About

is currently in his tenth year as the band director at John Hardin High School in Elizabethtown, KY. He received his bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of Kentucky (2000) and his Master’s in Leadership from the University of the Cumberlands (2013). Prior to teaching in Hardin County, Brian was the director of bands at Marshall County High School (2008-2009), Shelby County High School (2002-2007) and East Jessamine High School (2000-2001). His bands consistently receive distinguished ratings both in concert and marching band. While at John Hardin High School, Shelby County High School, and East Jessamine High School, the bands have been recognized as a Kentucky state finalist. In 2019, John Hardin earned a finalist position in the WGI Winds division class A in Dayton, OH. Brian is in high demand as an adjudicator, judging in his home circuit with the Tristate Marching Arts and out of state in the Texas Colorguard Circuit, North Texas Colorguard Association, Atlantic Indoor Association, Michigan Colorguard Circuit, Winterguard Arizona and West Coast Winterguard in the general effect and design analysis captions. He has also judged for Drum Corps Midwest (1999-2002). He also designs visual programs for numerous organizations including the Troopers Drum and Bugle Corps, Cincinnati Tradition Drum and Bugle Corps and his own program at John Hardin High School. Brian has served on the visual staff of the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps from Canton, OH and is currently the Visual Caption Head for the Troopers Drum and Bugle Corps from Casper, Wyoming. Brian has been active in the Kentucky Music Educators Association throughout his career. He is currently the District four large ensemble assessment manager and the District four marching band committee representative. He has also served as the District five marching band committee representative while teaching in that district. He is a member of Phi Mu Alpha music fraternity and Phi Beta Mu (an honorary band masters service organization).

serves as Director of University Bands at Murray State University, in Murray, KY. Dr. Blanco served as Director of Bands at Las Cruces High School (NM) and holds degrees from New Mexico State University (BME); Indiana University (MM); and Arizona State University (DMA). Dr. Blanco has been a guest conductor with the United States Army’s "Pershing's Own" Concert Band in Washington, D.C. as well as an invited presenter at the 2019 WASBE Clinic in Bunol, Spain.

was recently named Associate Director of Bands and Director of Athletic Bands at Murray State University beginning in the fall of 2020. Mr. Johnson is also working toward the completion of is Doctorate in Wind Conducting from the University of Kentucky. Prior to Lexington, he spent 5 years as the Director of Bands at Evergreen High School in Vancouver, Washington. While at Evergreen, the concert bands showed tremendous growth and garnered much attention for their improvement in quality and literature. The Wind Ensemble was selected to perform in the 2018 Music For All National Concert Band Festival in Indianapolis, IN. This is the first national honor the band program at Evergreen has received. In 2017, the Wind Ensemble was invited to perform at the Pacific Northwest Concert Band Festival at the University of Washington in Seattle. Also, the Evergreen Marching Band grew from 90 members to 130 members in one year and earned 2nd place in the Pacific Northwest Championships held at the University of Oregon. In 2019, the Evergreen High School Wind Symphony performed at the NAfME All-Northwest Division Conference in Portland, OR. Previous to moving to the Pacific Northwest, Mr. Johnson spent one year as Director of Fine Arts for the Harlandale Independent School District in San Antonio, Texas. His roles and responsibilities included overseeing all aspects of the Fine Arts Programs, K-12, including Music, Drama, Dance, Visual Art, Mariachi, and Spirit. Harlandale ISD is made up of 14 square miles on the southside of San Antonio, Texas and services nearly 15,000 students. Before becoming Director of Fine Arts, Mr. Johnson spent eleven years as a High School Band Director in both Kentucky and Texas. Under his direction, Mr. Johnson's bands have received consistent Sweepstakes ratings both on the marching field and on the concert stage. In 2002 and 2006 Mr. Johnson led the Elizabethtown High School Band (KY) and the Daviess County High School Band (KY), respectively, to the state finals of the Kentucky Music Educators Association State Marching Band Championships. In 2007, the Daviess County High School Band was a finalist and 3rd place overall at the Bands of America Tennessee Regional in Clarksville, TN. From 2002 to 2008, Mr. Johnson's concert bands were consistently named to Exemplary Performance Status by the Kentucky Music Educators Association for their distinguished performances at both region and state Concert and Sight Reading Contests. In 2008, the Kentucky Chapter of the Phi Beta Mu National Bandmasters honor society named Mr. Johnson "Outstanding Young Band Director" at the KMEA Convention. In the summer of 2008, Mr. Johnson was named Associate Band Director of the Winston Churchill High School Band in San Antonio, TX. While at Churchill, the band program was a finalist at the Houston Bands of America Regional and the Bands of America San Antonio Super Regional for two years. In 2008, the Churchill Band was named a 5A State Finalist at the UIL State Marching Band Championships. The Churchill Band was also invited to perform at Pearl Harbor as a commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the bombing. In 2010, Mr. Johnson was selected to become the Head Band Director and Fine Arts Department Chair at Douglas MacArthur High School, a sister school to Churchill. While at MacArthur, the band program grew from 150 to over 260 students in two years. All three concert bands consistently earned sweepstakes ratings during his tenure, and in 2011, the MacArthur Band was selected to perform a feature concert at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Mr. Johnson received the Master of Music in Music Education Degree from New Mexico State University. Prior to NMSU, Mr. Johnson is a 2001 graduate of Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky. He is proud to have studied with such wonderful teachers as Cody Birdwell, John Fannin, Dennis Johnson, Ray Conklin, Dr. Christopher Hughes and Dr. James Shearer. Mr. Johnson is a member of the Texas Music Educators Association, the Washington Music Educators Association, the National Band Association and the Kentucky Music Educators Association.

is currently the Director of Bands at Springs Valley Jr./Sr. High School in French Lick, IN. Luke is a percussion arranger/composer, show designer, adjudicator, and consultant across the nation. His bands have placed in the top five at the Indiana State Music Association State Marching Band Finals every year since 2006. This includes three ISSMA Class D State Championships (2010, 2016, and 2017) and six State Championship Runner-Up finishes (2007, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018). In 2009, The Springs Valley Blackhawk Brigade was a Bands of America Grand Nationals Semi-Finalist and placed 3rd in Class A. In winter percussion, Luke’s ensembles have been a state finalist every year they have competed in the Indiana Percussion Association and TriState Marching Arts circuits. The ensemble competes in the Percussion Scholastic Concert A (PSCA) class and has earned top five finishes including two Bronze Medals and two Silver Medal finishes. In 2013, the ensemble was promoted to Percussion Scholastic Concert Open (PSCO) where they finished fifth. In 2014, the ensemble was the Indiana Percussion Association PSCA State Championship Runner-Up. In 2015, the ensemble was the TriState Marching Arts PSCA Champion. His clients list includes several IPA and WGI Finalists. In 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017, and 2018 the Springs Valley Band Department was designated as one of the best communities for music education in the United States by the NAMM Foundation. The ensemble also received the NAMM SupportMusic Merit Award in 2014, 2015, 2017, and 2018. In addition, Springs Valley was a Grammy Foundation Signature School Semi-Finalist in 2013. The band has been recognized for artistry, hard work, and musical excellence by Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels and U.S. Vice President Mike Pence (former Indiana Governor). In 2014, Luke was awarded the Peabody Energy Leaders in Education Award. Luke has arrangements and compositions published by Tapspace, Row-Loff Productions., Hober Reber Productions, and CounterMotion Marching Designs. Luke is a member of the Vic Firth Education Team and the D'Addario (Evans Drumheads) Education Collective. Luke is also the Technical Support Administrator for the Virtual Drumline:2.5 Sound Library, a product of Tapspace Publications.

is a native of Nashville, TN, where she began her performing endeavors and has resided in Elizabethtown, KY since 2005. She is the mother to two young children, who also love the performing arts. Kaleena teaches English at Elizabethtown High School, where she also writes, designs for, and teaches the winter guard and marching band. She has worked with many groups in KY and TN over the years. She currently designs and consults for indoor and outdoor groups; composes indoor and outdoor drill; and judges for indoor circuits around the country as a Design Analysis judge. She is a member of the TriState Judges Association. She enjoys mentoring directors, instructors, and staffs and looks forward to working with groups in this new platform.

from Salem, Indiana, is a seventeen-year member of the Tri-State Judges Association, specializing in General Effect, Visual Performance and Color Guard. He is a former American Musical Ambassador, a Charter and three-year performing member of the Star of Indiana Drum and Bugle Corps of Bloomington, Indiana, a Drum Corps Midwest All-Star Corps member, former Visual Coordinator for Evansville Central High School, and former Visual Caption Head for Ubiquity Winterguard, a consistent Tri-State Marching Arts Finalist Medalist and Winter Guard International Regional Finalist Medalist. He was formerly the Director of Pep Band at the University of Southern Indiana. He has consulted with many outstanding high school and independent programs in Indiana and Kentucky and has adjudicated marching bands and winter guards throughout the United States. He is a twenty-four year Early Intervention Specialist and System Supervisor for First Steps, Indiana’s Early Childhood Development Intervention Program, and holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Southern Indiana.

retired from Murray State University in 2020 where he served as Assistant Director of Bands since 1995. Prior to his appointment at Murray State University, Mr. Fannin was band director at Onate High School (NM), Del Norte High School (NM), White Sand Missile Range Middle School (NM), Thoreau High School (NM), and Ganado High School (AZ). Mr. Fannin’s awards include the 2017 Max Carman Outstanding Teacher Award, 2009 KMEA “University Music Teacher of the Year”, 2006-2007 Outstanding Murray State University Music Teacher of the Year, and the Phi Beta Mu 2007 “Outstanding Contributor to Band in KY”. John is the owner of Fannin Music Productions LLC. He serves as a creative resource (music and visual) for many high school and college bands. He has published concert band works with Arrangers Publishing Company, Curnow Music Press, and Alfred Music Company.

was the Band Director for Hopkinsville (KY) High School from 1979 to 1989 and Hancock County (KY) High School from 1989 to 2006. Since 2006, Mr. Hobbs has been an active adjudicator for Marching, Concert and Solo and Ensemble events.

has been adjudicating marching bands, concert bands, jazz bands, and solo and ensemble events in KY, IN, and TN for the past thirteen years. Prior to this he was a band director in KY and Meade County High School, Scott County High School, and Owensboro Senior High School. Currently Mr. Schmidt is the low brass instructor at Oldham County High School and the Youth Performing Arts School in Louisville, KY. He also maintains a private low brass studio of about 40 students and serves as an educational road representative for Conrad Music Service in Corydon, IN.

an active adjudicator since 2002 for DCI & BOA, has judged marching band, drum corps, concert band, indoor drum line, indoor winds, and choir at over two-hundred thirty events in thirty-four states and provinces in the US, Canada, and Colombia. These events include eleven DCI Championships (both Open and World Class), ten BOA Regional Championships, and State Championships in Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, South Carolina, Wisconsin, Michigan, Nevada, California, and Mississippi. Having taught music in Kentucky since 1999, Steven Page teaches band and choir in Paducah, Kentucky at Heath Middle School. Steven and his wife, Shana, met in high school and have been married for twenty-one years. God has blessed them with seven boys and a girl.