Jury 2024 March / Marching Parade / Show
Supervisor Dieter Buschau, Germany
Hans-Dieter Buschau’s musical career started in a flute band that was converted into a marching band, where he played the flute and the trumpet. After having become conductor of the band it became very successful and became German Champions. Since then he successfully took part in various competitions with a number of bands as their conductor.
In 1987 he became an adjudicator for various organisations, e.g. the Lower Saxony Band Assocation NMV and Drumcorps Germany. He became a member of the WAMSB Judges Bureau in 2007. He has judged in numerous competitions and has been a clinician all over Germany, France, Denmark, Spain, Canada, Malaysia and Brazil including jury assigments in 4 WAMSB world championships.
Besides his job as a teacher H.-D. Buschau is Director of Music in the Lower Saxony Music Association, vice Director of Music in BDMV (German Band Federation) and member of the WAMSB Board of Directos.
Hans-Dieter Buschau begann seine musikalische Laufbahn als Mitglied eines Spielmannszuges, der in eine Marching Band umgestellt wurde, in der er Flöte und Trompete spielte. Nachdem er den Verein als musikalischer Leiter übernommen hatte, war dieser sehr erfolgreich und wurde Deutscher Meister. Seither hat er als musikalischer Leiter mit einer Anzahl von Gruppen erfolgreich an Wettbewerben teilgenommen.
1987 wurde er Juror für verschiedene Verbände, u.a. im Niedersächsischen Musikverband und für Drumcorps Germany. 2007 wurde er Juror der WAMSB. Er hatte Wertungs- und Dozenteneinsätze in ganz Deutschland, Frankreich, Dänemark, Spanien, Kanada, Malaysia und Brasilien.
H.-D. Buschau ist neben seines Berufes als Lehrer an einem Gymnasium Landesmusikdirektor für Musik in Bewegung im Niedersächsischen Musikverband,
stellv.Bundesmusikdirektor Spielleute der BDMV und Mitglied des WAMSB Board of Directors.
Mike Townsend, Canada
Mike Townsend, Supervisor of Music (retired), Grande Prairie School District, Alberta Canada, taught concert band, jazz band, orchestra, for 38 years and community marching band for 45 years. Presently a member of Alberta Band Association, the Vice President of WAMSB International (World Association of Marching Show Bands), Newsletter Editor for PhiBetaMu International, Past President of the Alberta Chapter of PhiBetaMu-MuAlpha, and Regional Coordinator for MusicFest Canada.
Mike’s bands have represented Canada in the United States, Australia, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Italy, Brazil, China, United Kingdom and Austria. Mr. Townsend is active as an adjudicator and clinician in Canada, Denmark, Spain, Germany, Caribbean, Indonesia, Brasil, Colombia, Poland, Mexico, and Taiwan and has assisted in procuring instruments and establishing band programs in Dominica, West Indies.
Mike has served on the board of Canadian Band Directors Association, Alberta Band Association, Music Alberta and PhiBetaMu International. Mike is a recipient of the Tommy Banks Jazz Educators Award, the Alberta Band Association’s David Peterkin Award of Excellence, the Vondis Miller Legacy Award, the PhiBetaMu International Award of Merit and most recently the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal of Honour.
Jimmy Wong Yew Mun, Malaysia
Mr. Jimmy Wong has been actively involved in the development of marching bands in Asia for the past 25 years and has brought many local and international accolades to the bands under his direction, more so with the Victoria Institution Cadet Corps (VICC) Band from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He has led the VICC Band to Gold Medal achievements in all their World Championship outings (2000, 2003 and 2011), and also won the World Championship title for the Parade competition at Monza in 2003.
He has actively participated, adjudicated and consulted in international marching band competitions and festivals in Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, The Philippines, Hong Kong, China, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Belgium, Denmark, The Netherlands, Italy, and Canada.
Mr. Wong was also the main coordinator, instructor, and choreographer for the Mass Band displays during the 1998 Commonwealth Games, the 2001 SEA Games, and the 50th Malaysia National Day Grand Celebrations.
He has successfully organized the Kuala Lumpur World Marching Band Competition from 2007 to 2010, which was the foremost international marching band competition in the Asia Pacific region. In 2011 he organized the WAMSB World Championship of Marching Show Bands which was hosted by Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Mr. Wong was also the advisor for the first Thailand International Marching Band Competition (TIMBC) in 2009. In 2012, Mr. Wong successfully organized the first Hong Kong International Youth Marching Band Competition, acting as its Festival Director and Chief Technical Consultant.
Mr. Wong sits in the Executive Board of Directors of the Asia-Pacific Bands’ Association, and also acts as Advisor and Consultant to the All-Hong Kong Marching Band Union and the Hong Kong International Youth Marching Band Competition.
Keith Bearden, USA
Professor Bearden began his career directing band in Texas public schools. Later he became a member of the United States Air Force Academy Band in Colorado where he played in the concert and jazz bands. After his four years in the Air Force, he had a distinguished career at Texas Tech University where he was Associate Director of Bands and director of the 400 member Goin’ Band from Raiderland”. During his distinguished tenure at Texas Tech University, Professor Bearden was honored as Outstanding Faculty Member by Omicron Delta Kappa and Mortar Board. The “Goin’ Band from Raiderland” received the nation’s highest award in 1999 for collegiate marching bands-the Sudler Trophy. Other honors include the TTU School of Music Distinguished Alumni Award, the TTU Alumni Association’s Distinguished Service Award, and the Kappa and Kappa Psi’s Distinguished Service to Music Medal. Bearden was named Professor Emeritus in 2004. During the same year, he was recognized with the Texas Bandmasters Lifetime Meritorious Achievement Award and in 2013 was inducted into the Bandmasters Hall of Fame. He was the recipient of the Al G. Wright award presented by Women Band Directors International at the 2019 Midwest Clinic. In 2021, he was named “Bandmaster of the Year” in Texas.
Bearden is past president of Phi Beta Mu Alpha Chapter, International Phi Beta Mu, and the Texas Music Adjudicator’s Association. He is an adjudicator and clinician throughout the United States. He is a board member of the World Association of Marching Show Bands and has judged in Denmark, Ireland, Germany, Poland, Brazil, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Canada, and the Philippines. Professor Bearden currently serves as the executive secretary for Region 16 and Area A. With the help of friends and Phi Beta Mu members across Texas, he has facilitated getting uniforms, method books, instruments, reeds, mouthpieces, and percussion equipment to bands in Brazil, Uruguay, and Ireland.
He is married to June Bearden, who recently retired as band director with Frenship ISD. They have two sons and four grandchildren. The Beardens enjoy travel, classic cars concerts, and enjoy spending time outdoors.
Edwin Beens, Netherlands
Edwin Beens started his marching and music career early on as a percussionist swiftly moving through the ranks of Drum Major and Visual Designer before joining the staff of Holland’s Blue Wave that captured many visual awards.
Since 1996 Edwin has been judging for many organizations in different countries including The Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Italy, South Africa, the USA and Malaysia. Edwin has been the technical leader of Colour Guard Netherlands since 1998. He also taught visual captions in North America e.g. as a visual staff member of the Kiwanis Cavaliers from Kitchener (Canada). Because of his excellent work he was inducted in the CGN Hall of Fame in 2011.
Outside the judging world Edwin is a project manager for the Dutch Ministry of Safety and Justice.
Paul Doop, Netherlands
Paul is a sought-after clinician, adjudicator and consultant in the marching performing arts activity. He was a percussion member of elite groups such as the Concord Blue Devils, The Reading Buccaneers and the Band of the Royal Dutch Cavalry. As instructor, designer, arranger, and consultant he worked with bands and drum corps from all over the world including The Canton Blue Coats, The Colts and many (inter)national award-winning Championship bands. Under his direction his groups won a total of 17 National Championships, 15 Best Drum Trophies and 7 Indoor Percussion Gold Medals and 12 finalist medals.
Paul was instrumental in setting up the One World Adjudication system, used by many international organizations (e.g. WAMSB, WMC, LGF, KNMO, VLAMO, SIPAA, IMSB). In 2005, 2009, 2013 and 2022 he was member of Technical Advisory Committee for the World Music Contest (WMC) where he also served as Overall Chief Judge. As an adjudicator he has judged all over the world most of the countries in Europe, Asia, the USA, Canada and Mid- and South America. Among them are several WAMSB World Championships. His captions: Overall Effect, Music Effect, Visual Effect, Visual Ensemble, Percussion and Drum Battles.
Paul is Board Member of the KNMO (Royal Dutch Music Organization) and Chairman of CGN, the largest organization for the indoor performing arts in Europe. For his work in the performing arts activity, King Alexander of the Royal Kingdom of The Netherlands appointed him the prestigious Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau. He is the only European member on the jury board of the Sudler Shield of the John Philip Sousa Foundation. Paul has been inducted in the Hall of Fame of CGN (The Netherlands) and SIPAA (Sweden) for his work for the marching performing arts in Europe. Paul is managing director for a consultancy firm specialized in Strategy and Change management.
Dano Yuvasuta, Thailand
Chris Herard, Canada
Andrea Ciona, Canada
Karsten Mellon, Denmark
Dr. Karsten Mellon is an experienced judge. For more than a decade, he has been a jury member at several different WAMSB Competitions and World Championships, in South America, Asia and in several countries in Europe and a jury member of the World Music Contest (WMC) Kerkrade in the Netherlands. Dr. Mellon has been a jury member of the Italian Marching Show Bands Association (IMSB) for almost a decade, and has been a judge several times at Rasteder Musiktage. His background and experiences includes having been a professional musician and member of “The Drum and Pipe Band” of the Royal Danish Life Guards – also known as The Queens Guard. He has been a music school director for Danish councils. A musical director and conductor of the oldest youth brass marching band in Denmark. As well as been the national primary conductor for the Association of Danish Marching Show Bands and head of their National Conducting Courses for several years. Dr. Mellon is an Associate Professor at the University College Absalon. He holds a Doctor degree (ph.d.) from Roskilde University. He is a professional working musician (trumpet), guest conductor for especially marching bands, and he is a music composer/arranger.
Jury 2024 Konzert
Alfons Aigmüller, Austria
Pedagog. Academy with teacher training
Studied music at the Bruckner Conservatory with a degree in singing and organ
40 years as bandmaster, including 22 years as district bandmaster of the Schärding district.
41 years – since 1966 in uninterrupted succession – as an adjudicator at concert and marching music competitions (mostly as chairman of the jury).
Since 1980 member of the OÖBV regional management.
Werner Hoffmann, Germany
Werner Hoffmann learned the clarinet as a child and later turned to the flute. He received his training with Kurt Cromm (Saarbrücken University of Music). As a flautist in the Rhineland-Palatinate Police Music Corps, he began training as a conductor with Rudolph Riedel (Peter Cornelius Conservatory) and attended lectures with Sergio Celebidage at the University of Mainz. From 1985 until the dissolution of the orchestra, Werner Hoffmann was corps leader of the Düsseldorf Police Music Corps.
Respected as a profound expert on the subject, he taught for many years at the Landesmusikakademie NRW and was also a frequent guest at the Bundemusikakademie. Since 1990, he has held the position of state conductor/deputy conductor at the Volksmusikbund NRW and is a popular adjudicator throughout Germany
Martin Meier, Switzerland
Martin Meier was born 1958 in Gränichen, a small village in Switzerland. After his apprenticeship as a train traffic controller at SBB, he studied Human Resources and Management at the Institute for Applied Psychology in Zürich. His basic training as a conductor started 1990-1993. From 1994 to 1997 he studied in part-time wind orchestra direction at the Zurich University of Music. Since 1991 he is an active conductor of wind orchestras of various strengths and formations, primarily in the Eastern part of Switzerland. In the army he conducted various military orchestras. Trained as a coach for conductors , he attended various master classes. In June 2018 he successfully completed his training as an international juror at the Federal Academy of Music in Trossingen (Germany). He is regularly invited as a juror in Switzerland and in other countries.
From 2005 to 2020 he was member of the board of the Appenzell Music Association (ABV), vice-president of the education and training department, presiding the music commission. The ABV appointed him as honorary member in 2020. Since 2010 he is involved as a juror and speaker on leadership issues and personality development for conductors.
Professionally, he worked over 35 years as a Human Resources Manager in various companies before he decided to retire in June 2023. Music always stays a very important part in his everyday-life. He still plays in various orchestras as guest on the French horn.
Privately, he lives in Lutzenberg, canton Appenzell, together with his wife. Besides music, his hobbies are working in the care team (crisis intervention), travelling, visiting concerts, cooking, good wines and trips as a temporary driver at Postauto AG.
Further information at: www.meiermartin.ch