WDMA Adjudicators

Drum Major Richard Wilson, founder of Drum Major Resource Center and OnlineDrumMajor.com, is a veteran adjudicator with over thirty-one years of experience judging Drum Majors, along with marching bands both on the street and field. He has served as Drum Major Judge and helped produce massed band shows at Scottish Games in Pleasanton, Reno, Campbell, and Monterey. Prior to moving-up to the judging role, he was an active competitor on the Western United States Pipe Band Association (WUSPBA) Drum Major circuit and a regular winner in competitions.

Rick began spinning and performing 46 years ago and has over 200 awards for his Drum Major work. He performed in his first halftime show for the San Francisco 49ers at the age of 5 and was a California State Champion Baton twirler at the ages of 6 and 7.

He founded the Drum Major Academy (in California) in 1977 and has worked with hundreds of successful Drum Majors on the West Coast. Rick has developed training programs for military, mace and corps style drum majors. The techniques used in these programs have quickly become the standards for the activity.

While Drum Major at San Jose State University, he helped develop the Excellon Drum Major baton and later developed the Excalibur Mace. He is highly regarded as an instructor, judge, seminar leader and author in the Drum Major and marching band fields.

Outside of the marching world, Rick is the founder of Sentium Strategic Communications. He is a nationally recognized author, speaker, and executive coach specializing in effective leadership and enhanced group performance.

He is a cofounder of the Leaders of the New Century Project in which over 200 top CEOs and leaders of high-performance organizations in business, entertainment, sports, education, and the community were interviewed. He has co-produced 16 audio books on the subject of leadership.

Drum Major Joseph Paguio has had an illustrious career in the California Drum Major competition circuit—both in solo competitions and in parade competitions. A student of Drum Major Joseph Ayson of Mt. Carmel High School and serving as a 3 year Drum Major at Chula Vista High School, Joe was lauded for his precise execution of flourishes, flourishing speed and overall showmanship. Joe's awards include: 1st place and two 2nd places at the Arcadia Festival of Bands; 1st place, California State Grand Championships (Tom Peacock’s American Competitions) ; 1st places at the Maytime Band Review; Runner-up, Costa Mesa Highland Games; 1st place, United Spirit Association (USA) Championships (Southern California); and many other 1st place awards at solo competitions and parades throughout California.

Still involved heavily in music, Joe continues to perform as a musician and share his gifts with his students. Conductor of the school's three choral ensembles, handchime ensemble and instrumental ensemble, Joe is now in his third year on faculty at Ramona Convent Secondary School in Alhambra, CA. Having completed both his undergraduate and graduate studies at the USC Thornton School of Music, Mr. Paguio holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Arts, a Master of Music in Trombone Performance and a Master of Music in Choral Music. During his tenure at USC, Mr. Paguio served as Chorus Master of the USC Opera and as Assistant Conductor of the USC Men's Chorus. As a tenor, Joe was a 4 year member of the internationally acclaimed USC Chamber Choir and has performed with the Los Angeles Master Chorale and the Los Angeles Philharmonic in venues such as the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Dorothy Chandler Pavillion and the Hollywood Bowl. Joe has also appeared as a soloist with the USC Concert Choir, the USC Oriana Choir and the Camerata Singers of Long Beach, as well as singing principal roles in scenes with the USC Opera Workshop. As a trombonist, Joe has performed with the Young Musicians' Foundation Debut Orchestra, the USC Symphony, the USC Chamber Orchestra and the USC Wind Ensemble.

Drum Major Rusty Givens is one of the most sought-after adjudicators today, adjudicating for Southern California School Band Orchestra Association (SCSBOA) for the last decade, which included prestigious events such as the Mt. Carmel Tournament of Bands, Chino Band Review, Mira Mesa Band Review, and the now defunct Maytime Band Review. In the solo competitive circuit, Rusty has been an adjudicator for Tom Peacock’s American Competitions for the last 31 years. Most recently, Rusty has become an adjudicator for the Northern California Band Association (NCBA).

As an instructor, Drum Major Givens taught for the United Spirit Association (USA) from 1978-1985. Additionally, he has taught with University Clinics associated with University of California at Los Angeles. Rusty has been the Co-Director for the San Diego Drum Major Academy since it’s opening in 2000. As a private instructor he has taught champions from Rancho Buenva Vista High School, Mt. Carmel High School, Rancho Bernardo High School, Kennedy High School, Valhalla High School, Escondido High School, San Marcos High School, Carlsbad High School and Emerson Middle School.

A native of San Diego, Rusty was Drum Major for Carlsbad High School in 1978 where he earned over 120 awards and as a musician was awarded the John Philip Sousa Award. In that year he became the first California State Grand Champion in military baton, mace, and show divisions at Tom Peacock’s American Competitions. Some of Rusty’s notable awards received during his tenure as Carlsbad High School’s Drum Major included firsts at the Long Beach All-Western Band Review, Santa Ana Band Review, Santa Monica Band Review, Hawthorne Band Review and Maytime Band Review. Continuing his career as a Drum Major in college, he became the Drum Major for the San Diego State University Marching Aztecs in 1981.

Drum Major Joshua Riturban is currently an active member of the Los Angeles community serving as a teacher and administrator in the charter school system. He is also a Drum Major adjudicator for Southern California School Band Orchestra Association (SCSBOA) and is a recipient of many championship awards from parade and solo competitions. Some highlights include Arcadia festival of bands Mace Champion in 1999, Chula Vista Band Review Champion with a score of 98, and multiple 1st Place awards, placing in the highest divisions of Tom Peacock’s American Competitions in both Mace and Military Masters, and has appeared on the nationally televised Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade as Drum Major of the Mt. Carmel High School Marching Sundevils.

Josh is a high school graduate, section leader, and Drum Major of the nationally acclaimed Mt. Carmel High School. He holds a Bachelors of Science in Aquatic biology with a minor in Asian American Studies from University of California at Santa Barbara and is still an active member of his community service organizations. In addition, Josh holds a Masters degree in education and is currently a doctorate student in educational leadership at the University of Phoenix.

In adjudication and private lessons, Josh always looks for cleanliness, precision, and creativity in Drum Major routines. "Participating in leadership organizations such as this is an exciting movement to be a part of because everyone is always putting in dedication hours for the benefit of others."

Drum Major Andrew Cheung

Biography coming soon.

Drum Major Tony Patchin has an extensive background in Drum Majoring and is a respected educator and judge. Starting out as Drum Major for Ocean View High School in 1987, Tony has served as the Drum Major for several organizations throughout the Western Unites States, including: the Huntington Beach Fourth of July Parade Regional Honor Band, the Inland Empire Sound Machine Youth Band, the Marauders Drum and Bugle Corps of Longview, Washington, the CorpsVets Marching Percussion Ensemble of Portland, Oregon, and the Kell’s Irish Fusiliers Pipes and Drums of Portland, Oregon. Tony is a veteran of 5 United Spirit Association (USA) Summer Drum Major Camps, 4 of which were in the highly elite Master’s Division, where he received the Superior Plaque, Most Distinguished, and final drill-down awards. Throughout his competitive Drum Major years, Tony received numerous top awards in the Mace, Military, and Show divisions at solo competitions, as well as several first place awards at parades and major band reviews.

Tony has mentored and instructed Drum Majors from over 40 different schools in four western states since 1989, including many years as the resident Drum Major instructor at Mt. Carmel and Grossmont High Schools. Several of Tony’s students have won numerous awards and proceeded to be sought-after Drum Major mentors and instructors as well. Mr. Patchin has served as a Drum Major adjudicator for Tom Peacock’s American Competitions for 13 years, the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association (SCSBOA) for the past 10 years and he has had the pleasure of evaluating drum majors at the Arcadia Festival of Bands, Mt. Carmel Tournament of Bands, Chino Band Review, and the Maytime Band Review, Mother Goose Parade, and many other major band reviews.

As a Drum Major educator, Tony Patchin founded the San Diego Drum Major Academy in 1999 and serves as its President and Co-Director. He directed the Las Vegas Invitational Drum Major Championships in 1989 and the San Diego Drum Major Academy Regional Drum Major Championships for 4 years running, from 2000 to 2003.

Tony’s musical background is also very extensive. Mr. Patchin served as Assistant Band Director for both Valley Center and Woodland High Schools, and, as an accomplished percussion instructor and Vic Virth Marching Percussion Educator, served as the Percussion Caption Head for several high schools in California, Nevada, Arizona and Washington, as well as the San Diego Alliance Drum and Bugle Corps. While in college, Tony founded and presided over the Music Educators National Conference (MENC) Collegiate Chapter #1070 at Lower Columbia College, and participated in Percussion Ensemble, Wind Ensemble, and Marching and Symphonic Bands, at the University of Nevada Reno, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Lower Columbia College, and San Diego State University. Mr. Patchin studied percussion with Dr. Eric Wright at the University of California Irvine, Dr. Dean Gronemeier at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, and Dr. Joel Bluestone at Portland State University.

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