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, Poland Spain, Canada, USA, Malaysia, Taiwan, Colombia and Brazil including jury assignments in 9 WAMSB world championships.
H.-D. Buschau is a retired public school teacher and he 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 Directors.
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, Polen, Spanien, Kanada, den USA, Taiwan, Malaysia, Kolumbien und Brasilien, darunter als Juror bei 9 WAMSB Weltmeisterschaften.
H.-D. Buschau pensionierter Lehrer an einem Gymnasium. Er ist einer der Landesmusikdirektoren im Niedersächsischen Musikverband, stellv. Bundesmusikdirektor Spielleutemusik in 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.
Brian Ingelson, USA
Brian Ingelson B.A. M.Ed. Director of Bands
Palm Springs, California
Brian Ingelson is an educator, conductor, producer, director and international adjudicator, clinician and judge. His formal training began as a trumpet player at the Mount Royal Conservatory of Music and Speech Arts and then continued to the University of Calgary, Canada where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree, then completing his Master’s Degree with an emphasis in conducting from the University of Missouri- Columbia. Mr Ingelson taught public school in Calgary for several years in addition to instructing and conducting the Airdrie Community Band and bands of the Calgary Marching Show Band Association including being the first conductor of the Calgary Stetson Show Band. In 1994, Brian accepted a position as a Professor for both the Music and Education Departments at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and the Community College of Southern Nevada. The following year he and his family relocated to beautiful Palm Springs where he assumed the Director of Bands position at Palm Springs High rebuilding the band program from 18 members to more than two hundred. His bands have performed around the world in more than fifteen countries on five continents. In 2013, the Palm Springs High School band was selected from more than 2800 groups across the United States to perform at the 47th Inaugural Parade in Washington DC for President Obama. His jazz bands have performed in concert with Barry Manilow , Max Weinberg, Carol Channing, Gavin MacLeod and Suzanne Somers and has opened for legendary bands including the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Count Basie Orchestra, Maynard Ferguson, Harry James Orchestra, Dallas Brass, Royal Crown Revue, Stan Kenton Legacy Band, Beatles Tribute Bands, and Tim Welch as “Elvis”. Honors include the National Legion of Honor Award, multi year Finalist GRAMMY FOUNDATION® Educator of the Year, Steinway Society “For the Children” Award Recipient, several Desert Theater League Awards for Outstanding Music Director, an Alberta Achievement Award for his work with the 1988 Olympics, and has received multiple Certificates of Special Congressional Recognition from Washington D.C. Upon retirement from Palm Springs High in 2022, a statement honoring Brian and Beverley Ingelson was read into the Permanent Congressional Record by the Honorable Raul Ruiz of California and a Proclamation declared by the City of Palm Springs declaring May 18, 2022 “Beverley and Brian Ingelson Day”. He is a sanctioned judge of the World Association of Marching Show Bands (WAMSB), has hosted the 2017 World Championship in Palm Springs in 2017- the first to be held in the United States, has consulted with National and Regional Championship organizers, and has judged for National, Regional and World Championships in Canada, Germany, Spain, Britain, Colombia, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
Chris Herard, Canada
Chris Herard is a highly sought after consultant, educator, conductor, performer, clinician, keynote speaker, adjudicator and record producer from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He has been involved in music education for over 30 years and is currently Consultant, K-12 Fine & Performing Arts for the CCSD, supporting the fine arts in 118 schools, serving hundreds of teachers and 64,000+ students. Chris also directs for the Westwinds Adult Community Band Association.
Chris holds bachelor degrees in Music and in Education from the University of Calgary, and a Masters Degree in Music Education from the University of Hawaii.
Chris often adjudicates and guest conducts at many local, national and international events, conferences and workshops. He has judged for WAMSB events around the world, including National Championships in Germany, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, many World Championship events held in Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, the United States, and Germany. Chris also judged at the World Music Contest (WMC)in the Netherlands in 2022 and at numerous WGI events and US State marching band contests.
With decades of service on numerous boards at the local, national and international level. Chris serves WAMSB International as interim President and CEO, as well as Director of Communications. He is passionate about promoting the marching band and wind band activity around the world and believes strongly in its positive effect on youth and the community. Chris is also a founding board member and director of SLAM, the Servant Leadership Association for Music and co-founded CADME which supports music education in his home city of Calgary.
In 2016, Chris was nominated to the prestigious Sudler Shield Committee with the John Phillip Sousa Foundation and in 2017 Chris conducted his schools’ “Virtuosi” string ensemble at the prestigious Midwest Clinic in. Chicago, USA.
Chris is in high demand as an educational consultant and keynote speaker for arts education, educational leadership and student leadership.
He resides with his family in beautiful Calgary, Alberta and is thrilled to be participating in this event.
Andrea Ciona, Canada
Andrea Ciona is a highly regarded conductor, performer, adjudicator, and educator. Having conducted and adjudicated ensembles around the world, Andrea’s highlights include conducting on the Great Wall of China, adjudicating in Jakarta, Indonesia, and leading a massed ensemble of 1,000+ performers at the Royal Nova Scotia Military Tattoo. Artistic Director of the Spiritus Chamber Choir, Andrea is regarded as an innovator and leader in Calgary’s Choral Music Community. Director of Choirs at Bishop Carroll High School in Calgary, Alberta, since 2010, her ensembles have received national and international recognition. Andrea is the founding director of the Rocky Mountain Symphony Chorus, and regularly performs with the Symphony. Previously Andrea has served on faculty at Red Deer College School of Music and worked with Alberta Education on the Provincial Arts Education Curriculum Redesign. In her free time, Andrea loves traveling and exploring the world with her husband and two children.
Andrea holds degrees from the University of British Columbia (B. Mus, Performance & M. Mus, Choral Conducting) and the University of Calgary (B. Ed, Secondary Music).
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