Martin Griffin

Martin Griffin received his undergraduate degree in music at William Paterson University where he performed with the NJ Percussion Ensemble and the NJ New Music Ensemble.

He has been a Band Director in NJ for 26 years and he is currently the Director of Bands and Department Coordinator of Fine Arts at Monroe Township High School. His responsibilities include directing the Marching Band, Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble and Percussion Ensemble as well as teaching AP Music Theory. The MTHS Marching Band was crowned US Bands NJ State and National Champions in 2013 and they have been selected to represent New Jersey at the 75th anniversary of Pearl Harbor in 2016.

Marty performed for five seasons with the Hawthorne Caballeros Drum and Bugle Corps and he has been a percussion arranger for high school bands throughout NJ since 1987.

Marty currently judges for numerous organizations including Winter Guard International, Bands of America and Drum Corps International. In 2006 Marty was selected to judge for the Drum Corps Japan Championships held in Yokohama, Japan and he is currently the Percussion Caption Head for Drum Corps Associates as well as judging coordinator for The Mid Atlantic Percussion Society. Marty also has a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from Kean University.

John Pipitone

JJ Pipitone received his Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from Morehead State University and his Master’s Degree in Music Education from the University of North Texas.

JJ is currently a retired band director turned real estate investor in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex. He is also is a consultant for the Texas A & M Commerce Pride Marching Band, writes high school marching band shows, and is an adjudicator for WGI. JJ was an adjunct percussion professor at Texas A & M Commerce from 2013-2016.

Before this, he served in the public schools for 16 years as an assistant band director in the Lewisville and Grapevine Independent School Districts. In addition to all of the percussion responsibilities from 6th-12th grade, his duties have included Concert Band, Music Theory, Music History, Jazz band, and Musical Theater.

JJ has extensive drum corp experience, having marched for 9 years in drum corps all over the country including numerous drum corps in the up-state New York area, the Dutch Boy, the Phantom Regiment, and the Concord Blue Devils. He won the DCI Multi tenor competition in 1989, The PAS Multi Tenor competition in 1990 and placed 2nd at the PAS marimba competition in 1992.
As an instructor, JJ taught the World Champion Phantom Regiment in 1995 and 1996. In 1997, JJ was the caption head and the battery arranger. He went on to teach the Glassmen in 1998 & 1999 and the Crossmen in 2000 & 2001.

JJ’s extensive judging experience has taken him around the globe since 2003. He is honored to be affiliated with Bands Of America, US Bands, Winter Guard International, Drum Corp International, Drum Corp Japan and various indoor Percussion circuits around the United States.

Ray Ulibarri

Ray Ulibari is beginning his sixteenth year as a percussion instructor in public schools. Prior to teaching at Reagan High School in San Antonio, he was the percussion director at Klein Forest High School and Pomona High School in Arvada, Colorado.

During his tenure with Pomona, his band won an unprecedented 11 State Marching Band Championships and placed fifth at the 1997 BOA Grand National Championships in Indianapolis. In addition, the Percussion ensemble was a two time medalist at the WGI World Championships and perennial finalist.

In 2002-03, Mr. Ulibarri was the percussion instructor of the University of Colorado Golden Buffalo Marching Band. Mr. Ulibarri is currently the Percussion Arranger for the Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corp and the former caption Head of the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps. He is also the former front ensemble arranger and caption head of the Blue Knights World Percussion Ensemble. Both groups are recognized as innovators in the world of percussion and have placed in the top three in the world.

Percussion arrangements are in demand throughout the country and he is a freelance composer. He is endorsed by Innovative Percussion, Evans, Zildgian and Yamaha. Ray Ulibarri is an active music adjudicator and clinician throughout the country.

Michael Varner

Dr. Michael Varner has been Director of Percussion at the University of Texas at Arlington for the past 35 years. He holds a Bachelor of Music Education from Bowling Green State University, a Master’s in Performance from The University of Michigan, and a Doctorate in Performance from The University of North Texas.  His Dissertation “An Examination of Davidi Maslanka’s Marimba Concerti is available online and from the “Percussive Arts Society.”

He draws from 40 years’ experience as a performer presenting repertoire from every musical style including Classical, Contemporary, Jazz, and World beat. He brings to each style of music an unequalled sensitivity and exuberance. He has performed chamber music and studio work in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area including the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. During his time in Michigan he was principal percussionist with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra and Principal Timpanist with the Kalamazoo Chamber Orchestra.

He teaches all Percussion and world music courses at UTArlington and is a member of the Honor’s College Faculty, chosen recently as Honor’s faculty member of the Year.

He continues to be active nationally in the field of marching percussion adjudicating and presenting clinics. Under his guidance the UT Arlington drum line has been nationally recognized performing at numerous marching exhibitions including the 1982, 1988, 1993 and 2000, 2003, and 2008 Percussive Arts Societies International competitions. He has worked with renowned drum and bugle corps, including the DCI champion Chicago Cavaliers and the Toledo Glassmen.

He maintains an Artist relationship with Remo Heads and World Instruments, Vic Firth, Yamaha, and Sabian cymbals.

Glenn Fugett

Glenn Fugett is currently the Director of Bands and Orchestras at the Nashville School of the Arts in Nashville, Tennessee. He conducts two string orchestras, two concert bands, and one jazz ensemble. The school draws students from all over Metro Nashville Public Schools. He retired from teaching in Texas this summer.

Prior to moving to Nashville, Glenn was Director of Bands at Legacy High School in Mansfield, Texas. He held that position since the school opened in August of 2007. He was the Associate Director of Bands at Westlake High School in Austin, Texas from the fall of 1991 through the spring of 2007. The first five years of his career, Glenn was the Head Band Director at Calallen Middle School in Corpus Christi, Texas.

His concert bands and jazz bands have won numerous awards throughout the United States. The Legacy Marching Band was a finalist at the 4a UIL State Marching Band Contest in 2009. The legacy Wind Symphony was a finalist in the 4a Texas State Honor Band Competition in 2009. The Legacy Wind Symphony was “Best in Class” at the 2011 and 2015 South Coast Music Festivals. They have received Superior Ratings at UIL Concert and Sightreading every year since the school opened. The Marching Band was a finalist at the 2008, 2010, and 2011 BOA Arlington Regional. In 2011, they were the AAA Champion at the Arlington event. In 2013, they were finalists at the Austin and Allen Regionals, winning Class AAA at the latter. The Westlake Marching Band was a finalist at every Bands of America Regional they attended from 1999 through 2006. In 1999, the Westlake Band was awarded the coveted, Sudler Flag of Honor at the Midwest Clinic in Chicago. December of 2002, the Wind Ensemble was selected to perform at the prestigious Midwest Clinic. In 2003, the group marched in the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California. The Westlake Jazz Ensemble was one of the premier public school jazz programs in Texas during Mr. Fugett’s tenure.

Glenn is a sought after clinician for Music for All, Yamaha, and Vic Firth. He is an artist with Yamaha and Vic Firth. He has been a Bands of America Summer Symposium clinician for the last 10 years. Glenn has been a judge for Bands of America since 1995, and has judged for Drum Corps International since 1992. He has judged Finals at the Drum Corps World Championships 11 times throughout his career. He was Percussion Caption Head for DCI for 5years and has been on the Music Judge Liaison team for the last three years. He is a member of the Middle Tennessee State Band and Orchestra Association.

Bill Bachman

Bill Bachman is a world-renowned specialist in hand technique with a heavy background in rudimental drumming and its application to the drumset. Bachman is a regular contributing columnist for Modern Drummer magazine and is the author of the book Stick Technique, an Essential Guide for the Modern Drummer published through Modern Drummer Publishing, as well as the Logic marching percussion instructional book series for Row-Loff Productions. Bachman is the inventor of the Remote Speedy Hat, designer of Vic Firth’s Heavy Hitter pad series and his signature Billy Club drumsticks and the founder of DrumWorkout.com.

Bachman is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music and has studied percussion performance at the University of North Texas. He is a member of the Percussive Arts Society’s Health and Wellness committee and Modern Drummer magazine’s education team where he was recently nominated in the 2015 reader’s poll under the “clinician/educator” category. Bill has played with and instructed many award-winning marching percussion groups, including the UNT drum line and various DCI World Class finalists (Cadets, Bluecoats, Blue Knights, and Carolina Crown).

Glenn Fugett is currently the Director of Bands and Orchestras at the Nashville School of the Arts in Nashville, Tennessee. He conducts two string orchestras, two concert bands, and one jazz ensemble. The school draws students from all over Metro Nashville Public Schools. He retired from teaching in Texas this summer.

Prior to moving to Nashville, Glenn was Director of Bands at Legacy High School in Mansfield, Texas. He held that position since the school opened in August of 2007. He was the Associate Director of Bands at Westlake High School in Austin, Texas from the fall of 1991 through the spring of 2007. The first five years of his career, Glenn was the Head Band Director at Calallen Middle School in Corpus Christi, Texas.

His concert bands and jazz bands have won numerous awards throughout the United States. The Legacy Marching Band was a finalist at the 4a UIL State Marching Band Contest in 2009. The legacy Wind Symphony was a finalist in the 4a Texas State Honor Band Competition in 2009. The Legacy Wind Symphony was “Best in Class” at the 2011 and 2015 South Coast Music Festivals. They have received Superior Ratings at UIL Concert and Sightreading every year since the school opened. The Marching Band was a finalist at the 2008, 2010, and 2011 BOA Arlington Regional. In 2011, they were the AAA Champion at the Arlington event. In 2013, they were finalists at the Austin and Allen Regionals, winning Class AAA at the latter. The Westlake Marching Band was a finalist at every Bands of America Regional they attended from 1999 through 2006. In 1999, the Westlake Band was awarded the coveted, Sudler Flag of Honor at the Midwest Clinic in Chicago. December of 2002, the Wind Ensemble was selected to perform at the prestigious Midwest Clinic. In 2003, the group marched in the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California. The Westlake Jazz Ensemble was one of the premier public school jazz programs in Texas during Mr. Fugett’s tenure.

Ray Ulibari

Ray Ulibari is beginning his sixteenth year as a percussion instructor in public schools. Prior to teaching at Reagan High School in San Antonio, he was the percussion director at Klein Forest High School and Pomona High School in Arvada, Colorado. During his tenure with Pomona, his band won an unprecedented 11 State Marching Band Championships and placed fifth at the 1997 BOA Grand National Championships in Indianapols. In addition, the Percussion ensemble was a two time medalist at the WGI World Championships and perennial finalist. In 2002-03, Mr. Ulibarri was the percussion instructor of the University of Colorado Golden Buffalo Marching Band.

Mr. Ulibarri is currently the Percussion Arranger for the Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corp and the former caption Head of the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps. He is also the former front ensemble arranger and caption head of the Blue Knights World Percussion Ensemble. Both groups are recognized as innovators in the world of percussion and have placed in the top three in the world.

Percussion arrangements are in demand throughout the country and he is a freelance composer. He is endorsed by Innovative Percussion, Evans, Zildgian and Yamaha. Ray Ulibarri is an active music adjudicator and clinician throughout the country.

Jeff Ausdemore

Jeff Ausdemore is currently in his third year at GCISD’s iUniversity Prep as Director of Virtual Music. Prior to this role, Mr. Ausdemore served eleven years as the Percussion Coordinator at Colleyville Heritage High School. In this role, Mr. Ausdemore serves as the percussion coordinator, head of jazz studies, co-director/composer/arranger of the CHHS marching band.

Under Mr. Ausdemore’s direction, the Colleyville Heritage High School percussion program has flourished, gaining national notoriety through chamber music, guest artist concerts, recitals and ensemble competitions. The percussion program has enjoyed competitive success at many levels, including the 2013 and 2014 gold medla for the North Texas Color Guard Association as well as capturing the 2008 Percussive Arts Society Marching Percussion title. Other accolades include the Percussion Arts Society’s “Call for Tapes” winners, the Percussive Arts Society’s Small Ensemple Champions, the Plano Drumline Competition marching percussion champions as well as the Lone Star drumline competition champions.

In addition to his teaching duties at Colleyville Heritage High School, Ausdemore has served as the percussion arranger and caption head for the Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps from 2006 thru 2010. During Ausdemore’s tenure at the Blue Knights, the percussion program produced several individual solo championships, ensemble championships, and a strong reputation for excellence, placing in the elite “top 12” in the Drum Corps International Championships consistently.
Jeff Ausdemore is a clinician for Dynasty/Bergerault Musical Instruments, Zildjian cymbals, Remo drumheads, and Pro Mark sticks and mallets. The Pro Mark corporation released the Jeff Ausdemore “signature series” snare drum sticks in early fall of 2009.

Josh Jennings

Josh Jennings is a sought after percussion artist, clinician and educator based in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex where he currently performs and teaches all forms of music. Specializing in Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, Caribbean, Polynesian, and Latin Jazz, Josh is continuously traveling abroad in an effort to further his international education and make new musical and cultural connections. Josh regularly visits Brazil, Japan, Tahiti, Taiwan and Thailand to study indigenous music with native musicians.

Josh Jennings currently holds a position as the percussion coordinator for the MacArthur HS cluster in Irving, TX. Before coming to Irving ISD, Josh served as Percussion Coordinator at Vandeventer MS in Frisco, TX. For a number of years, Josh was a consultant for the drumline and Brazilian ensembles at the University of Texas at Arlington as well as several percussion programs in the Metroplex.

Josh presents various educational clinics and has served as a guest percussion artist at schools and universities around the world. He has worked at Kasetsart University in Bangkok, Thailand, the University of North Texas, Western State College, Tennessee Tech University, the University of Tennessee Knoxville, and several public schools across the US. In addition to his US adjudications, Josh has also served as a clinician and judge for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Thailand Drumline contests in Bangkok, Thailand. He has performed as a guest artist for the 60th and 61st Midwest Band and Orchestra Conferences in Chicago, IL as well as several Texas Music Educators Conventions in San Antonio and Percussive Arts Society international Conventions around the US.

Josh holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education and a Master’s Degree of Music Performance from the famed University of North Texas percussion program. During his time at UNT, Josh studied percussion with José Aponte, Christopher Deane, Ron Fink, Mark Ford, Paul Rennick, Dr. Robert Schietroma, Ed Smith, Ed Soph, and Poovalur Sriji. At UNT, Josh toured and performed with a multitude of Percussion and Jazz ensembles. Most notably, Josh also spent three years with the UNT “A Line”; winning multiple Percussive Arts Society Drumline Championship titles. Josh began his music career in Flower Mound where he was a member of the Marcus High School percussion section where he received a number of honors and awards under the direction of Kennan Wylie; including three PASIC national championship titles and first place in the PAS individual keyboard competition. Josh also spent six years marching with the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps and received numerous accolades in the world of Drum Corps International. Josh was featured in the 25th Anniversary issue of Modern Drummer for receiving the highest individual percussion score in the DCI I&E competition.

When he’s not teaching in Irving, Josh can be found performing every kind of music imaginable either locally or internationally. For example, Josh was a percussion co-coordinator and performer for the NHL Dallas Stars 2006-2007 season. Josh served as designer and performer as an inaugural member of the Cutting Edge Drummers for the Cutting Edge Haunted House in Ft. Worth, TX in 2005 and 2006. As a world percussionist, Josh has performed with such artists as Bossa Tres in Chicago, IL; Sesame Flyers Steel Orchestra of Brooklyn, NY; Grooversity Brazilian group in Boston, MA; Cuatro em Cantos in Salvador, Brazil; the Papetoai Village music group of Moorea, Tahiti; and with the Genta/Nagaoka Brazilian Jazz group in Tokyo, Japan. In addition to performing with his own Brazilian Jazz group, Josh is an active member of the Dallas/Ft. Worth musical scene as an in-demand performer with Brasuka!, the Eymard Furtado Group, Nina Katrina, Te Toa Tahitian Drum Group, Sweet Steel, and the Grace Hula Dance company. He served as the international manager and key percussionist for the American new music group, FOUNDRY, featured at the 2012 International Drum Festival in Taiwan with Composer/Performer Andy Akiho. For the past 3 years, Josh has been a member of the Dallas-based Percussion group, D’Drum. They have performed the work “Gamelan D’Drum,” commisioned for the group by former Police drummer, Stewart Copeland, with the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra and the Corpus Christi Symphony. In Fall of 2015, the group will present multiple performances of Gamelan D’Drum with the San Antonio Symphony Orchestra in conjunction with PASIC.

Josh is an endorser for Cadeson drums, Contemporânea Brazilian instruments, and Pro-Mark sticks and sounds.

Brandon kelly

Percussionist Brandon Kelly is heavily active in the DFW-metroplex as an instructor, adjudicator, and clinician. He currently is a member of the Marcus High School Percussion faculty where he assists with many aspects of the Marcus Band program, including private instruction, the percussion ensemble, and serving as front ensemble instructor to the nationally-renowned Marcus High School Marching Band. He is Adjunct Professor of Percussion at Texas Wesleyan University and Tarleton State University, where he instructs private lessons, method courses, and assists with various ensembles — including TSU”s “The Pride & The Fury” Marching Band. For several summers, Brandon was a faculty member for the Leigh Howard Stevens High School Summer Marimba Seminars in Plano, TX and Madison, NJ.

A native of New Jersey, Brandon received his undergraduate education from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania. As an undergraduate, Brandon was highly active in all of IUP’s major ensembles ranging from pit percussionist for musicals and operas to orchestra, jazz ensemble, and wind ensemble. Following IUP, Brandon pursued his Masters in Percussion Performance as a teaching fellow at the University of North Texas, where he had the responsibilities of teaching undergraduate percussion lessons, percussion methods classes and directing UNT’s 12 O’clock Percussion Ensemble. As a performer, Brandon was active in many of UNT’s culturally-diverse percussion ensembles, and served as principal percussionist of the world renowned North Texas Wind Symphony.

Brandon’s teachers include Mark Ford, Christopher Deane, Ed Soph, Dr. Robert Schietroma, Ed Smith, Paul Rennick, Poovalur Sriji, Tom Murphy, Dr. Gary Olmstead, Dr. Jack Stamp, Eugene Corporon, and Leigh Howard Stevens.

With a passion for new music, Brandon has been heavily involved in recording and can be found on 40+ commercially available recordings with various ensembles. Through the ensembles of which he has been a part, Brandon has premiered dozens of new works by some of the world’s leading composers, including Frank Ticheli, Donald Grantham, Nancy Galbraith, and Richard Danielpour. In March 2010, composer Bruce Yurko completed his first work for percussion ensemble, “Caccia”, dedicated to Brandon and the Plano West Senior High School Percussion Ensemble. Brandon also took part in commissioning nationally-recognized composer Nathan Daughtrey to compose “Halcyon Days,” a new work for marimba soloist and percussion quartet.

As a performer, Brandon continues to make regular appearances on recordings produced by the Keystone Wind Ensemble and North Texas Wind Symphony. He is currently a member of the Lone Star Wind Orchestra and the Keystone Wind Ensemble and is the director and a founding member of the Lone Star Percussion Ensemble. Brandon has performed with the Dallas Winds, Imperial Brass, and the Altoona, Arlington, Garland, Johnstown, Las Colinas, and Westmoreland Symphony Orchestras. He has performed at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC), PerKumania, Texas Bandmasters Association Conference (TBA), World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles International Conference (WASBE), and the Midwest Clinic, amongst others. Professional organizations of which he is a member include the Percussive Arts Society (PAS), Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA), The National Association for Music Education (MENC), Pi Kappa Lambda Music Honor Society, and Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society.