Adjudicators

Music Panel

Dr. Tim Allshouse

Dr. Tim Allshouse is the Director of Bands at Blue Springs High School. During his tenure, the Blue Springs Band has performed in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade three times, the Tournament of Roses Parade twice, and the Presidential Inaugural Parade. The Blue Springs Marching Band has been a Bands of America Super Regional Finalist collectively 22 times in St. Louis, Indianapolis, Atlanta, and San Antonio, as well as a Grand National Finalist.

The Blue Springs Concert and Jazz Bands have performed at the state music conference seven times in the last fourteen years. The jazz ensemble was the featured entertainment at the prestigious Tournament of Roses Presidential Breakfast, as well as the National School Board Association and the SYTA Convention on two occasions.

The Blue Springs Band Department is a recipient of the prestigious Sousa Foundation Award: The Sudler Shield, and is Missouri’s only Grammy Signature Music program.

Dr. Allshouse received his bachelor’s degree from Indiana University in both instrumental and music education, where he studied conducting with Ray Cramer and Stephen W. Pratt. He received his master's from the University of Missouri and his doctorate from the University of Kansas.

Dr. Allshouse is active as an adjudicator, clinician, honor band conductor, and drill designer. Dr. Allshouse enjoys spending time with his family and has found special joy experiencing music side-by-side with his daughters in the band program.

Joe Gulledge

Joe Gulledge, a native of Lilesville NC, holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, and a Master of Conducting Degree from the American Band College in Ashland, Oregon from Sam Houston State University. In 2003 he earned his National Board Certification in Music.

Mr. Gulledge served as Director of Bands at Clover High School for seven years and previously as Director of Bands for Rock Hill High School and Central High School in Pageland, SC. Bands under his direction have consistently earned superior ratings on and off the field. Concert ensembles under Mr. Gulledge’s direction have received consistent superior ratings at the South Carolina CPA in Grades VI; and VI Masterworks for the past twelve years. Most recently, the Clover High School Wind Ensemble was a feature-performing ensemble at the 2022 SCMEA Professional Development Conference. Mr. Gulledge’s marching bands have been named finalists for the SCBDA Marching Band Championships 25 times including 3rd place in 2003, 2007, 2009; and 2011, and 2nd place in 2008; and 2010 winning the “High Music Caption” both years. Bands under his direction have been finalists at Bands of America Regional or Super Regional events 8 times. Band programs under his direction have also received the South Carolina Band Directors Association’s Outstanding Performance Award, the state’s highest award, for the past 25 years.

Mr. Gulledge currently serves as Past-President of the South Carolina Music Educators Association and is a past president of the South Carolina Band Directors Association from 2015-2017. He is also an active adjudicator, clinician and performer across the Southeast. Mr. Gulledge was inducted into the South Carolina Band Directors Association Hall of Fame in 2022. His professional affiliations include the South Carolina Band Directors Association, South Carolina Music Educators Association, National Association for Music Educators, American School Band Directors Association, Phi Beta Mu, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. Mr. Gulledge recently retired after 28 years teaching band in South Carolina and residesin Rock Hill, SC with his wife Suzanne. They have 2 children, Daniel, Assistant Director of Bands at Northwestern High School Director and Katie, art teacher at Forest Creek Middle School

Chris Hedges

Chris Hedges just finished his 32nd year of teaching. Originally from Pikeville, KY, he completed his music education degree at Morehead State University.

Chris was most recently the band director at Williamstown Jr/Sr HS. In addition to teaching band for grades 6-12, he also taught elementary music for grades 3-5. His concert bands and orchestras have consistently performed well at KMEA District Large Ensemble assessment events. His marching bands have consistently performed at the KMEA State Marching Band Championships Finals competition, including 2 KMEA State Championships and 2 MSBA Class Championships. In addition, his 2016 Williamstown marching band was a BOA National Semifinalist and the BOA National Class A Runner-U.

In 2019, he was named as one of the 50 Band Directors Who Make A Difference by School Band & Orchestra Magazine.

As a trumpet player, Chris has performed with the Cincinnati Wind Band, Rock and Soul Tent Revival Band, and The 4+Brass German Party Band. He has also performed our National Anthem and/or God Bless America/O Canada for the Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Guardians, Cincinnati Cyclones, Florence Y’all’s, Louisville Bats, Lexington Legends, KMEA State Marching Band Championships Finals, and the Daytona Tortugas.

Chris has been a member of KMEA, MENC, American School Band Directors Association, and Phi Beta Mu. He is also the proud parent of 5 children. He also has 2 grandchildren. His wife, Amber, is a saint.

Visual Panel

Doug Casteen

Doug Casteen currently resides in Richmond, Virginia where he is a Project and Program Management Consultant. He holds professional certifications as a SAFe Agilist, Scrum Master, Project Management Professional (PMP), and is a Six Sigma Black Belt.

Doug currently sits on the Executive Board for the Virginia Marching Band Cooperative (VMBC) and the Atlantic Indoor Association (AIA) as their Chief Judge. He has been judging marching bands, drum corps and color guard contests around the country for 30 years. He was inducted in the AIA Hall of Honor in 2006 for his contributions to the circuit since its inception.

Doug has judged all visual captions for Drum Corps International (DCI) and currently judges the overall effect and visual analysis captions for the Winds Division of Winter Guard International (WGI). He previously served as a General Effect Judge for Color Guard Division of WGI for 12 seasons where he judged numerous Regional & World Championship contests. Doug was a former marching member with the Avant Garde, 27th Lancers, and Star of Indiana Drum & Bugle Corps.

Blaine Bomar

Blaine Bomar, a native of Paris, Tennessee, has over 15 years of experience in music education and the marching pageantry arts. He serves as a Program Coordinator, Visual Designer, and Educational Consultant for marching bands and indoor units across the Midwest and Southeast. The organizations he collaborates with have achieved significant success in the Bands of America (BOA), Winter Guard International (WGI), and USBands circuits, as well as in their local and state competitions. Recently, these groups have earned titles such as WGI Regional Finalists and BOA Regional Class Champions at several events, along with various caption-based awards.

Blaine is a proud member of multiple judging associations across the country, including the Gulf Coast Judges Association, East Tennessee Performing Arts Association, Central States Judges Association, USBands Judges, and more. He is a graduate of the Marching Roundtable Judges Academy, where he had the opportunity to study General Effect and Visual adjudication with some of the top judges and mentors in the nation. He has also had the privilege of serving on championship panels in several states, including Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, Texas, Alabama, Louisiana, Ohio, Illinois, Kansas, and Missouri. Presently, Blaine serves as the Judge Coordinator for the Arkansas Marching Arts Association (AMAA).

In addition to his work as a designer and judge, Blaine is a highly sought-after leadership clinician in Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Arkansas. He holds annual summer camps aimed at educating student leaders in teaching, conducting, score study, and team building. Additionally, he has worked as an instructor for the Fred J. Miller Summer Clinics, where he taught student leaders and drum majors across the United States. Blaine was also featured on the Marching Arts Education podcast, alongside the late Dr. Joe Allison and Tim Hinton, discussing the evaluation of drum majors. Currently, Blaine resides in Memphis, Tennessee, with his dog, Bentley.

Marybeth Wiley

Originally from Humboldt, Tennessee, Mr. Tate currently serves as the music advisor/consultant for the middle and high school band programs in the Gibson County Special School District. Prior to this appointment, he served as the Director of Bands at Gibson County High School in Dyer, Tennessee from 2006 until 2021. During his tenure the band consistently received superior ratings as both a marching and concert band. In 2011 (Division II), 2014 (Division I), 2017 (Division I), and 2018 (Division I) the Gibson County High School Band was named the TN Marching Band State Champions. Under his direction, the band has performed a standstill concert at the Statue of Liberty (2010), marched in the Electric Parade in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom (2014), and marched in the nation’s longest running parade, The 257th Annual NYC’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade (2018). One of the most prestigious performances took place in January of 2022 when the band, under Tate’s direction, marched in the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena. In addition, the “Marching Pioneers” were the recipients of the “Marching Band of the Year Award” from the Tennessee Music Awards in 2018.

Mr. Tate has consulted and taught numerous high schools, colleges, and drum corps in Tennessee, Missouri, Kentucky, Wisconsin, and Alabama; including but not limited to serving as the Associate Director of Bands at Bethel College (now Bethel University, McKenzie, TN), serving as the visual caption head for the Memphis Sound Drum and Bugle Corps, and serving on the visual staff with the Southwind Drum and Bugle Corps and the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps.

Mr. Tate is an active adjudicator and clinician throughout the United States. His professional memberships include NAfME, WTSBOA, and the Tennessee Bandmasters Association. He is currently on the active adjudicator roster for Drum Corps International (DCI), Winter Guard International (WGI), Bands of America (BOA), and numerous other local and regional associations/circuits across the United States. He is a proud alum of the Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity and a former advisor for Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma Music Fraternity and Sorority. He currently resides in Jackson with his wife Erika, daughters Katherine & Cassidy, and their dog Allie.

Auxiliary Panel

Aaron Farris

A graduate of the University of Kentucky (UK) and a former student at

Eastern Kentucky University (EKU), Aaron was afforded an

abundance of opportunities to perform in a variety of musical

endeavors. He proudly conveys the honors of having worked with

some of the best in the music business while enrolled. During his

collegiate years, Aaron was fortunate to study privately with

Dr. Jason Koontz of EKU. In addition, he performed in numerous

ensembles, including jazz band, jazz combo, world percussion,

steel band, orchestra, wind, percussion, and drumline. While at UK,

he participated in a jazz band, jazz combo, under Paul Deatherage,

along with being mentored by Jim Campbell.

Aaron has been involved in the Drum Corps activity since 2011,

when he started playing bass drum with the

Canton Bluecoats (2011-2013). Additionally, he spent 3 years as a

performer at WGI, one with TCIE ( 2010) and two with Rhythm X Inc

in 2012 and 2013, where the group was the WGI PIO World Champions.

In 2011, Aaron joined the Garrard County Marching Lions staff as the

Percussion Director under Chris Vance. In his tenure with the group was a multiple-time state and class AA Champion in 2013. After 14 years, he

"retired" as the Percussion Director with Chris Vance. Aaron has worked with The Blue Stars, Madison Scouts, The Mandarins, Father Ryan High School, Summit High School, and consulted with multiple programs across the country.

Currently, Aaron serves as the Percussion Caption Head and Co Ensemble Coordinator at the Cincinnati Tradition Drum & Bugle Corps (DCI ALL Age) and has worked with the group since 2019. In 2024, he led the percussion section to its first "High Drums" award in Open Class. The Drum Corps also made history, winning the inaugural DCI All Age Open Class Championship. He also works with the Colts Drum & Bugle Corps on the battery staff and has been on staff since 2021.

Neil Higginbotham

Neil Higginbotham is a Texas-born artist, director, and coach currently based out of Kansas City, Missouri. With 28 years of teaching and performing experience in: colorguard, marching band, drum corps, broadway, TV/Film, directing, choreography, and the circus arts, Neil has worked and performed with such groups as The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps (2001-2004), Tarheel Sun Drum and Bugle Corps (1999), The Winston Churchill HS Marching Band (2001-2003), Sunset HS (2003-2005), Taylor HS (2006-2007), Ridgewood HS (2015-2018), Northern Lights Winterguard (2003-2005), BLAST! Japan & National Tours (2005-2007), David Byrne’s “Contemporary Color”, Ke$ha, 3oh3!, Deerhoof, PHISH @ Madison Square Garden (NYE 2012, 2013, 2019), Bindlestiff Family Circus, Ugly Betty, Boardwalk Empire, Law & Order, Step Up 3D, Future Folk, Alison Chase Performance (of Pilobolus), Ben Munisteri Dance Projects, and Daniel Gwirtzman Dance Company.

He is proud to be one of the assistant Directors of the Blue Springs HS

Golden Regiment Marching Band Colorguard (2021-present) as well as

The Director of the BSHS Open Guard.

Outside of Blue Springs HS, he is a federal employee with NARA, a designer/choreographer of large-scale stage productions, a satellite clinician for The Breakdown Camp and Marching Health, and owns a Health Coaching & Meditation practice. In his free time, he enjoys painting, black coffee, reading, and his 2 rescue cats.

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