Marching Arts Division
Medal of Distinction
Marching Arts Division
Medal of Distinction
Global Initiative for Talented Students (GIFTS) a 501 (c) (3) organization in collaboration with Perform America – TX, LLC is excited to offer once again an educational opportunity for high school marching bands throughout the country. The Marching Arts Division of Medal of Distinction, will be a unique recording submission process designed to celebrate excellence in performance while simultaneously offering practical and exciting opportunities of growth for both students and directors. All participants will have access to a wealth of knowledge from evaluators with a variety of musical and visual backgrounds.. The Medal of Distinction program serves as a means to bring together a community of musicians and educators striving to better themselves, their programs and the art of music-making through the marching arts. The Marching Arts Division of Medal of Distinction, will be an unique recording submission process designed to celebrate excellence in performance while simultaneously offering practical and exciting opportunities of growth for both students and directors. All participants will have access to a wealth of knowledge from evaluators with a variety of musical and visual backgrounds.. The Medal of Distinction program serves as a means to bring together a community of musicians and educators striving to better themselves, their programs and the art of music-making through the marching arts.
Overview
Our event focus will be on the educational aspects of your performance and work to provide feedback that will help elevate your bands to the next level. We have a competitive component that is focused on providing an educational experience. Marching Band video recordings will be evaluated by 8 nationally recognized educators and designers. After viewing each group’s recordings, the adjudicators will share a video commentary of their review of each show to provide feedback for each program. In addition, the top 10 bands will be listed, a Grand Champion will be announced regardless of classification, plus the winner of each classification will have one of the evaluators visit and work with their program, the following year. (applicable only if more than one marching band applies to compete in your classification). This is what makes Medal of Distinction a truly educational experience!
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Bands will submit a full run-through video of their fall 2021 show to be assessed by the following educators. This submission should be a high quality video in full uniform.
EVALUATORS:
Jason Robb is a freelance pageantry program coordinator, visual designer, and educational consultant living in the suburbs of Austin, Texas with his wife Jackie and son Joseph. He received his Bachelor’s of Music in Education and Trumpet Performance from Sam Houston State University in Houston, Texas.Jason Robb
ANDY TOTH has been an active and energetic participant of the marching arts community as a performer, choreographer, judge, and clinician for over three decades. His performance experiences began on the East Coast with Cadets of Bergen County Drum and Bugle Corps and Emerald Marquis winter guard until aging out in the Midwest with The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps and Pride of Cincinnati winter guard. Andy Toth
Mike Howard is currently in his 12th year at Vandegrift High School and in his 17th year of teaching high school band. He was one of the founding directors when VHS opened in 2009 and became Head Band Director in the Fall of 2014. As the Vandegrift Marching Band Director, Mr. Howard’s bands have been recognized with several high honors such as 2019 BOA Grand National Champion, BOA Regional Champion, BOA Super Regional Finalist, BOA Super Regional Class Champion, UIL State Marching Contest Finalist, 6A UIL State Marching Contest Bronze Medalist, 5A UIL State Marching Contest Silver Medalist. The Vandegrift Wind Ensemble was selected as the 2018 TMEA 6A State Honor Band and performed at the 2019 TMEA Convention. Most recently, the Vandegrift Wind Ensemble was chosen as a feature ensemble at the 2020 Midwest Clinic and will perform at the event in 2021. Mr. Howard’s concert bands are consistent UIL Sweepstakes Award winners and TMEA Honor Band State Finalists. At Vandegrift, Mr. Howard is the director of the Viper Marching Band, Wind Ensemble and Jazz Band.Mike Howard
Mr. Jeremy Spicer is a Magna cum Laude graduate from Texas State University and is the owner of SASI, The Leadership People, LLC. SASI is a student leadership consulting firm focusing on the empowerment of young leaders. SASI believes that students become empowered to succeed in their organization and their personal lives when they are properly equipped with a deeper knowledge and understanding of people, organizations, systems, and processes.Jeremy Spicer
Daniel Morrison is currently the Director of Bands at Ronald Reagan High School in San Antonio, TX where he manages and teaches the Marching Band and conducts the Wind Ensemble. In addition, he assists with the Symphonic Band, Concert Band and various chamber ensembles. In his time at Reagan, the concert bands have received superior ratings at the UIL Concert and Sight Reading Contest, and the Marching Band has been a consistent Bands of America Regional, Super Regional and Grand National Finalist as well as a UIL State Marching Contest finalist. Dan Morrison
Dr. T. André Feagin currently serves as band director and assistant professor of music at Central Washington University. Prior to his appointment at CWU, he served as assistant director of bands at Colorado State University, director of bands at Coastal Carolina University (South Carolina) and associate director of bands at the University of Texas at El Paso. His secondary teaching experience include serving as director of bands at Watkins Overton High School for the Creative and Performing Arts (Tennessee).T. André Feagin
Originally from New Berlin, WI, Heather Graham currently resides in Miamisburg, Ohio. Heather has been involved in the marching arts since the age of three, beginning with a successful career in baton twirling and rhythmic gymnastics. Heather was recruited by her high school guard at the age of 12 and has since been performing in the color guard activity. While continuing to be a consistent member in the activity, she graduated from the University of Milwaukee with a degree in Communications and a minor in biology.Heather Graham
Joe Hobbs is in his 5th year as the Director of Percussion at Vandegrift High school in Joe Hobbs
PARTICIPANTS:
- All participants will receive feedback through Screencastify from each adjudicator on their 2021 fall performance.
- All participants will have exclusive access to an online forum as soon as they register where both directors and contest evaluators can share discussions about rehearsal procedures, performance considerations, programming, and other questions and topics that arise along the performance preparation and educational journey.
- All participants will have exclusive access to evaluator’s methods and strategies videos on how they approach different aspects of teaching and ensemble performance and/or UDB Virtual Curriculum
- Every participant that enters will have a chance to have 1 adjudicator visit their program the next fall
- The Grand Champion regardless of classification will have an evaluator visit their program, plus the winner of each classification! (applicable only if more than one marching band applies to compete)
- Honorarium, plus accommodations and flights (if applicable) will be provided by GIFTS/Perform America – TX, LLC. The school/director would only be responsible for providing meals/social gatherings or any other requests from evaluator.
- Schools would be able to select the time as to when adjudicators will come to visit their programs (clinicians will be selected by GIFTS/Perform America – TX, LLC and will based based on their availability)
SUBMISSION:
Each ensemble will submit a press box video recording of their bands performance
Recording Considerations:
- Videos must be from the Fall 2021 school year
- .MP4 or .MOV is preferred, but not necessary
- Stationary camera from press-box or as high up as possible to capture most/all of the field
- Must be one continuous take/unedited
FALL 2021 DATES/DEADLINES:
- October 22nd – Entry registration opens, payment of $350 should be processed upon registration, once registered and payment received you will have access to Online Community Forum, UDB Virtual Curriculum and we will plan a video conference with one of the evaluators
- January 1st – Videos are due
- Results/Feedback will be sent to all in March
Payment can be mailed to:
Medal of Distinction – Marching Arts Division
2601 La Frontera Blvd. #1114
Round Rock, TX 78618
Checks can be made out to: Global Initiative for Talented Students or GIFTS
Recordings should be submitted through the registration form. If having trouble, please email mod@giftsmovement.org with school/director information with videos in a google or dropbox folder.
WHO CAN ENTER?
Medal of Distinction for Marching Bands is open to all marching bands (Domestic and International) from every classification, no penalties, no disqualification, we just ask that you Bring ALL you got!!!
Classifications:
- International Division
- Class A – up to 600 students in schools enrollment
- Class AA is 601 – 1250 students in schools enrollment
- Class AAA is 1251 – 1750 students in schools enrollment
- Class AAAA is 1751 and above students in schools enrollment
ONLINE COMMUNITY FORUM:
- Facebook group, everyone that registers has access.
- Entry to the group is available once the participant has registered and closes on December 1st.
- Participants will be able to bounce ideas off each other as well as receive feedback from judges throughout the season.
- Each judge will post 1 mini instructional video. These will be released weekly beginning on Oct 22nd and/or receive UDB Virtual Curriculum