Judges for Lynchburg Classic
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.
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 18, Matthew, age 16, Maddie, age 15, and Darryn, age 11. She would also like to thank her husband, Allen, and her father, Wayne, for their love and support.
Mark Beamish
Mark Beamish is the former Director of Bands and Fine Arts Team Leader at Green Hope High School in Morrisville, NC. A native of Rochester, NY, Mr. Beamish spent his youth participating in a variety of musically related activities including private and ensemble study at Rochester's Hochstein and Eastman Schools. Mr. Beamish attended the University of Kentucky and was a student of Vincent DiMartino. Beamish earned his Bachelor of Music Degree in 1986 and in 1987 earned his Master's Degree at Eastern Illinois University where he served as the graduate assistant of bands. Before relocation to North Carolina, Mr. Beamish taught all levels of music instruction at two different school systems on Long Island, NY. In 1992, Beamish accepted the position as High School Band Director at Sanderson High School. During Beamish's tenure at Sanderson High School, all ensembles under his tutelage received only superior ratings at music festivals at competitions from 1992-1999. In 1997, the Sanderson Wind Ensemble was the featured performing ensemble at the North Carolina Music Educators' Conference in Winston- Salem, NC. He currently serves as an Adjudicator and Chief Judge for the North Carolina Bandmasters Association.
David Snead
David Snead currently lives in Virginia Beach VA where he is the Band Director at Bayside Middle School. He has taught for 29 years in Virginia. He has his Masters in Music Education from JMU and his Bachelors in Music Education from VCU. David has judged marching band and indoor drum line contests for numerous years for AIA, CIPA, and CWEA. He is a former snare line member of the Blue Stars in 1978-1979 and Spirit of Atlanta Drum and Bugle Corps in 1980. David is an accomplished drill designer and music arranger for various schools. He currently is the Director of the newly formed Virginia Odyssey Drum and Bugle Corps.
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Bob Thomas
Bob Thomas judges or has judged for Drum Corp International (DCI), Winter Guard International WGI), Drum Corp Midwest, Drum Corp Atlantic, Indiana State Scholastic Music Association (ISMMA), Bands of America (BOA), Drum Corp Europe (DCE), Youth Education in the Arts (YEA), Ohio Judges Association, Florida Federation of Judges, Atlantic Indoor Association (AIA), Pennsylvania Federation of Judges, and Marching in Okayama, Japan, Drum Corp Associates (DCA). In 2008 he judged the World Marching Band Championships in Malaysia. He judged the 2009 Thailand Drum Line Competition. He recently returned from Malaysia where he taught the DCE Judges college for DCE license partner M World Band Championships.
He has been the Director of Education for Drum Corp Europe for the past 15 years. He designed the current scoring system for Drum Corp Asia which is currently being used in 16 countries. He has also been the Director of Education for the Florida Judges Association, the Ohio Judges Association, and the Atlantic Indoor Association. Bob was very instrumental in helping establish the VMBC judging system.
Tim Bray
Tim Bray taught percussion at Tunstall High School for over 25 years and was also the founding director of the Virginia Helmsmen. The Virginia Helmsmen and the Tunstall Concert Ensemble are perennial finalists and medalists at WGI. Tim has also served on the WGI advisory board for many years shaping the percussion activity nationally. He has consulted with many national high school groups and represents VA on the national level. He and his wife Debra have raised two children who are both highly active in the winter percussion activity.
Katie Greene Kegley
Katie Greene 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 fourth year of judging with VMBC. She is currently a movement judge with the Atlantic Indoor Association (AIA).
Mike Aycock
Mike Aycock has been active as a national marching band adjudicator, instructor, clinician and administrator for over 35 years. He has judged on the local level at high schools across the nation, the regional level with WGI as a percussion visual analysis adjudicator and on the national level with USBands including being on the panels of multiple State Championships. He is a certified Chief Judge with the North Carolina Bandmasters Association (NCBA) and a member of the Blue Devils Performing Arts panel of judges (BDPA).
Mr. Aycock has served as a marching and visual instructor for numerous marching programs at the high school, college, WGI and DCI level. Mr. Aycock was a visual instructor with the East Carolina University Marching Pirates. He also served as a visual instructor during Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corp’s first season, later to be elected to its Board of Directors and served as the Assistant Corps Director, during which time Carolina Crown won the Division II (now Open Class) Championship in 1993 and broke into DCI Finals for the very first time in 1995. Mr. Aycock served as Tour Manager for the Magic of Orlando Drum and Bugle Corps for 2 years. In 2014 Mr. Aycock was a visual consultant for the Carolina Gold Drum & Bugle Corps. He has also served on the Carolina Crown Advisory Board in 2016.