2025 Adjudicators 

Parade Judges

Hayleigh Albers (Parade Auxiliary) was born and raised in Missouri growing up in the Platte Country area. She graduated from Missouri Western State University with a Bachelors in Vocal Music Education and is in her 10th year teaching vocal music. Ms. Albers has been a part of the guard community since High School. She performed all 4 years of high school and all 4 years of college. In college, she was captain for her guard team for 3 years and choreographed their routines for those 3 years. She has coached guard for 13 years at various schools including North Platte High School, Riverside High School (Kansas), Lafayette High School, and Missouri Western State University. Ms. Albers has also judged some competitions at Trenton Marching Festival for their indoor competition.

Dr. Melissa Sawyer is Assistant Director of Bands at the University of Kansas, where she assists with the Marching Jayhawks and teaches within the School of Music. She also serves as Assistant Director of Midwestern Music Camp at KU.

Sawyer is native of Edmond, Oklahoma and has taught middle school, high school, and collegiate band programs in Oklahoma, Texas, Nevada, New Mexico, and Kansas. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education from the University of Oklahoma and a Master of Arts in Wind Conducting from New Mexico State University. Sawyer served as the Assistant Director of Bands at New Mexico State University where she was Assistant Director of the Pride of New Mexico Marching Band and Symphonic Band. This is Sawyer's third year working with Drum Majors at Texoma Marching Arts and Leadership Academy.

Paul Swofford has taught for 30 years in the Saint Clair R-13 School District (1982–2012). Under his direction, the Saint Clair Bands achieved statewide and national recognition, performing six times at the Missouri Music Educators Association Conference. His ensembles earned numerous awards for excellence in marching, jazz, and concert performance, including featured appearances at the King Kamehameha Music Festival in Honolulu, Hawaii, and an invited Prelude Concert with the Saint Louis Symphony at Powell Symphony Hall.

He is a Past President of both the Missouri Bandmasters Association and the Missouri Music Educators Association and currently serves as Executive Director of MMEA.

Paul and his wife, Elaine, have been recognized for their exceptional contributions to music education. They are proud members of the Missouri Bandmasters Hall of Fame and the Missouri Music Educators Hall of Fame. They reside in Gladstone, Missouri.

Field Judges

Hayleigh Albers (Field Auxiliary) - See Bio above

John Bell recently retired after 12 years as Artist-in-Resident - Director of Wind Symphony at Northwest Missouri State University. During his residency he conducted the Wind Symphony and Symphonic Orchestra, taught Instrumental Conducting, Applied Horn, String Methods, Secondary Instrumental Methods, and Instrumental Methods for Vocal Music Majors. He was also the Northwest Four-State Bands Coordinator and a Co-Director of the Northwest Summer Music Camp.
John completed the bachelor’s degree in music education at Central Missouri State University (now University of Central Missouri) and received the master’s degree in music education from the University of Illinois where he was a Conductor Intern with Dr. Harry Begian. Post-graduate work includes extensive hours toward the DMA in Conducting at The University of Iowa with Dr. Myron Welch. Ensembles under John’s direction have been invited through peer review to perform at state, national, and European conferences. Following a 15-year absence the Northwest Wind Symphony was invited to perform at the Missouri Music Educators Association (MMEA) In-Service/Conference. Under his direction the Northwest band program was recognized by the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA) through peer review as one of ten exemplary small college band programs in the United States.
A recipient of the John Philip Sousa Legion of Honor, John also received recognition as the Park Hill School District Teacher of the Year, the University of Central Missouri Music Department’s Distinguished Alumni Award, the Missouri chapter of Phi Beta Mu Outstanding Band Director Award, the MoASTA Outstanding Collegiate Educator Award, the Northwest Award of Excellence, the Missouri Music Educators Association Outstanding Educator award, and in 2025 was named to the Missouri Music Educators Association Hall of Fame.
John is the current Music Director and Conductor of the NorthWinds Symphonic Band of Kansas City and has served as Music Director and Conductor of the Medical Arts Symphony of Kansas City. He has adjudicated and served as a clinician for several state and regional concert ensembles and marching band competitions. John is a retired public school music educator, having taught middle school and high school band and strings for 30 years.

Dr. Melissa Sawyer - See Bio above

Paul Swofford - See Bio above

Indoor Judges

Tanya Keck (Auxiliary), (Altamont, MO), is a sought-after adjudicator throughout Northwest Missouri with over 40 years of experience performing and teaching color guard. In addition to her educational responsibilities, Tanya served as the visual designer and drill writer at North Harrison, South Harrison, and Braymer High Schools. While working at these schools with her husband, Ted, the bands won numerous awards and captions.

Tanya is a graduate of Gallatin High School and the University of Central Missouri where she was a member of the color guard at each and the college winter guard. While at UCM, she earned dual degrees in Interior Design and Graphic Design Technology. Tanya has received continuing education through the Music for All Summer Symposium Color Guard and Director Academies. She is currently retired and lives on the family farm with her husband, Ted. Tanya and Ted have two daughters, Kaitlyn (Bellevue, NE) and Sarah (Salina, KS).

Jon Bailey (Drumline) has been a percussion educator in the northwest Missouri region for over 20 years. He is currently the Director of Percussion for Liberty High School and their feeder middle schools. Bailey’s students excel in a variety of musical settings, including marching concert and jazz performance. Ensembles under his guidance have received numerous state-level recognitions, and his private students have been recognized in Missouri All-State ensembles 23 times.

Aside from teaching, Bailey is a frequent adjudicator for MSHSAA solo & ensemble events and is a judge for the MBA percussion auditions. His wife Andrea Stanton is a horn player and teacher at Washburn University and Mid-America Nazarene Universities, and together they have a rambunctious, hairless Yorkie named Skeeter.