Champion of Champions 2023 Judges
Charles Brown resides in Palm Springs, California. Starting out as a saxophone player in his high school marching band, he was cut the second week of band camp. His band director told him that he would never make it in the marching band world; a quote that he later regrets in saying. He later auditioned for his high school color guard and made the team. Starting his professional color guard career with the Riverside Community College Marching Tiger Band in the mid 80’s and then a member of the Fantasia winter guard, the early years, Charles found his calling in an activity he has grown to love. In 1988 he went on to march with the 1988 DCI World Champions, the Madison Scouts. Having also performed with the L.A. Motion Winter Guard in 1989 and the Kingsmen Winter Guard, where he served as Captain in 1990. He served as an adjudicator for Winter Guard International, Winter Guard Association of Southern California, Texas Color Guard Circuit, West Coast Color Guard Circuit, USBands and serves as an invited guest in many other circuits across the country. He has also judged for Drum Corps International but preferred to travel with his husband in the summer months.
He has also taught several top color guard programs in California, Etiwanda HS, Upland HS, Valley View HS, John W. North HS, Rancho Cucamonga HS and Palm Desert HS. In 2015, his color guard Manor HS won several WGI Regionals and placed 8th at the WGI World Championships. Charles also has found his way into the regional theater scene having served in the staring role as "Smudge" in the holiday classic, Plaid Tidings at the Zachary Scott Theatre in Austin, Texas. His performance earned him a nomination for the B. Iden Payne in the Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy. He also performed with the comedy troupe, Esther’s Follies.
Additionally, Charles joined San Diego Gay Mens Chorus in January of 2016 after moving to San Diego from Austin, Texas. In his first season, he served as a choreographer and assisted with the fundraiser for the Bachelor Auction. No stranger to non-profits, Charles is the Past Board President for the Arcos Dance Company, Board Treasurer for the Invictus Performance Ensemble, Past President for the Texas Association for School Business Officials and has also served on many HOA committees.
Professionally, Charles is the President for MJ Housing and Services in downtown San Diego. He was also named IE Magazines Top 10 Most Inspiring Leaders of 2022. He serves on the San Diego Housing Federation committee, San Diego Police Advisory Board and started the non profit, How Many More, LLC.
Charles is also a Season 5 winner on the game show, Hollywood Squares and went on to qualify for the Tournament of Champions placing third. He and his husband were also on Wheel of Fortune, Sweethearts Week that aired February 2023.
Charles is also a local performer. He has performed at venues such as Oscars and the Feinstein Room at the Hotel Niko in San Francisco.
Carrie Gentry has been a color guard director for over 25 years for groups of all levels throughout Indiana and has taught across the country for high school groups and as a guest clinician. She has been choreographer for winter drumlines for over 15 years and has been part of scholastic and independent WGI medalist and championship groups in A, Open and World class. Carrie has been adjudicating for
over 10 years across the country in the fall for outdoor groups and for indoor guard, winds and percussion groups. She currently resides on the Westside of Indianapolis.
Chad Kohler currently serves as the Director of Bands at Fishers High School. Chad directs the Fishers Marching TIGER Band and Percussion Ensembles. Chad also coordinates the International Baccalaureate/ AP music theory and music history curriculum. The Fishers Marching TIGER Band has been a consistent ISSMA State finalist. The TIGER band has also been a Bands of America National Finalist and consistent Super Regional Finalist. The Marching TIGER Band has been most recently selected to perform at the 2023 Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade. His ensembles have been a consistent WGI World class national finalist including three National Championships in 2023, 2022, 2019 and 2018. Chad also arranges and adjudicates across the country providing educational feedback for ensembles and their directors.
Chad received his Bachelors in Music Performance and Education from the University of Kentucky studying under the direction of James B Campbell. Chad received his Masters in Music Theory and Composition from Akron University while studying under Director Dr. Larry Snider.
Chad has performed and instructed the Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps, served as Percussion Caption Head for the Bluestars Drum and Bugle Corps and an currently an active adjudicator.
Chad has also performed with the Akron Symphony Orchestra. He has premiered and performed works at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention. In addition to teaching and performing, Chad composes and arranges for multiple ensembles throughout the Midwest. Chad is also an active arranger and adjudicator through-out the United States and abroad most recently presenting a music education clinic in Beijing, China in on behalf of CONN-SELMER.
Albert Nguyen is the Director of Bands and Head of the Conducting Area at the University of Memphis. His responsibilities include overseeing all aspects of the University Bands program, conducting the Wind Ensemble, leading the graduate wind conducting program, and serving as the Executive Director of the University of Memphis Summer at the Scheidt Program. Ensembles under Dr. Nguyen’s direction have performed at the CBDNA Southern Regional Conference, the TNMEA All-State Conference, and Internationally in Austria and Italy. As a conductor and clinician, he has worked with ensembles and students throughout the United States, including the Mid-South as well as California, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, South Carolina, and Texas. For his contribution to the University of Memphis’s educational, research, outreach, and service missions, Dr. Nguyen was a recipient of the First Tennessee Professorship.
Dr. Nguyen began his professional teaching career as the Director of Bands at Morrilton High School in Morrilton, AR. He holds the Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music Education from Arkansas Tech University and the Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts in wind conducting from The University of Texas at Austin. He is a member of Kappa Kappa, Psi, Tau Beta Sigma, and serves the College Band Directors National Association as a member of the Diversity Committee.
Wesley Pendergrass, an Arkansas native, has been involved in marching arts design for 19 years. Shoeless Wes' BOA/DCI/WGI experiences include program design, consultation, and staging/drill design across the United States, Japan, and Thailand.
In marching band, Wes' clients have appearances in BOA Grand National Finals; Finals at San Antonio, Indianapolis, Atlanta, and Saint Louis BOA Super Regionals; USBands Championships Finals; and State Finals in Texas (UIL), Colorado (CBA), Kentucky (KMEA), New York (NYSFBC), Kansas (KBA), Oklahoma (OBA), Arkansas (ASBOA), Nebraska (NSBA), South Carolina (SCBDA), Mississippi (MBA), California (WBA), and Florida (FMEA).
Pendergrass' expertise has also garnered finalists in all WGI Guard classes (A, Open, World), and 23+ WGI medals in SA, IA, SO, IO, PSA, PIA, PSO, PIO, WSA, WSO, and WIW---- including 11 WGI Gold medals (spanning the trio of divisions (Guard, Winds, and Percussion)).
Outside of the marching arts idiom, Wesley Pendergrass stages large scale events including corporate shareholders meetings, political inaugurations, Olympic Opening Ceremonies, The X Games, and more.
Josh Selig-Votaw has been involved in the marching arts for 24 years as a performer, designer, and clinician. He was a performer with the Missouri State Pride Colorguard and Pride of Missouri State Winterguard, having been a WGI finalist multiple times as a performer and was a performer at the BOA Super Regional, Rose Bowl Parade, and various other venues. Josh was the captain of the Missouri State Colorguard and Pride of Missouri State Winterguard for 2 years and served on the staff with the Missouri State University band and winterguard programs. He has been a designer and choreographer for Kickapoo High School, Ozark High School, Pride of Missouri State Winterguard, National Avenue Winterguard, Blue Valley West High School, Blue Valley High School, Olathe East High School, and Blue Springs South High School. Josh was a judge for MCCGA in the equipment caption and served on the board of directors with the MCCGA circuit. His groups have won multiple WGI regionals, been a finalist at multiple BOA regionals and WGI World Championships, as well as winning the Kansas Bandmaster's Championship for top colorguard in the state for 5 straight years. Josh lives in the Kansas City area with his husband and daughter and works full time as the COO of iFocus Marketing.
Mr. Rick Rodriguez is the current percussion director and associate band director at Cedar Ridge High School in Round Rock TX. Rick has been the director of the Cedar Ridge Symphonic Band and is currently assisting all of the Cedar Ridge Concert Bands as well as the Wind Ensemble. Throughout most of his years at Cedar Ridge Mr Rodriguez has been the primary director and consultant of the Cedar Ridge Jazz Ensemble and is the current director of the Cedar Ridge feeder middle school percussion programs.
Since early in his teaching career Mr Rodriguez and his ensembles have made numerous appearances at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic held annually in Chicago IL. Mr Rod is also a very active percussion arranger and a versatile band clinician.
In his younger days, Rick was the “center snare” of the infamous University of North TX PASIC Drum Line where he earned his bachelor’s degree. Rick was also a snare drummer for the Concord Blue Devils and has been a staff member of the Concord Blue Devils, Phantom Regiment, Blue Knights and The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps. Mr Rodriguez has also been on the adjudicating staff of Drum Corps International (DCI), and is currently on both the Bands of America and WGI judging panel. Rick Rodriguez endorsed by Zildjian Cymbals, Innovative Percussion, Marimba One, and Evans Drum Heads
Clif Walker is a design team member and front ensemble arranger with The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps. He is the director of the Youth Symphony of Kansas City Percussion KC ensemble and the University of Missouri Marching Mizzou Drumline. He is an active arranger, clinician, adjudicator, and composer with original works performed at PASIC, TMEA, DCI, BOA, WGI and The Midwest Band Orchestra Clinic.
Clif is a member of the WGI Percussion and BOA Adjudication rosters, judging coordinator for the Indiana Percussion Association (IPA) and was a percussion faculty member for the 2019 Music For All Summer Symposium.
Clif was the director of percussion, design team member and arranger for BOA Grand National Finalist Blue Springs High School (2011-2015), and former director of percussion at Timber Creek High School in Orlando, Florida (2001-2008), who performed at the 2005 Percussive Arts Society International as the high school IPEC winners.
Clif holds a BSE from Missouri Western State University and an MME from the University of Central Florida and is a former member and instructor with the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps.
Clif is published with Tapspace and Musicon Publications and is proud to endorse Yamaha Musical Instruments, Zildjian Cymbals, Evans Drumheads, Beetle Percussion and Innovative Percussion Sticks and Mallets.