Judges for Blue Ridge Regional
Josh Potter
Joshua K Potter is currently the Director of Bands at Providence Senior High School. Previously, Mr. Potter was the Director of Bands at Raleigh Wakefield High School for eleven years – beginning with its opening in 2000. He received his Bachelor of Music Education from UNC - Chapel Hill and completed a Masters in Wind Band Conducting at ECU. Mr. Potter also served as the Director of Bands at West Rowan HS and Charlotte Catholic HS.
During his time at Wakefield, the program developed into a comprehensive music education program that featured three concert ensembles, two jazz bands, a percussion ensemble studio and a winter percussion ensemble, four winter guards, a chamber music program, and a music theory and AP Music Theory program. The marching band was a Bands of America Regional Championship Finalist on multiple occasions. The Winter Guard was a four-time Winter Guard International World Championships finalist. The Wakefield band program was featured twice at the NC Music Educator’s Conference.
At Providence, the Wind Ensemble was a featured ensemble at the 2013 NC Music Educator’s Conference. In addition, the Pride of Providence Marching Band was a finalist at the 2013 Bands of America Winston-Salem Super Regional, the first band from Charlotte to earn this honor.
Katie Greene Kegley
Katie Greene Kegley is originally from Salem, VA and currently is a school counselor for Rockingham County Public Schools in Virginia. She performed with James Madison University's color guard in 2010 and was captain in 2011. She was also a member of JMU Nuance Winter Guard in 2010 and 2011. Most recently, she was a member in First Flight World for the 2016-2018 seasons. She has been teaching high school and collegiate color guard and winter guard throughout the Shenandoah Valley since 2012 and is excited to continue with her fifth year of judging with VMBC. She is currently a movement judge with the Atlantic Indoor Association (AIA).
Mike Kirby
Michael Kirby currently lives in Washington DC. He is a former snare line member of the Crossmen, Blue Knights and Brigadiers Drum and Bugle Corps. He is a former instructor of the Univ. at Buffalo and Thomas Jefferson HSST. He is long-time percussion judge for the Atlantic Indoor Association.
Paula Hales
Paula Hales currently lives in Clayton, NC where she serves as band director at Archer Lodge Middle School. She has performed in WGI with Northern Nash HS and in DCI with the Cadets 94-95. Mrs. Hales has been active in the Marching band community as both member, staff, and director since 1990. She has judged numerous marching band contests for NCBA.
Mrs. Hales received her Bachelor and Masters of Music Education degrees in 1997 and 2006 from East Carolina University. She achieved National Board Certification in Music education in 2007. She maintains professional affiliations with MENC and NCBA South Eastern District associations and has been named Teacher of the Year at her school for 2014. On a personal note, she is the proud mother of four wonderful children, Alex, age 20, Matthew, age 18, Maddie, age 17, and Darryn, age 13. She would also like to thank her husband, Allen, and her father, Wayne, for their love and support.
Paul Orsett
Paul Orsett hails from Knightdale, NC. He has over 30 years of teaching experience, starting his career with a decade-long stint as a band director, and for the past 14 years has taught theater arts. He was a former member of the Cavaliers Winterguard and Drum & Bugle Corps. He was the President of AIA from 2005 until 2019. He began announcing at local Atlantic Indoor Association (AIA) events approximately 16 years ago, recalling “we had different dads announcing at different events and we wanted to make it more consistent. We put together a group of people who would be circuit announcers.” He has also been announcing for WGI events for the past 13 to 14 years. Paul continues to march with Assembly Line Winter Guard and has done so for over 30 years.
Dr. Chris Sharp
Chris Sharp, Ph.D. is a professional composer, arranger and orchestrator currently living in Lynchburg, VA. Educated at the University of Florida and the University of Miami, he has served the music field in a wide range of capacities. As a trombonist, Dr. Sharp worked as a full-time performing musician and bandleader at Walt Disney World for eleven years. In addition, he has served as an arranger/orchestrator for the Disney parks worldwide since 1984, providing music for atmosphere groups, live shows, recording sessions and national television broadcasts. He also has written for numerous freelance clients including Universal Studios, SeaWorld, Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, the Boston Pops, the Dallas Brass and several service bands including the famed USAF Airmen of Note.
Mr. Sharp is currently serving as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Music at Lynchburg College where he conducts the instrumental ensembles and teaches music theory and humanities courses. Dr. Sharp has served as a clinician and guest conductor on numerous occasions, and has extensive experience as an adjudicator judging for several organizations including Bands of America and Drum Corps International. His compositions and arrangements for concert and jazz band have enjoyed widespread performances, including annual appearances at the prestigious Midwest Clinic in Chicago. He has received the ASCAPlus award multiple times.