Color guard, Hornline -1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981
Current Role
Dance instructor, Visual adjudicator
Skills
Drum Corps is a musical/visual artform. I have extensive teaching and performing experience in both areas. My degrees are in Music Education and I am a former band director. In college, I marched in the university drumline. I have taught over 50 marching bands, color guards and drumlines. I am currently a Dancesport instructor for the last 32 years. I have been awarded 32 1st place top teacher awards at NDCA competitions.
I have extensive experience in the judging community. I have been judging for the Central States Judging Association for 35 years, having served as both Visual and Color guard caption head in the past. I judged for DCI for 7 years, and for Drum Corps Midwest for 14 years. I judged for WGI for 12 years and for the Midwest Judges Guild for 20 years. I’ve also judged the US Bands national championship. I have also given several seminars at various judges training events.
I am an entrepreneur. In 1992, I started my first dance studio. In 2000, I became owner and founder of Diamond Dancesport studio. In 2003, I also started to manage the Dance Workshop. I am the organizer of both the Windy City Dancesport Showcase and the Quad Cities Spectacular. Recently, I submitted a proposal to the Central States Judging Association to produce a virtual national marching band championship. It was adopted, and as of Monday we crowned national champions in five classes. With 30 marching bands entering the virtual competition, The CSJA directors thought it was a major success and want to make it an annual event.
I have been cultivating international connections in the pageantry arts. I was invited to judge in Colombia. Last year, I judged 7 competitions in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. (drum corps, drumline, brass & color guard) This year, I helped train visual judges in Colombia for Asociacion de Jueces de América Latina. Last month, I judged solo & ensemble virtual competitions for Brasil Concurso Virtual de Solistas, which included performers from Brazil, Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia and Guatemala.
I’m at the point in my life where I have an increase in time available to dedicate to an organization. I now teach only two days a week, which gives me the type of free time that I have never had in my adult life. Dedicating that time to the Cavaliers would mean a lot to me because of what the Cavaliers have meant in shaping my life.
Platform
My life has been dedicated to the performing arts and in fact, competitive performing arts. I am motivated to help propel the increased success and prosperity of organizations like the Cavaliers. I joined the Cavaliers when I was 15, shortly after my father passed away, and it provided a structure for my life that has helped me to become successful. For that reason, I am willing to work hard to further the organization that has meant so much to me in my life.
Projects
Having been a member of the 2008 Cavaliers Anniversary Corps, I found that camaraderie to be vital for alumni outreach. It was a monumental undertaking and achievement. I would be interested in helping coordinate a similar future endeavor for either the 75th or 80th anniversary of the corps.
I feel that combining technology and marketing would be a great way to help further the history of the Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps. We could produce more video compilations and interviews to be distributed on platforms such as YouTube and various social media outlets. This in turn, could also help elevate recruitment.
To enhance camaraderie, perhaps a monthly zoom get together could be arranged for Alumni to continue to interact and relive all of the wonderful moments.
Vision
I envision a form of inclusivity where interaction and brotherhood are fully realized. There is potentially a way to create more get-togethers based on regional performances of the corps. In addition, former marching members could be encouraged to write articles detailing their memories with the corps.