MUSIC

Dr. John N. Culvahouse is Professor of Instrumental Music Education at Kennesaw State University . From 1991 until 2007, he served on the faculty at the University of Georgia , where he was a tenured Associate Professor of Music and member of the Graduate Faculty. Prior to his appointment at UGA in 1991, Dr. Culvahouse taught in the public schools in South Carolina and Tennessee for 17 years where he directed high school, middle school, and elementary school bands. He received the Bachelor and Master of Music Education degrees from the University of Tennessee and the Doctor of Musical Arts in Conducting from the University of South Carolina . Mentors and major professors include Stanley Barnes, WJ Julian, William J. Moody, and James Copenhaver.

Dr. Culvahouse has served as a conductor, adjudicator and clinician in several states, Canada , and Western Europe . Professional affiliations include the College Band Directors National Association (past Georgia State Chair), Georgia Music Educators Association, Music Educators National Conference, East Tennessee School Band and Orchestra Association, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia (Former Epsilon Lambda Chapter Advisor), Phi Beta Mu (Tennessee Chapter Past-President and South Carolina Chapter Past-Vice-President), Pi Kappa Lambda, Kappa Kappa Psi (Honorary), and the National Band Association where he has served on the Board of Directors on four occasions. As a long time NBA member, he conducted bands at the 1980, 1988, and 1994 conventions, including a 1988 performance by the Sumter, SC High School Symphonic Band. His NBA service began as Tennessee State Chair in the late 1970s, continued as an elected High School Representative, elected Representative At-Large, Southern Division Chair, and he was recently elected First Vice-President/President Elect for the 2008-2012 Biennia.

Dr. Culvahouse serves on the Board of Directors of the John Philip Sousa Foundation, currently as Chair of the National Sousa Senior Honors Band. He is a Sudler Flag of Honor and Sudler Trophy Laureate. Most recently, he served as President of the Southeastern Conference Band Directors Association and served as Chair of that organization's Commission Project Committee. He was presented the coveted Orpheus Award by Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity in 2006 and The National Band Association on six occasions has presented him the Citation of Excellence.

MUSIC

Dr. Paul Bauer serves as Director of the Northern Illinois University School of Music, a position he accepted in 1994. He has also been a faculty member at Chicago State , Southwest Missouri State , and Northwestern Universities where he has taught applied low brass, jazz band, concert band, and other courses. His professional performance credits include performances with the Chicago Symphony, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Grant Park Symphony, and Toledo Symphony Orchestras, as well as recordings with the Millar Brass Ensemble and Chicago Brass Choir. His published articles have appeared in the International Trombone Association Journal and the International Association of Jazz Educators Journal. His degrees in trombone performance are from Northwestern University (DM), University of North Texas (MM), and Bowling Green State University (BM). He is a past president of the Association of Illinois Music Schools and the 1999 recipient of the Distinguished Service Award from the Illinois Music Educators Association. Dr. Bauer serves as an accreditation visiting team member and chair for the National Association of Schools of Music. He has been an adjudicator of marching bands and drum corps for more than twenty years.

MUSIC

With a diploma in Performance and Music Education, and advanced degrees in Instrumental Conducting and Literature, Dr. Verrier is an active conductor and clinician praised for his artistic approach as well as his pedagogical knowledge. He has won critical acclaim from composers including Karel Husa, Joan Tower , Michael Torke, Michael Daugherty, Steven Mackey, Frank Ticheli, David Maslanka, Joseph Turrin, Andres Valero-Castells, Luis Serrano-Alarcon, Simon Yau, and Chen Qian for his interpretive conducting of their compositions. Recognized for his work in the area of “organic creativity,” Dr. Verrier studied acting techniques, sense memory, and script analysis with renowned teacher/director John Strasberg at The International Center for Creativity and Theater Arts Research in New York City .

Dr. Verrier maintains a busy international schedule. He has conducted concert tours in Europe and China, and his ensembles have performed at conferences of the International Society for Music Education (Tenerife, Canary Islands), the Asian Pacific Band Directors Association (Macau), the Hong Kong International Band Fair, the College Band Directors National Association, and the North American Saxophone Alliance. While on leave in spring of 2008, Dr. Verrier served as Visiting Scholar at the Guangdong University of Foreign Studies in Guangzhou China . He guest conducted numerous Chinese ensembles from Beijing to Hong Kong and also served on the panel of judges for the All-China Competition of Symphonic Bands in Shanghai . Dr. Verrier has accepted invitations to conduct throughout the United States , as well as in Canada , Mexico , Japan , China , Hong Kong , Macau , Czech Republic , United Kingdom , France , and Spain . In November, he will return to the Canary Islands as a featured conductor at the Congreso Iberoamericano de directores, compositores, arregladores e instrumentistas de Band as Sinfónicas.

VISUAL

Mr. Joe Roche has been active in the marching music idiom since performing with the Southern Tier Grenadiers as a soprano bugler in 1976. Joe has been a marching member of the Grenadiers, Empire State Express, Watkins Glen Squires and the Garfield Cadets from 1982-1985 as a mellophone player. Joe joined the visual staff of the Cadets in 1987 as a Contra Tech and became visual caption head in 1989 under the mentorship of George Zingali and Marc Sylvester. In 1993 Joe Roche served as a visual consultant with the Star of Indiana drum and bugle corps and has since been involved with the activity as an adjudicator and clinician throughout the United States . Most recently Joe served on the staff of the Madison Scouts in 2004 as a visual consultant tutoring new staff members. Joe Roche is currently serving on the visual staffs of The Cadets, The Sunrisers and the Reading Buccaneers as a consultant and mentor for the new staff members. Joe is currently a Guidance Counselor with the US Army Recruiting Command at Ft. Hamilton , NY . Formerly a public school music educator in New York State , Joe holds his permanent teaching certificate in music education K-12 and hopes to go back to the public schools when he retires from the US Army.

VISUAL

Mr. Corey Smith marched 8 years of drum corps, including 6 as a lead baritone with the Memphis Blues Brass Band and the 27th Lancers, followed by 2 years as a guard member with the Madison Scouts, aging out in 1988 as a DCI Champion. He was also a member of the Thunderbolts winter guard during their first season as WGI finalist. Corey was Guard Captain during his 5 years at the University of Memphis , and he continues to instruct and adjudicate bands today.

VISUAL EFFECT

Mr. Jamey Thompson is the current visual designer for the McGavock Marching Band. Jamey has been involved in the activity as a marching member, designer or adjudicator for over twenty-five years. He is visual designer for competitive high school marching bands throughout the country. Jamey currently is serving as Visual Designer for the Connecticut Hurricanes Senior Drum & Bugle Corps. In the past decade he has been privileged to design for several iconic drum corps programs including: Phantom Regiment Drum & Bugle Corps, Madison Scouts Drum & Bugle Corps, Glassmen Drum & Bugle Corps, and the Empire Statesmen Senior Drum & Bugle Corps.

Jamey graduated with a B.B.A. in Accounting from Loyola University Chicago and passed the CPA Exam. After working in public accounting for a few years he turned his focus to not-for-profit accounting and arts management before designing exclusively for the marching activity.

MUSIC EFFECT

Mr. Sean Furilla is currently assistant director of bands at Tapp Middle School in Powder Springs , Georgia . His responsibilities include being the coordinator of brass studies and the director of the jazz ensemble. Prior to this, he served for 6 years as head band director at Skyline Middle School in Wilmington , Delaware . Sean received his bachelor's degree in music education with instrumental emphasis from West Chester University in Pennsylvania . While there he studied trumpet performance under the expert instruction of Dr. Kenneth Laudermilch. Since then Sean has been an active clinician, adjudicator, and educator with various organizations throughout the United States and Great Britain . Sean has served as a guest clinician with the British Youth Band Association (BYBA) in London , England . In 2005, Sean accepted the trumpet specialist position with the Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps, and has been there since. He has also been on the brass staff of various drum and bugle corps including the Syracuse Brigadiers, Reading Buccaneers, Glassmen, Carolina Crown, Crossmen, and Santa Clara Vanguard. Sean currently resides in Woodstock , Georgia .

PERCUSSION

Mr. Ray Ulibarri comes to the Crossmen from the Bluecoats Drum & Bugle Corps from Canton Ohio where he has served as  the Percussion Caption Head the last four years (2005-2008).  In 2007-2008, Ray was the front ensemble arranger and co-caption head with the Blue Knights World Percussion Ensemble from Denver Colorado . 

Having over 15 years experience teaching and arranging for percussion, Ray currently resides in Houston Texas .  Ray's day-to-day activities include percussion director and arranger of the Klein Forest Bands in Houston where he also maintains an active private lesson studio. Before moving to Houston , he was the percussion arranger and director at Pomona High School in Arvada Colorado for twelve years, which included 11 Colorado State Championships. 

As an arranger, Ray has had percussive works published with the Hal Leonard Corporation. He is an active clinician and adjudicator throughout the country and consults for several marching bands. He studied with Doug Walter and Doug Rosener at CU Boulder, Gray Barrier at the University of Northern Colorado , and at the Metropolitan State College of Denver under the direction of Mark Foster. 

Ray Ulibarri is a Yamaha clinician and is endorsed by Evans Drumheads and Innovative Percussion sticks and mallets.

COLOR GUARD

Ms. Emma Roberts is currently Co-Caption Head of Color Guard for the Cadets. Emma was born in Ellesmere Port , England , moved to Canada and was raised in Mississauga , Ontario , Canada . She was also a performing member of the Cadets from 1997-2000. She has marched and taught color guards such as Emerald Knights, Cardinals, Oakland Crusaders, Genesis II, Bluecoats, Patriots, Ooltewah H.S, Walkersville H.S, Patriots, and Emerald Marquis. Emma also travels each year to Sweden to work with the Strangnas Drum & Bugle Corps. Emma currently works full time in the Administration department at
Flanagan H.S. She also goes to school part time (Nursing) and enjoys running half-Marathons in the U.S and Canada . She has been a full time member of the Flanagan H.S Band and Winterguard staff since 2001.

FIELD COMMANDER

Mr. Dustin Winson was formerly the Drum Major for the Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps. Dustin Winson is currently in his second year as Director of Bands at Stephen F. Austin High School in Sugar Land , Texas . Under his direction, the Bulldog Band and Angels Dance Team was named the 2007 Bands of America Houston Regional champion and placed 8th at the 2007 Bands of America Grand National Championships. Prior to Stephen F. Austin High School , Mr. Winson was the Associate Director of Bands at League City Intermediate School in the Clear Creek Independent School District from 2002- 2007. During his tenure at League City the concert band received outstanding ratings at UIL Concert and Sight-reading Contest and was named best in Class at the Alamo Showcase of Music in San Antonio . The League City Symphonic Band Consistently received Superior Ratings in UIL Concert and Sight-reading and was a Class CCC Honor Band finalist in 2004. Prior to League City Intermediate School , Dustin served as the Assistant Director of the Westfield High School Band in Spring, Texas . Westfield High School Bands have been past Bands of America Regional Champions and were the Bands of America Grand National Champions in 2003. The Westfield High School concert bands have been consistently recognized across the state of Texas and beyond, being named the Texas 5A Honor Band three times most recently in 1998, and have performed at the prestigious Midwest Clinic in Chicago, Illinois. Mr. Winson began his career in Fort Bend ISD as the assistant director of bands at William P. Clements High School . While at Clements High School the Clements marching band advanced to the UIL Texas State Marching Band contest for the first time in school history in 1998 and again in 2000. Under his direction, the Clements Varsity Band received superior ratings at UIL Concert and Sight-reading contest.

Dustin is an active clinician and adjudicator throughout Texas and the United States . In 2003 and 2004 he was a member of the brass staff for the nine-time world champion Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps. In 1996 Dustin served as a visual instructor for the seven-time world champion Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps. Prior to teaching the Cavaliers, Dustin was a six-year member of the Cavaliers, serving as the corps' drum major in 1994 and 1995.

Mr. Winson holds a bachelor's degree from the prestigious University of Houston Moore 's School of Music where he was a student of Mr. Eddie Green. He currently resides in Pearland , Texas with his wife Amanda and their three year-old daughter Amelia.