THE DRUM MAJOR ACADEMY® BLOG

Originally from central New Jersey, Justin McAdams is currently the band director and music department chair at Daniel Boone High School in eastern Pennsylvania.   His program now includes a competitive marching band, two concert bands, a jazz band, winter guard, and winter percussion ensemble.  The Marching Blazers are a two-time Tournament of Bands Atlantic Coast Champion (2005 and 2009), and all of the performing groups have been consistently recognized for their musical abilities, repertoire, and innovative approach to design.

Aside from his own program, Justin is also a visual designer and consultant to many programs in the area, having designed award-winning shows in each of the three major competitive marching circuits that exist in the Mid-Atlantic area.   He is also a major supporter of  using technology in classrooms to help overall student achievement.  Justin is a graduate of the University of Delaware and is currently finishing a graduate degree in wind conducting at West Chester University.   He is also a former drum major for the Bushwackers Drum & Bugle Corps.  In his free time, he enjoys reading, cycling, golf, and spending time with his wife Sarah.

Justin has been on staff with the Drum Major Academy® since 2000.  He is the lead clinician at our Ohio Wesleyan University location and staff manager at our Kutztown University and West Chester University locations.

As the marching band world races through the fall season there is also a buzz around the DMA Office.  The summer of 2012 will be here before we know it and plans are well underway for what looks like another fantastic year!

Here are two of the upcoming items of interest:

• The calendar is shaping up quickly and it will be posted on the DMA WEBSITE very soon;
• The return of Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser to the Texas and UMASS locations;

Stop back often to see what else we have in store for you in 2012.  Meanwhile all of us here at DMA wish you continued success this year!

As July 2011 begins it is time to look back over the last month of GNP Drum Major Academy® workshops.  And as we look back it is with incredible pride that those of us here at the DMA Office are THRILLED with how the summer has started and with the future!  THINGS ARE FANTASTIC!

From Louisiana to Alabama, Florida to Kentucky, Arkansas to Indiana the George N. Parks Drum Major Academy® is thriving.  Enrollment is **UP** and registrations are flooding the office for the second half of the summer.  While all of us wish George were here to enjoy how prosperous things are we all know that wherever he is he knows and he is smiling.

Up coming workshops include Texas Woman’s University, Kutztown University (PA), Ohio Wesleyan University, and UNC/Charlotte.  The summer concludes with UNCO/Greeley, UCA/Riverside, West Chester University (PA) and UMASS! We hope you will join us at one of these locations as we put the proverbial bow on the summer of 2011.

Additionally, we are thrilled to announce that Heidi I. Sarver, one of our lead clinicians who as been on staff with DMA for 27 years, will be teaming up with Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser and Dr. John Villella at the Band Leadership Training workshops at UNCO/Greeley and West Chester University.  She assisted George N. Parks with these programs since their inception so we anticipate an easy and seamless transition for all.

Here’s to the second half of the summer–may it be prosperous for everyone!