The New Mexico Pageant of Bands panel of marching band adjudicators (judges) for the 2019 competition consists of:
Evan Hinds
Evan Hinds is a marching band designer, writing drill and music arrangements for several bands across the country. He serves as a music program consultant and adjudicator through the United States, for marching band, concert band and chamber ensembles. Currently, Mr. Hinds is the Percussion Director at O’Fallon Township High School in O’Fallon, IL. His duties at O’Fallon include caption head for the Marching Panthers Percussion and the director of four concert percussion ensembles. Mr. Hinds has instructed at McKendree University in Lebanon, Illinois, serving as the Marching Bearcats Drumline instructor and arranger along with the Marching Bearcats drill writer. Additionally at McKendree, he taught private percussion lessons, percussion ensemble, percussion methods, marching band methods, and supervised student teachers for the music education program. Mr. Hinds is an educational endorser for Innovative Percussion and Remo Drumheads. In addition, Mr. Hinds was the band director at Triad High School for eight years and holds music degrees in education and conducting from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
O’Fallon Township High School Marching Panthers have received many accolades. Recent accomplishments for the marching band include BOA Grand National Finalists in 2018, multiple appearances in BOA Grand National Semifinals, in addition to consistent appearances in BOA Regional (2015 and 2018 Clarksville Regional Champions) and Super Regional Finals. Other recent performances for the band program include The Tournament of Roses Parade, The Orange Bowl, The Hollywood Christmas Parade, Pearl Harbor, The Music For All National Festival, and Carnegie Hall.
Mr. Hinds resides in O’Fallon, Illinois with his wife Melissa Gustafson-Hinds who is the Director of Bands at O’Fallon Township High School. They have a daughter named Evelyn who is 4 years old.
Ronnie LaGrone
Ronnie is a music educator, freelance percussion instructor, percussion arranger and consultant, and music adjudicator throughout the northwest and all over the country. His passion for music teaching, writing, and arranging was cultivated in Tupelo, MS through public school music programs. Over the past 30 plus years, he served in the capacities as consultant, percussion arranger, and caption head of percussion with numerous high school programs, several drum and bugle corps, college drum lines, and other independent music ensembles. He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1995 from the University of Mississippi where he majored in Percussion Performance, minored in Computer Science, and attended the University of Oregon Graduate School for further studies in music education and percussion performance. Ronnie plays professionally in the Portland metro area and is the band and choir director in the Banks School District. Ronnie is a Mapex/Majestic, REMO, and PROMARK artist and the executive director of Affinity Entertainment.
Mike Lewis
Mike Lewis has been a music educator for 39 years, a judge for USBands the last 9 years and the Texas University Interscholastic League (UIL) for 26 years. He retired as the Head Band Director and Fine Arts Supervisor for the Burnet CISD in Burnet, Texas. Bands under his direction were awarded First Divisions in UIL marching 24 times and advanced to UIL Area marching contest 9 straight times in Texas class 4A and 5A. Marching bands under his direction advanced to the Texas State Marching Contest 5 times. Mr. Lewis Studied at Howard Payne University and Wayland Baptist University where he received his Bachelor of Music Education degree in 1980. He earned a Masters of Science degree from Texas A&M University in Commerce in 1990. He was presented the “Marabou B. Lamar Educator of the Year” award in 1999. In 2001 Rotary International named Mr. Lewis an honorary “Paul Harris Fellow.” In 2010 he was recognized as the “Outstanding Educator of the Year” for the Burnet CISD. Mr. Lewis is a member of Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA), Association of Texas Small School Bands (ATSSB), Texas Music Adjudicators Association (TMAA), and the Texas Bandmasters Association (TBA). He is an active marching and concert band clinician, as well as a judge for the Texas University Interscholastic League and USBands. He and his wife Judy have been married for 35 years and have two adult sons.
Scott Tomlison
Dr. Scott Tomlison is Associate Professor of Music and Coordinator of Music Education at the University of Arkansas- Fort Smith. His duties include supervising student teachers, teaching methods courses, and conducting the Jazz Band and Brass Ensemble. Prior to his appointment at UAFS, Dr. Tomlison was the Coordinator of Music Education and Chair of the D’Angelo Department of Music at Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pennsylvania. His responsibilities included teaching instrumental conducting, music education courses, and conducting the Mercyhurst Symphony Orchestra. He taught public school music for a total of nine years, including appointments at Poplar Bluff High School (Missouri), Gallatin Co. High School (Kentucky), Grant Co. High School (Kentucky), and Miami East High School (Ohio).
In addition to his Mercyhurst appointment, his previous collegiate experience includes Director of Bands at McPherson College and Manchester University. Dr. Tomlison has also served as Assistant Conductor of the University of Missouri Wind Ensemble and Concert Band, as well as drill writer for “Marching Mizzou” and the Murray State University Marching Band. While at Missouri and Murray State, Dr. Tomlison was active as a jazz performer and conducted the second and third jazz ensembles at both institutions. In 1985 and 1986 he marched with the drum corps, Star of Indiana, and became Brass Instructor and Brass Caption Head with Limited Edition from Columbus, Ohio (1989-1991). Most recently, he has served on the brass staff of the Music City Drum and Bugle Corps from Nashville, Tennessee (2011), 7th Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps from New London, Connecticut (2014-2017) and Louisiana Stars Drum and Bugle Corps from Lafayette, Louisiana (2018-present).
His research interests include using recordings as models in the rehearsal setting, concert program development, and ensemble grading practices. Dr. Tomlison has presented sessions on these important topics at several state and national music education conferences. He is the co-author of the Middle School Band Edition of Teaching Music Through Performance in Band. The volume was published in December of 2014.
Dr. Tomlison has served as adjudicator/clinician in Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Missouri, Tennessee, Kansas, New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. He has twice been named to Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in Collegiate Faculty. He holds a B.M.E. Degree from Eastern Kentucky University, an M.M.E. degree from Murray State University, and a Ph. D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Missouri-Columbia. His professional affiliations include Arkansas Music Educators Association, National Association for Music Education, Cavalcade of Bands, Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association and Phi Mu Alpha
Charles Vidourek
Charles Vidourek received his bachelor of music degree from Grove City College in 2005. Prior to that, Mr. Vidourek was a performer with the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps from 2001-2004. In his age-out summer of 2004, he was the trumpet section leader and co-horn sergeant. As a senior in high school, Mr. Vidourek was selected to perform with the Ohio Music Educators Association District Honors Band, Regional Orchestra, and All-State Orchestra. He remains an active trumpet player and educator in central Ohio.
For over 15 years, Mr. Vidourek has taught high school and collegiate marching bands in Ohio and Pennsylvania, including many years as a visual caption head. In 2013-14, Charles taught on the visual staff for the Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps. Mr. Vidourek also serves as a guest clinician for several concert and marching groups.
Charles Vidourek lives in Columbus, Ohio with his wife and three children. He is a vascular access nurse and holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in nursing. Mr. Vidourek will be completing his doctorate in nursing practice in spring 2020.
Shelba Waldron
Shelba Waldron has a history in the marching arts that spans over a thirty-year time frame of performing, instructing, judging, and administration. She is most known for her work with winter guards at the World Class level such as the Shaktai Performance Company, Alliance of Miami, and Paradigm Performance Groups. She has judged nationally for WGI and judges throughout the country in both the fall and winter seasons.
Shelba writes the very popular blog, Growing Up Pageantry, that discusses and deals with issues related to the marching arts. She is passionate about the activity and moving it forward into a safer and healthier direction. Shelba released her first book in 2016 called, “Dear Band Director: A Guide to Understanding Your Color Guard,” and is working on her second called, “From Performer to Instructor: Time to Grow Up.”
Shelba currently lives in Indianapolis and works for USA Gymnastics as the Director of Safe Sport Education and Training. She is a national expert and speaker on topics of youth development such as bullying, gender specific programming, and safety. She has a 12-year-old son Joshua, who loves gymnastics and science and to drive his mother insane with his obsession with Star Wars.
Danielle Welch
Danielle Welch has been a member of the marching band and color guard community for over 30 years. She began as a performer in high school in the late 80s and in college in the early 90s. She went on to design marching shows, write drill, direct, coach and choreograph for the band and color at St. Francis Borgia Regional High School in Washington, Missouri beginning in 2001. Danielle spent the next sixteen years teaching marching and maneuvering, as well as color guard technique. For the past several years Danielle has also choreographed guard routines in the fall for several local high schools. Over the past 18 years, she has designed winter guard shows and written drill and choreography for several high schools in Missouri, as well as writing and directing winter drumline shows for a number years. Danielle currently works as a marching coordinator, designer, choreographer, tech and visual/color guard consultant for several schools in Missouri and Illinois. She lives with her husband in Washington, Missouri.
Will Wells
Will Wells is a full-time marching arts designer and clinician from South Padre Island, Texas. He has worked with numerous high school programs around the country, including BOA Grand National finalists Blue Springs High School from Blue Springs, Missouri, and Centerville High School from Centerville, Ohio. He previously served as an assistant band director at Port Isabel HS in Port Isabel, Texas, where he continues to write drill and head the visual caption for the 10-time state qualifier and 2016 Texas Area E champion Silver Tarpon Band.
Will studied music performance (tuba & euphonium) and education at The University of Akron. He has also earned a B.S. in Journalism from Kent State University and an M.Ed from The Ohio State University. In addition to teaching, he has also designed drill and arranged music for programs in Ohio, Texas, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Virginia, New Mexico, Arizona, Missouri, Tennessee, as well as Lithuania. He has been an adjudicator for the Arizona Marching Band Association, Kentucky Music Educators Association, Mississippi Bandmasters Association, North Carolina Bandmasters Association and ATSSB.
Will currently is a member of the brass staff for the Blue Stars Drum & Bugle Corps from La Crosse, Wisconsin. From 2012 to 2015, he also served on the visual staff of the Blue Stars. In 2016, he assisted with the Troopers Drum & Bugle Corps, as well as Connexus Independent (WGI PIO) from Columbus, Ohio. His performance experience includes five seasons with the Bluecoats Drum & Bugle Corps on tuba and lead baritone. During his time with the corps, he served as tuba section leader and was a soloist on both instruments. Outside of the marching realm, Will has performed with the Billboard-charting band Company of Thieves on trombone, and can be heard on their live music video for the song “Talulah.”