Judges for Tournament of Champions
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.
Matthew Phillips
Matthew Phillips is a native of Chesapeake and is in his sixth year as a band director in the Hugo Owens Middle School program. His responsibilities include teaching the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade bands as well as leading the Hugo Owens Jazz Band. Before teaching at Hugo Owens Middle School, Mr. Phillips taught for three years at Hickory High School and two years at Oscar Smith High School in Chesapeake, VA. Like many other local band directors Mr. Phillips received his Bachelor's Degree in Music Education from East Carolina University and earned his Master's Degree in Secondary Education from Old Dominion University, studying with Jon Wacker, Scott Carter, Christopher Knighten, Dennis Zeisler, and Gregory Hurley. He has performed in the Virginia Wind Symphony for the past ten years, and also serves as a private percussion teacher. Mr. Phillips has served as a successful percussion instructor/clinician to many local schools, with multiple seasons of service at Great Bridge, Hickory, and now Grassfield High Schools. Earning the respect of his fellow Music Educators, Mr. Phillips has most recently been elected to serve as the Virginia Band and Orchestra Directors Association District 4 Representative, serving and representing music educators from Portsmouth, Suffolk, Isle of Wight County, and Chesapeake. Mr. Phillips is currently a member of the Percussive Arts Society, MENC, and NEA.
Kent Baker
Kent Baker received his education at Illinois State University in Normal, IL, where he studied Music Education with Dr. Stephen K. Steele, and Horn with Dr. Joseph Niesler. He was the Director of Bands at Central Catholic High School, Bloomington, IL, directing Concert Band and Concert Choir. Mr. Baker was a member of the Peoria Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Dr. William Wilson. He has also performed with the Prince George Symphony Orchestra, MD, and the Fairfax Wind Symphony, VA. He regularly performs with the Quintessential Brass Quintet playing the French horn and arranges music for them. Their CDs and charts can be found at www.trumpetunes.com. He is recently retired from the The United States Air Force Band in Washington, DC, as a Master Sergeant with the Ceremonial Brass, the marching component of the band. He was the staff arranger/composer, an assistant Drum Major, and composed music performed on USAF Band CDs, and live on The Today Show, and Fox & Friends. He is currently the Executive Director of Music City Drum & Bugle Corps from Nashville, TN.
A native of Illinois, Mr. Baker has marched with and instructed such legendary Drum and Bugle Corps as the Belleville Black Knights, the Geneseo Knights, and The Cavaliers, where as a member of the brass staff, the corps won its first DCI Championship in 1992. He was a designer and instructor for Images Winter Guard from Normal Community High School, IL, from 1986-1996. They were a finalist at Winter Guard International (WGI) regional competition 15 times across all Scholastic classes during his time there. Mr. Baker has judged for Drum Corps Midwest, WGI and Atlantic Indoor Association. Mr. Baker is active as an arranger and drill writer for many successful high school marching bands. These bands have won numerous awards such as BOA Grand Nationals Semi-Finalist, BOA Regional Class Champion, BOA Regional Finalist, USSBA State Champion, Greater St. Louis Champion, Illinois State Class Champion, and VBODA Honor Band.
Dr. Rob Sanderl
Rob Sanderl is a well-known musician and artist in the field of percussion. His versatility in almost any setting, from jazz, classical and contemporary, to drum corps, has earned him the opportunity to perform in many prestigious settings around the world. As Associate Professor of Music and Director of Percussion Studies at Radford University in Virginia, Sanderl has transformed the Percussion Studies Program at the University to one of prominence.
Rob’s skills as a performer, educator and composer grew from his long history and love of the marching arts, which became evident to him as a child in the 6th grade. In 1999, on his summer break from Crane, Rob gave up his summer vacation to improve his skills, playing snare drum with the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps. As his knowledge grew, Rob moved from performance to direction, where from 2002-2005 he served as percussion director and designer for the Arlington Admiral Marching band in New York. He and his band won two Musical Arts Conference Championships, one New York State Championship, two High Percussion Awards, a first and second place finish at Bands of America Regionals, and made the 2004 semifinals at the Bands of American Grand National Championships. Rob also served on the staff of the Madison Scouts, and was Caption Head for the Empire Statesmen Drum and Bugle Corps from 2008-2009. Rob continues to be an active arranger in the marching idiom, having written for groups in New York, New Jersey, Virginia, and Iowa, receiving numerous state championships and high percussion awards. Additionally, he has written for the USC Trojan Band, The University of Buffalo, and the Sunrisers Drum and Bugle Corps.
Rob received his DMA and Masters in Percussion Performance from the Eastman School of Music, as well as the coveted Performers Certificate. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from the Crane School of Music with a Performer’s Certificate. During his education, Rob had the privilege to study with well-known musicians John Beck, Jim Petercsak, John Riley, Erik Forrester, Ernie Musquiz, and John Pratt
Jerry Philp
Jerry Philp is the director of bands at Skyline Middle School in Harrisonburg Virginia. There, he also designs drill for several high school programs across the Commonwealth and works specifically with the Harrisonburg High School marching band, the James Madison University Marching Royal Dukes, and the WGI medalist Nuance Winterguard. For the past several years he has been a general effect judge with the Atlantic Indoor Association, and continues to perform with the Massanutten Brass Band.
Lindsey Reid
Lindsay Reid is a long-time veteran of the sport of the arts. Starting in 2000, she marched with North Stafford High School on In 2003 she was a part of their inaugural winter guard where they won gold at Atlantic Indoor Association championships. During her collegiate career, she was a founding member of two more marching groups: the Marching Captains and Discovery Winter Guard at Christopher Newport University. She marched weapon line all six seasons from 2004 through 2007. Upon graduation, she performed with Impact Independent for her 2008 age-out season.
Her instructional experience started at C. D. Hylton High School and then subsequently at North Stafford from 2010 through 2015. She also instructed Potomac Senior High School. Since leaving North Stafford, Lindsay has performed in a technician role for many local groups, offering an outside perspective to young performers.
She currently resides in Stafford County with her husband and two girls, and teaches high school English in Prince William County.