Bill Humbert received his Bachelor and Master of Music in Education degrees from Arizona State University. He has been teaching band in Arizona for 37 years, and is currently in his 24th year as the Director of Concert Bands at Glendale Community College in Glendale, Arizona. His duties at the college include serving as the director of the concert band program, coordinating and teaching the instrumental music education program, as well as, teaching courses in conducting. Under his direction, the band program at GCC more than doubled in size. Ensembles under his direction have achieved a record of excellence and consistency in the areas of concert, marching, and jazz ensemble performance, including many state, regional, and national recognitions. Mr. Humbert also teaches music education courses at Ottawa University-Arizona, and serves as the liaison between Glendale Community College and Ottawa University-Arizona in their Music Education Partnership
In addition to his duties at Glendale Community College, Mr. Humbert is active throughout the country as a clinician and adjudicator in the areas of concert band, marching band, jazz band, and orchestra. He is the Founder and Director of Bill Humbert Leadership, which provides leadership, team building, and motivational workshops throughout the country for school districts, collegiate, high school, junior high, and middle school students. Additionally, he is the Director of the Arizona Leadership Conference, a summer leadership program for high school music students, and is the Co-Director of the California Leadership Academy. Bill also serves as an Educational Clinician for the Conn-Selmer Corporation.
The Arizona Music Educator’s Association in 2013 honored Mr. Humbert as the Arizona Music Educator of the Year, and also honored him with the Careers in Music Award in 2016. Additionally, he has been a recipient of the American School Band Director’s Association Distinguished Band Director’s Award, as well as, the recipient of the George C. Wilson Leadership Service Award from the Arizona Music Educator’s Association. Mr. Humbert is a Charter Member of the Arizona Chapter of Phi Beta Mu International School Bandmasters Fraternity and has also has served in many leadership positions throughout the Arizona music community, including President for the Arizona Band and Orchestra Director’s Association. He resides in Surprise, Arizona with his amazing wife, Stacy, and their energetic dogs, Frankie and Murphy.
Travis Coakley, Director of Bands, conducts the William Carey University Symphonic Winds, directs the “Spirit of Carey” Marching Band, and oversees all instrumental activities and the department of music education in the Winters School of Music at William Carey University. Mr. Coakley teaches undergraduate and graduate instrumental conducting and serves as the campus sponsor of the William Carey NAFME Collegiate Chapter. Before coming to William Carey University, Mr. Coakley spent twenty-three years as a high school band director in Mississippi, Florida, and South Carolina where his bands
consistently received the highest ratings for concert, marching, and jazz bands.
Mr. Coakley is an active member of the National Association for Music Education, National Band Association, Phi Beta Mu Honorary Band Fraternity, and the American School Band Directors Association where he is currently serving as National
Past-President.
Ryan H. Turner brings a rich history in the marching activity covering over forty years with experience as a performer,
designer, instructor, administrator, and adjudicator. He is in high demand across the country to bring his special blend of
motivation, engagement, positivity, and humor to all he does in the activity.
Ryan graduated from Pasadena High School in 1984 after a successful high school music career. While at Pasadena City
College, he served two years as the drum major for the PCC Lancer Marching Band, as well as the world-renowned
Official Tournament of Roses Honor Band. He enjoyed a three-year run with the immensely popular Drum Corps
International World Class Velvet Knights Drum and Bugle Corps from Anaheim, California, which included serving as the
drum major for two years. During this period of time, he began to teach throughout southern California as a marching
instructor and brass clinician for some of the region’s top marching band programs and subsequently began his first
marching arts-related business, Show Design Productions.
Ryan’s love for show design is evidenced in the over 300 shows he has designed since 1984 for high school and collegiate
marching bands, winter guards, and indoor drumlines across the country. His designs are continually awarded in multiple
competitive circuits nationwide. He is a nationally recognized adjudicator in marching band, winter guard, and indoor
drumline and has served in this role in many circuits. In 2010, Ryan launched a new marching arts-related service—
Dynamics of Leadership—which provides customized presentations to bring superior leadership training and high performance coaching to students, staff, and band directors of competitive marching bands.
Mr. David D. Torres serves as Assistant Professor, Director of Athletic Bands/Trumpet at Southern Utah University. At SUU he directs the Thunderbird Marching Band, Sound Machine Basketball Bands, Symphonic Band, Brass Choir, and teaches applied trumpet lessons. Founded in 2022, the Thunderbird Marching Band has become a staple in the region for its innovative show design and high energy performances, and is known as “The Sound of Southern Utah!” A renowned performer, educator, and arranger, Mr. Torres enjoyed a multifaceted career as a professional musician prior to his teaching appointments. Broadway & Touring credits include; Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast”, “Drowsy Chaperone”, and the “Producers” among many others. In addition, Torres performed for 5 years as trumpet soloist with the Tony award-winning production “Blast!” and “BLAST II MIX”, and was one of the last trumpet/conductors to lead the live band for the famed Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, “The Greatest Show on
Earth”. Originally from Florida, Mr. Torres got his start playing trumpet at Walt Disney World, and is a proud Alumni of the Disneyland All-American College Band. Before moving to Utah, Mr. Torres was Assistant Professor of Trumpet and Director of
Athletic Bands at Southern Arkansas University. At SAU, the Marching Band grew into one of the largest collegiate marching bands in the state of Arkansas and his trumpet students succeeded immensely; placing at national competitions, earning scholarships, winning positions at summer festivals/world class drum corps, and employment in military bands. The SAU Trumpet Ensemble was invited to numerous International
Trumpet Guild Conferences, and also advanced to the quarter-finals of the National Trumpet Competition. Other performance credits include the Tuachan Center for the Arts Orchestra, Orchestra of Southern Utah, Texarkana Symphony, South Arkansas Symphony, Tampa Bay Symphony, Las Cruces Symphony, Texarkana Jazz Orchestra, DFW Brass, British Brass Band of Louisiana, UNLV Faculty Brass Quintet, Paso Del Norte Big Band, Tampa Brass, Gilbert and Sullivan Players – NYC, David Rowen Creative – NYC, Suman Entertainment, and PaperMill Playhouse (Tony-Award Winner).
Mr. Torres holds dual Master of Music degrees (Trumpet Performance, Wind Conducting) from New Mexico State University and received his Bachelor of Arts degree
(Music Performance) from the University of South Florida School of Music. His primary trumpet teachers include Jay Coble, Pancho Romero, Charley Davis, and William Adam. He is currently a part-time instructor and Doctoral candidate at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas where he studies Brass Pedagogy. Further professional affiliations include: International Trumpet Guild, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity, Tau Beta Sigma
Honorary Band Fraternity, Utah Music Educators Association, Arkansas School Band and Orchestra Association, Texas Music Educators Association, New Mexico Music Educators Association, and The American Federation of Musicians. Mr. Torres is an endorsing artist of B.A.C. Custom Musical Instruments, Hercules Stands, and ChopSaver lip balm. He lives in Cedar City, Utah with his loving wife Anna, and their dog Lola.
Dr. Kyle Hill graduated from The University of Southern Mississippi with a Bachelor of Music Education, Master of Music Education and Doctor of Music Education. He retired in 2018 from Pearl River Community College after 30 years in education. While at PRCC, he served as percussion instructor, Director of Bands, Department Chair of Fine Arts and Communications, and Director of the Brownstone Center for the Arts. During his career he served as president of the PRCC Faculty Association, two terms as president of the Mississippi Faculty Association for Community and Junior College, and three years as president of the Mississippi Community College Band Directors Association. Dr. Hill also taught at Lumberton High School, Oak Grove High School, Jones Junior College, and William Carey University.
Being active in his community, Dr. Hill was elected to twelve years on the Lamar County School Board where he served three terms as President. He has served on the Northeast Lamar Fire Department for 30 years with the last 20 years as Fire Chief.
Currently Dr. Hill serves as the Orchestra Director and worship drummer at Temple Baptist Church in Oak Grove. He currently serves as the Director of the City of Hattiesburg Community Band. Dr. Hill is married to his wife of 37 years Debby Hill who retired from The University of Southern Mississippi in 2018. They enjoy spending time on their boat and traveling. They also enjoy spending time with their son Austin and wife Cassie who are parents to Eli and Charlotte, as well as their daughter Melody and husband Hunter who are parents to Adeline and Duke.
Catherine Plant brings a blended experience and depth to the pageantry arts as a performer,
designer, technician, clinician, and adjudicator for the past 20+ years. Catherine began her
pageantry arts career working as a designer and caption head in the Midwest while continuing
her professional dance and entertainment performance career as well as serving in non-profit
organizations. She has nationwide judging experience in several judging circuits for both field
and floor. Catherine currently serves as a board member with the Southwest Judges Network
(SWJN) in California collaborating on several strategic initiatives to assist future growth and
building operational efficiency and effectiveness to drive the continued development of student
performers and support of their staff. As well as planning and developing curriculum for the
annual Marching Arts Experience (MAX!), a day-long event featuring prominent musicians,
designers, and leaders providing free master classes to enrich the capabilities of the student
performer and serve the development and buildup of the community of educators and
adjudicators.
BYU Cougar Marching Band
3134 Music Building
Provo, Utah 84602
801-422-2510