33rd Annual Beechwood Festival of Bands Contest Adjudicators
September 9, 2023
Greg Mills | Music
Mr. Mills is a native of Tennessee where he attended Bolivar Central High School and graduated cum laude from The University of Memphis in 1978. As a music educator, Mr. Mills has taught at Briarcrest High School in Memphis, Tennessee, Highlands High School in Fort Thomas, Kentucky, and retired in June of 2012 after thirty years as Director of Instrumental Music at Kings High School. Concert and Marching Ensembles directed by Mr. Mills consistently garnered Superior Ratings and won many competitions during his thirty-five year career. Mr. Mills is also the Director of the Central State Judges Association, President and co-founder of the Mid-States Band Association, past President of District 13-Ohio Music Educator’s Association, and a member of Phi Beta Mu. In addition, Mr. Mills is a member of the Central States Judges Association Hall of Fame. As a professional trumpeter, Mr. Mills has played with entertainers such as Bob Hope, Tony Bennett, Vicki Carr, Dianne Carroll, Roy Clark, John Davidson, Phyllis Diller, Barbara Eden, Peter Nero, Rich Little, Bob Newhart, Wayne Newton, Danny Thomas, Lou Rawls, Barry Manilow, and Sonny & Cher. In addition, Mr. Mills has performed with the Memphis Symphony, Memphis Opera Productions, Holiday on Ice, Disney on Parade, and numerous musicals. He has been a member of the solo cornet section of The Ohio Valley British Brass Band for the past twenty-three years and was recently appointed the conductor of this ensemble beginning with the 2017-18 season. In addition, Mr. Mills serves on the brass staff of the William Mason HS Marching Band.
Biography and photo courtesy of WGI.org
Brian Brown | Music
Brian began his teaching career in 1986 at Beechwood Independent Schools in Ft. Mitchell, Kentucky where he served as Assistant Director and then Band Director for grades five through twelve. He went on to teach high school band in Kentucky and Ohio for 26 years. He has served as a consultant, adjudicator, and visual designer for hundreds of high school band programs, including several Kentucky and Indiana State Finalists and Champions, as well as Bands Of America Semi-finalists including the 2006 and 2011 Music For All Grand National Class A Champion Beechwood Marching Tigers. He recently finished 6 years as program consultant for the Drum Corp International Finalist Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps from San Antonio, Texas. Brian served as the Director of Bands as Thomas More University from 2018-2022. Brian is an active adjudicator for the indoor percussion and winter guard activity as a member of the Tri-State Judges Association and is a Winter Guard International Winds adjudicator. A native of Northern Kentucky, Brian currently resides in Bellevue, Kentucky.
Bob Elliott | Music
Bob began his teaching career at Ft. Thomas Highlands as assistant band director in 1985. Beginning in 1991 as band director at Grant County High School Mr. Elliott developed an award-winning marching band program that included 3 appearances in the KMEA State Championship Finals, highlighted by a KMEA Class A State Championship in 1995. Mr. Elliott then moved to Lexington, Kentucky to assume the Director of Bands position at Tates Creek High School. During this time the Tates Creek Marching Band was a KMEA State Marching Band Finalist in 2000, 2001 and 2002. The marching band was also named a Bands of America Regional Finalist at Louisville in 2000 and 2002 and at St. Louis in 2001.
Mr. Elliott was named Director of Bands at Larry A Ryle High School in 2012. During his tenure the Ryle Marching Band was named a KMEA Class 5A Semifinalist from 2012 – 2016, highlighted by a 5th place finish in 2015. The marching band was named as a Bands of America Dayton Regional finalist in 2013 and 2014. The Ryle Marching Band was also a Bands of America Grand National Semi-Finalist at the 40th Bands of America Grand National Championships in 2015.
Bob is also a member of Phi Beta Mu International Bandmasters Fraternity and has been awarded the KMEA District 6 Teacher of the Year Award. Bob is currently the Band and Orchestra Consultant for Fayette County Schools in Lexington Kentucky.
Biography and photo courtesy of musicforall.org
Michael Turner | Visual
Mr. Michael Turner began his career in the pageantry arts as a member of the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps. Trained in ballet, jazz and modern dance, Michael was one of the early color guard pioneers to introduce dance and movement to the marching arena. While in Madison, Mr. Turner performed with Kanopy Dance Theatre, PresenTense, Children’s Theatre of Madison, Madison Opera, and Ballet Madison. With such a diversified background, Michael developed an artistically strong and original teaching style. For 18 years, Michael worked with the two-time World Champion Madison Scouts, serving as Color Guard Choreographer and Visual Coordinator. In the San Francisco Bay Area, Mr. Turner served as Dance Master and Choreographer for the six-time World Champion Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps. Mr. Turner has judged for Winter Guard International (WGI), Bands of America (BOA), and Drum Corps International (DCI), and continues freelance judging for marching bands, drum corps, and color guard throughout the world.
Biography and photo courtesy of musicforall.org
David Veda | Visual
Mr. David Veda has over 25 years of pageantry arts experience to his credit. He has served as a designer and clinician for drum corps, winter guard and marching band throughout the United States as well as in Canada, Europe and Kuwait. He has spent 15 years with the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps, first as a performer, then as a designer. During this time, the corps won a Drum Corps International (DCI) Championship and a DCI Best Color Guard award, along with achieving DCI finalist status every year. Mr. Veda also spent one year as a designer and clinician for the Denver Blue Knights and the Santa Clara Vanguard, both of which were DCI finalists.
Other marching band design credits include Elizabethtown HS (the 1997 Bands of America, Class A Champion), Pomona HS winter guard (1994 Winter Guard International (WGI) Open Class Champions and 2005 WGI World Class Finalist), Green Valley HS, Lexington Lafayette HS, McGavock HS, and Father Ryan HS.
Outside of the pageantry arts, Mr. Veda has worked as a floor manager for the Tennessee Performing Arts Center. In two previous positions, Mr. Veda served as the Assistant Company Manager and Press Coordinator for the national tour of Grease with Cindy Williams and Eddie Mekka and also for Storm an original theater production at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, NV. Most recently he has worked with Spamalot at Wynn Las Vegas, The Beauty of Magic with Hans Klok and Pamela Anderson at Planet Hollywood and Jersey Boys at the Palazzo Resort and Casino.
Biography and photo courtesy of spartanallianceband.com
Brandon Spidel | Visual
Brandon Spidel is a Junior High Band Director in Fishers, IN. He has been teaching high school and middle school band since 1998. Brandon received his Bachelor’s of Science in Music Education from Indiana State University.
Brandon is very active is developing and creating unique classroom techniques in the band setting and has presented at the Indiana Music Educator’s Association State conference. He has adjudicated for DCI (Drum Corps International), BOA (Bands of America), MEPA (Mid East Performance Association, IHSCGA (Indiana High School Color Guard Association), MSBA (MidStates Band Association) CITSA(Central Indiana Track Show Association), ISSMA (Indiana State School Music Association), FMBC (Florida Marching Band Coalition), TMA (TriState Marching Arts), MCCGA (Mid-Continent Color Guard Association), OIPA (Ohio Indoor Performance Association), and KMEA (Kentucky Music Educators Association).
Biography courtesy of musicforall.org
Anthony Gilleland | Perc.
Originally from Irvine, Calif., Anthony started his teaching career at Woodbridge High School 2015. Since then, he has taught at other notable groups such as Pulse Percussion, Gahr, and Chino Hills High School. He also holds a Bachelor's Degree in Percussion Performance from CSU Fullerton where he studied with Ken McGrath.
Currently the Front Ensemble Caption Manager for The Cadets drum corps, Anthony began his drum corps teaching as a consultant at Pacific Crest in 2019, later joining the Carolina Crown Percussion Staff, where he taught from 2019 to 2022. Anthony is now living in Fort Mitchell, Ky., where he is the Percussion Director at Beechwood High School. He is also currently on staff at ConneXus Independent as a front ensemble technician and George Mason University Indoor Drumline as a consultant.
Biography courtesy of cadets.org
Dana Arnold
Overall Design Comments (prelims)
& Color Guard (finals)
Dana Arnold is presently the Assistant Executive Director of the Fayette County Bar Association in Lexington Kentucky. Her color guard experience includes over 22 years of teaching in the Central Kentucky area both fall and winter programs. She has been an Assistant Director of the Lexis Winter Guard since its inception in 2010. Dana has been a member of the TriState Marching Arts Judges Association since 2010 and judges in the areas of Individual Analysis Movement, Equipment and General Effect. She has completed level 300 of WGI Certify.
Dana is married to Rob Arnold, a teacher in the Clark County School System and he also instructs/designs/judges for bands and guards in Kentucky. They have two sons and reside in Winchester Kentucky.
Biography courtesy of ryleband.com