Vista Ridge Marching Festival - October 5, 2024

Adam Sage is an active choreographer, designer, and adjudicator in the pageantry arts. Adam has worked with numerous programs in the southeast including Tarpon Springs High School, East Lake High School, Seminole High School (1993 WGI A class Bronze medalists), Clearwater High School, Kell High School and Pope High School in Marietta, Georgia. Pope High School was the 2000 WGI Open class Silver medalists and the 2002 WGI World class Bronze medalists. Kell High School was the 2005 WGI A class Silver medalist. In addition, Adam also designed for Spanish River High School Winter Guard in Boca Raton, Florida (2009 Winter Guard International Scholastic A Silver medalists). Adam’s drum corps experience includes being a performing member of the Suncoast Sound and The Cadets of Bergen County. He has been on the teaching and design teams for several drum corps over the years. They include the Crossmen, Cavaliers, Santa Clara Vanguard, Phantom Regiment, Carolina Crown, and the Madison Scouts. Adam is also actively involved with Winter Guard International (WGI). He was the director of The Company Colour Guard, Phantom Regiment Winter Guard and CrownGUARD. Adam Sage was the director and designer for the Kennesaw Mountain High School Color Guard in Kennesaw, Georgia 2003-2016 (2004 Winter Guard International Scholastic A World Champions, 2005 Winter Guard International Scholastic Open World Champions, 2006 Winter Guard International Scholastic World Class finalists, and the 2013 Winter Guard International Scholastic Open Bronze Medalists). Sage is currently the artistic director and choreographer for the Yokohama Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps in Yokohama, Japan. Adam Sage is the visual creative director and color guard coordinator with the Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps. He also is one of the directors at Park Vista High School in Lake Worth, Florida where he is the artistic director, designer, and choreographer. When he is not teaching color guard, Adam is a third-grade teacher in Parkland, Florida and resides in Delray Beach.

Albert Lo is the Director of Instrumental Music Ensembles at the Austin Community College District and the resident Conductor/Artistic Director for the Valley Wind Symphony. Dr. Lo completed his Doctor of Musical Arts Degree at The University of North Texas in Denton, Texas where he was under the tutelage of Professor Eugene Migliaro Corporon, Professor Dennis Fisher, and Dr. Nicholas Enrico Williams. A native of Chicago, Illinois, he received his Bachelorette of Music Degree from Northern Illinois University and his Master of Art Degree from Western Illinois University. Previous to his appointment as the Director of Instrumental Music Ensembles at Austin Community College, Dr. Lo served four years as the Director of Bands for the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley – Brownsville and one year as the Director of Orchestra. Dr. Lo also served as the Director of Bands at Winston Churchill High School in San Antonio, Texas from 2001-2008. Under his direction, Churchill High School continued their tradition of excellence, placing in the finals at consecutive Texas 5A State Marching Contests, Bands of America Regionals, and The Bands of America Grand Nationals in Indianapolis, IN. The Churchill winter percussion line is the 2003 Winter Guard International World Class Indoor Percussion Champions and the color guard was a consistent Winter Guard International World Class finalist at the Nationals in Dayton, Ohio. Both Churchill Jazz Ensembles have been awarded Outstanding Jazz Ensembles at the Northern Colorado Jazz Festival in Greely, CO, the North Texas Jazz Festival in Addison, TX as well as the Harlingen and Fiesta Jazz Festivals. The Charger Band was selected to participate in the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, CA. in 2006 and performed in the 50th anniversary celebration of Hawaii’s Statehood in 2008. The Wind Symphony has placed consecutively at the TMEA Honor Band Area competitions, and all four concert bands have received sweepstakes at the University Interscholastic League Concert and Sight-Reading Contest. All bands have been awarded “Best in Class” at various national concert festivals throughout the country. In addition to his career as a music educator in the public schools, Dr. Lo was a brass instructor and Caption Head for the nationally renowned Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps. He is currently an adjudicator for Drum Corps International, Music for All, Texas University Interscholastic League, as well as other Judges’ Associations throughout the United States and Asia. Mr. Lo is an active clinician and guest conductor who has taught, conducted and performed in concert and jazz ensembles throughout Europe and Asia. Dr. Lo is a two-time Teacher of the Year recipient and was awarded Certificate of Recognition by the Texas Academy of Math and Sciences at the University of North Texas in Denton, TX. He is a member of College Band Directors National Association, Pi Kappa Lambda Music Honor Society, Phi Mu Alpha Fraternity, Texas Music Educator Association and Texas Bandmasters Association.

Garth Gundersen currently serves as the Assistant Director of Fine Arts for Killeen ISD. In this position, Mr. Gundersen oversees the instrumental music programs in Killeen ISD. His duties include supervising band and orchestra programs at 6 high schools, 11 middle schools, and 33 elementary schools throughout Killeen ISD. Prior to this appointment in Killeen, Mr. Gundersen spent 26 years teaching bands in the greater Austin area. Mr. Gundersen served as the Assistant Band Director at Westlake HS (1993 – 1996) and Stephen F. Austin HS (1998 -1999). He served as the Head Band Director of the W. Charles Akins HS (1999 – 2002); Robert E Hendrickson HS (2003 –2018); and James Bowie HS (2018 – 2022). During his tenure at these schools, his bands performed at the Western International Band Clinic in Seattle, the Midwest Convention in Chicago, the Chicago Thanksgiving Day Parade, the ABC Boscov’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in Philadelphia, and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, to name a few. Under his direction, the bands were consistent Bands of America Regional, Super Regional Finalists and Champions; and these bands were consistent UIL sweepstakes winners and participants at the UIL State Marching Band Championships. Additionally, Mr. Gundersen was the co-conductor of the Austin Youth Orchestra from 2018 – 2022. Mr. Gundersen earned his master’s degree in Music Education and Conducting from The University of Texas at Austin where he studied with Jerry Junkin, Bob Duke, and Paula Crider. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Louisiana State University, where he studied with Frank Wickes and was the drum major of the Golden Band from Tiger Land. Mr. Gundersen is a frequent adjudicator and clinician. His professional affiliations include TMEA, TBA, Phi Beta Mu, TMAA and Pi Kappa Lambda.

Dr. Mark Waymire is in his thirty-sixth year as a music educator. Though now working fulltime as a consultant, lecturer, adjudicator, and designer, he was most recently a Music Education professor at The University of Southern Mississippi. Prior to completing his PhD at The University of Mississippi, Dr. Waymire was Associate Director of Bands at Eastern Michigan University. His public-school experience includes work in Louisiana and Texas, including ten years as Director of Bands, Seguin High School, Seguin, Texas. Personal honors include six H.E.R.O. teaching awards, nine appointments to WHO’s WHO in American Education, and two presentations of the National President’s Award for Education Excellence. National and International lectures based on Dr. Waymire’s research on teaching expertise have been given in California, Mississippi, Georgia, Arkansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Tennessee, Texas, Canada, and Scotland. In addition to his high school and collegiate-level designs and directorships, Mark Waymire been a part of the staffs of the following drum corps: Phantom Regiment, Madison Scouts, Spirit of Atlanta, and Glassmen, taking on various roles including both brass and visual caption head positions, as well as designer and program coordinator. Dr. Waymire is an active band clinician and adjudicator which includes associations with BOA, WGI, UIL, and DCI.

Wayne Dillon (Dunedin, Florida) holds a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts and Education from York University in Toronto, Canada, and a Master’s degree in Jazz Performance/Pedagogy from The University of Miami (FL). Dillon is the former Director of Bands at Elizabeth High School in New Jersey. He has been awarded the State of New Jersey Governor’s Teacher Recognition Award, and most recently was named the New Jersey Outstanding Jazz Educator for 2021. The Elizabeth High School marching band earned ten state championships, and the symphonic and jazz bands achieved consistent superior ratings during Dillon’s tenure. He currently provides clinics for schools and organizations on a variety of topics including performance, leadership, mindset coaching, rehearsal management, and show design. He has conducted clinics in Japan, South America, Canada, and the United States. Dillon is currently the Chief Judge of the winds division of Winter Guard International. He also serves on the music administration team for Drum Corps International and the Florida Federation of Colorguards outdoor division. Dillon served as the Brass Caption Head for the Boston Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps from 2006-2011. He has also worked on the music staff of the ten-time world champion The Cadets, serving as the music supervisor in 2002. In 2010-2011, Dillon served as a staff member for the US Army All-American Marching Band, and in 2020, Dillon was honored with his induction into The Buglers Hall of Fame.