Mr. Snyder is a member of Phi Beta Mu, TMEA and Music Educators National Conference. MUSIC ENSEMBLE Name: Arthur D. "Skip" Williams Hometown: Ft. Lauderdale, Florida Mr. Williams presently serves on the music faculty of Norland Center for the Arts, Fine Arts Magnet School in Miami, Florida. He holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Florida State University and a Master in Music in Wind Conducting, from Florida International University. He has studied conducting with Eugene Corporan, Dr. Roby George and Matthew McInturf. He has been Director of Bands, Orchestra and Chorus's in High Schools in Florida and Georgia for twenty-four years. His Chorus, Orchestra's, Wind Ensembles, Marching and Jazz Bands have consistently received superior ratings at the Florida Bandmasters, Choral and Orchestra Associations, evaluation festivals. His various Marching Bands have been named Grand Champion three times at Marching Festivals throughout Florida and a finalist at the Florida Marching Band Championships, finals. His bands have performed in Atlanta, The Bahamas and throughout Europe. Additionally he has recently taught in Cyprus at the American International School in Nicosia, Cyprus, serving as head of the Music Dept. While in Cyprus his students earned positions in the prestigious International Honor Band, in The Hague, Netherlands and he
served as guest Conductor/Clinician at the Eastern Mediterranean Fine Arts Activities Conference in Beirut, Lebanon. During his tenure as music instructor, he has been awarded "Outstanding Young Educator" and "Who's Who Among America's Teachers." He has been Conductor/Clinician in Florida for Honor Bands, and has arranged music and drill for various Marching Bands. He currently is working towards his National Board Teacher Certification and enjoys performing locally in various Wind Ensembles and Vocal Groups. MUSIC EFFECT Name: Charles Smith Hometown: Lexington, KY Charles M. "Chuck" Smith is in his twelfth year as Director of Bands at Lafayette High School, Lexington, Kentucky, one of the largest high schools in the Commonwealth, with the largest band program in the state. Under his direction, over two hundred musicians participate in the marching band, three concert bands, two jazz ensembles, percussion ensemble, and a wide variety of community concert and band programs. Mr. Smith served in the capacity of Assistant Director of Bands at his alma mater -- Harrison County High School, before accepting the leadership role for bands at Elizabethtown High School, Elizabethtown, Kentucky, in 1989. During his tenure at Elizabethtown, the concert program consistently received distinguished ratings, and from 1993 to 1995, the marching band was awarded the Class AAA Kentucky State Marching Band Champion designation. In 1994, Mr. Smith was selected as the Phi Beta Mu Outstanding Young Band Director in Kentucky, and in 2002, Phi Beta Mu selected him as a Master Band Director for the State of Kentucky. Mr. Smith was recently selected as one of "50 Directors Who Make a Difference" by School Band and Orchestra Magazine. A few of Lafayette's more notable accomplishments under his direction are as follows: the Lafayette High School Marching Band has been the Class AAAA and AAAAA Kentucky State Marching Band Champion fourteen times since 1990. The Lafayette Band has marched in Bands of America Regional events in Georgia, Tennessee, Indiana, Missouri, and Kentucky, and in 2004, was selected as a Bands of America Grand National Finalist. In 2005, the Lafayette Band was named BOA Class AAA Super Regional Champion in Atlanta, Georgia. Mr. Smith and his wife Edwina reside in Lexington and have three children: Ethan, Keegan, and Jackson.
VISUAL ENSEMBLE Name: Tom Colla Hometown: Plymouth, Wisconsin Tom has been actively judging drum corps, high school bands and color guards since 1969. Tom currently judges for CSJA and Drum Corps Associates and at many independent invitational contests. He has judged state championship band contests in his home state of Wisconsin, as well as, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Ohio, Mississippi, Florida, New Jersey and Colorado. He has judged the DCI World Championships on many occasions including the Championship Finals, Drum Corps Japan Championships and the Drum Corps Associates World Championship Finals. VISUAL ENSEMBLE Name: Stephen M. Cross Hometown: Plymouth, Michigan Stephen Cross began his love of music through many of his teachers at the School for Visual and Performing Arts at Governor Thomas Johnson High School in Frederick, Maryland where he grew up. After high school, he was honored to be a member of the 1993 Drum Corps International World Champion Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps. Mr. Cross received his degrees from Ball State University (Bachelor of Science Music Education), Central Michigan University (Master of Music in Performance Conducting), and Eastern Michigan University (Master of Arts in School Administration). During his career, Mr. Cross has had the opportunity to teach music at schools in Michigan, Ohio, and Missouri, as well as Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, Northern Aurora Drum and Bugle Corps, and Legends Drum and Bugle Corps. His ensembles have received high acclaim from adjudicators all over Michigan as well as performances in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, New York, West Virginia, Florida, Tennessee, and Massachusetts. Mr. Cross has had a distinguished career with such awards as a NARAS/Grammy Award Signature School Nomination, four State-level runner-up marching band finishes, five State Champion Winter Percussion titles, several WGI World finalist placements in Winter Percussion and Color Guard, as well as Reserve Champion in AA for the Bands of America Grand National Marching Band Championships. Mr. Cross is an active clinician and adjudicator in the areas of marching band, concert band, and solo and ensemble festivals. Mr. Cross currently resides in Plymouth, Michigan with his wife Jennifer, daughter Keira, son Aaric, and their cat Maestro. VISUAL EFFECT Name: Kehan Knapp Hometown: Spring Valley, MN Kehan Knapp is a member of the Central States Judges Association (CSJA). Current and past judging affiliations include Winter Guard International, Drum Corps International, Drum Corp
Associates, Drum Corp Midwest, North Star Judges Guild, All-American Judges of Minnesota and Northland Adjudication Affiliates. He has over 35 years of design and instruction experience with both indoor and outdoor performance ensembles. Kehan was Assistant Director at Wheaton North, IL high school, and program coordinator at Park Center, MN and Blaine, MN high schools. He also was a fine arts instructor/consultant at Waldorf College. Currently, he is the visual designer for Algona, IA high school, program coordinator for Lake Mills, IA high school, and program consultant for Henry Sibley high school in Mendota Heights, MN. Mr. Knapp is a graduate from University of Northern Iowa. He is facilitator for The Kirkhill Group, a business consulting company. Kehan lives in Spring Valley, MN with his fiancé Heather, and their cat George. In his free time, Kehan plays in the horn section for the Orange Polo Funky Big Band. PERCUSSION Name: Benjamin Russell Hometown: Atlanta, GA Benjamin is the Percussion Coordinator for the Southeastern Colorguard Circuit. A music educator for 25 years, he has taught percussion at the Atlanta Rhythm Machine (Independent World Champions WGI), Spirit of Atlanta, Magic of Orlando, Concord Blue Devils, Jacksonville State University, Kennesaw Mountain High School and Chochtowahatchee High School. He also consults with numerous other national performing groups. He has been associated with the Boston Crusaders for 13 years, beginning in 2000 when he taught the bass drum section and the Corps placed 5th. Benjamin studied at the University of North Alabama and Jacksonville State University. He is a Board member for the Bless the Children, a not for profit focusing on education underprivileged children internationally. He lives with his wife and two children in Atlanta, Georgia. GUARD DAVID BAKER David Baker studied at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro and IUPU in Indianapolis, Indiana. He has been an instructor in music education and the pageantry arts for over thirty years, most notably as visual and color guard director at Ben Davis High School (Indianapolis), McGavock High School (Nashville) and Father Ryan High School (Nashville). Early in his career, his color guard at Hillwood High School (Nashville) was named WGI Scholastic Class A World Champions, which began a long run of championship winter guards including two more WGI World Championships (Scholastic Class A and Open Class) with the John Overton High School Winter Guard (Nashville). Currently, Mr. Baker is the visual designer and program coordinator for the Fred J Page High School Band (Franklin TN). Mr. Baker continues to be an accomplished visual designer and program coordinator, writing and working with nationally
competitive bands, winter guards, and indoor drum lines. He is in constant demand as an adjudicator for the marching arts. He has served on the Board of Directors for Winter Guard International and is a member of the judging associations of the Gulf Coast, AIA, CWEA, Indiana Music Educators, and ETPAA. Recently, David was inducted into the Southeastern Color Guard Hall of Fame. FIELD COMMANDER Kelly Medford Kelly Medford earned her Bachelor of Music from Middle Tennessee State University in 1992 and has since served as band director and music teacher in Hickman, Robertson, Smith, Macon, Rutherford, and Maury County public schools. As field commander for MTSU s Band of Blue (1988-1991) and member of the Drum Corps International finalist Dutchboy Drum and Bugle Corps (1990), she adjudicates, instructs, and consults field commander, marching, and music captions throughout the region. In 1999 Mrs. Medford co-founded the Positive Performance Concepts marching band leadership clinic that over the following ten years grew from 10 participants to 300, representing schools from throughout the state of Tennessee. She has guest conducted for several honor band events including the Tennessee Valley Winds community concert band, the Murfreesboro City Schools Honor Band, the Twin Lakes Small Band Clinic (Gainesville), and the WTSBOA Junior High Gold Honor Band. SOLOIST Jerell Horton Jerell Horton has been the band director at Vestavia Hills since 2006. He is a graduate of Samford University. Prior to his appointment at Vestavia Hills High School, he served as assistant director at Pizitz Middle School and Vestavia Hills High School. While at Vestavia Hills, the bands have consistently earned superior rating at District and state concert band festivals as well as the ABDA festival, the Vestavia Hills Wind Ensemble performed at the 2011 Alabama Music Educators Conference, and the National Concert Band Festival in 2013. The Vestavia Hills High School Rebel Marching Band performed in the 2010 London New Year s Day Parade in London, England. The National Band Association recently awarded the National Program of Excellence Southern Division Blue Ribbon Award to the Vestavia Hills High School band. Mr. Horton has served as an honor band clinician within the states of Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia. He is also on staff for the Auburn Summer Marching and Leadership camp and volunteers his service to the Music For All Summer Symposium. Mr. Horton a National Board Certified teacher and was recently named to SBO magazine s 2014 list of 50 Directors Who Make a Difference. He is married to Monica Horton (also an educator) and they have one daughter Madina Jaimes.