Adjudicators
2025
Ralph Ford - Music General Effect
Ralph Ford is a nationally recognized composer, arranger, conductor, and clinician, and Emeritus director of the Troy University Marching Band. He boasts over 250 titles arranged and composed for the Belwin division of Alfred Publishing Company in Los Angeles, and is frequently commissioned to compose for universities, military, professional, community, and school ensembles worldwide.
James Hannah - Music Performance Ensemble
James Hannah is Emeritus Director of Bands at Plano West Senior High School, a regular recipient of first division ratings at the Texas University Interscholastic League. He has received honors and memberships with the Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, Mississippi Music Educators Association, and Music Educators’ National Conference.
Luke Zampelli - Visual General Effect
Luke Zamprelli is a full-time designer and program coordinator for pageantry groups across the United States. He is the visual coordinator for Monarch Independent Percussion, a perennial WGI World Class Finalist. He was a member of the Drum Corps group, the Phantom Regiment, and served on the staff of the Boston Crusaders. He joined the Blue Stars in 2016. He has held director, designer, clinician, and adjudicator positions with groups all over the US and Europe.
Jay Rees - Visual Performance Ensemble
Jay C. Rees is a nationally recognized composer, arranger, conductor, clinician, recording artist, and performance artist for ensembles across diverse genres. He spent 35 years teaching at the University of Arizona School of Music and, later, the University of Miami Frost School of Music.
Jeff Queen - Percussion
Jeff Queen has been heavily involved with percussion and education since a very early age, and is a sought-after composer, arranger, clinician, adjudicator, and performer internationally. He has marched with and staffed several Drum Corps groups and is an original cast member of the Tony and Emmy award-winning Broadway Show BLAST!, performing on stages across the country and in Europe, including Broadway and London.
Katie Anderson - Color Guard
Katie Anderson has an extensive background in the pageantry arts and is entering her fifth season as a Winter Guard International judge. Katie’s primary caption for WGI is movement, but she also judges General Effect for her local circuit, the Rocky Mountain Color Guard Association. In addition, Katie judges visual captions for the Colorado Bandmasters Association. During her high school years, she studied ballet at the Ballet Denver Academy under the direction of Rieke Maria Love. Katie’s performance experience includes notable affiliations such as Oracle Winterguard, the Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps, and the Oracle Performance Ensemble. She holds a master’s degree in education with a focus on Literacy and currently works as a literacy interventionist. She resides in Arvada, Colorado with her family.
2024
David Maccabee - Music General Effect
John Alstrin - Music Performance Ensemble
Joe Tornello - Visual General Effect
Chad Shoopman - Visual Performance Ensemble
Tracy Wiggins - Percussion
James Cork - Color Guard
2023
William Humbert - Musical General Effect
Travis Coakley - Music Performance Ensemble
Ryan Turner - Visual General Effect
David Torres - Visual Performance Ensemble
Kyle Hill - Percussion
Catherine Plant - Color Guard
2022
Joel Denton - Music General Effect
James Hannah - Music Performance Ensemble
Christopher Hoch - Visual General Effect
George Hattendorf - Visual Performance Ensemble
Alan Keown - Percussion
Kyle Miller - Color Guard
2021
Barry Houser - Music General Effect
Ward Durrett - Music Performance Ensemble
Doug Goodwin - Visual General Effect
Gary Smith - Visual Performance Ensemble
Roberto Paz - Percussion
Shirl Chumley - Color Guard
2019
Bruce Pulver - Music General Effect
Steve Eubanks - Music Performance Ensemble
Ryan Turner - Visual General Effect
Lewis Norfleet - Visual Performance Ensemble
Robb Sirat - Percussion
John Fisher - Color Guard
2018
James Hannah - Music General Effect
Andre Feagin - Music Performance Ensemble
Corey Spurlin - Visual General Effect
Matt Savage - Percussion
James Cork - Color Guard