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GUARD Education Day AGENDA

GUARD Education Day AGENDA

Spin Fest on Tour ‐ Nashville Tennessee 

Saturday December 10, 2011

Mt Juliet HS, Mt Juliet, TN


Please confirm your presence by sending an email to: contestcoordinator@scgconline.org

Cost: free of charge for SCGC Unit Directors/Staff, GCJA judges.
For non SCGC Directors/Staff and non Gulf Coast Judges there is a fee of $25, payable at the door (cash or checks to SCGC)


9:00‐9:30 WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS 

9:40‐11:00  SESSION 1Overview of the Judging System 

presented by  Curtis Costanza - Mykail Costner- Fred Feeney



11:10‐12:30 SESSION2Caption by Caption Emphasis for 2012 

Presented by Curtis Costanza- Fred Feeney,    space #1

Writing Strategies for the A‐Class (see details below)
Presented by Mykail Costner,   space #2



12:30-1:00 SESSION 3

Maximizing your Concept with Color and Costuming Design (drums and Guard)

Presented by Tommy Keenum , sponsored by The Band Hall

One on One consultations available after the presentation. Sign up that morning.


1:00‐2:00 LUNCH

2:00‐3:20 SESSION 4 Application Studies and Critique Role Playing

Presented by  Curtis - Fred, Space #1


Creating Unit Identity   (see details below) 
Presented by Mykail,   Space #2



3:30‐4:50 SESSION 5

Unit Performances and Comparative Conversations

For all, Space #1



5:00‐5:30 SESSION6

Ask the Experts
Space #1 or Gym ‐ All


5:30   Thanks and Goodbye


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Equipment Strategies for the A Class

For any Instructor, one of the hardest things to contend with is the fact that young groups have similar equipment vocabularies. In our need to be different, young instructors will often fall into the traps of ignoring the talent in the room and overwriting. Listen as Mykail explains how he customizes the choreography for the performers. He’ll also talk about the value of focused, strategic editing. In the excellence based reward of the A class, success hinges on an extra awareness of these factors when considering the written book for these young performers. Insight into this awareness is the difference between a frustrating year and a successful one for many young instructors. Find out how to weigh these choices and how to find options in this “extra layer” needed for the A Class.

Movement/ unit identity in the A-Class: Tricks of the Trade to Elevating the Value of Simple Choices

We’ve all been faced with the need to “camouflage” a limited movement vocabulary. Whether you’re just starting a brand new program or rebuilding and re-training a powerhouse, there are ways to not have this become a competitive liability. In this session, Mykail talks about some simple ways to make simple choreography more valuable in terms of range, variety, and depth. You’ll find easy tools for not just hiding vulnerability, but actually adding depth by thinking ahead and doing just a bit more “leg work”!


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A few words on our 3 WGI- Guard clinicians 

Mykail - Mykail Costner has been an instructor, designer, performer, and choreographer for the 5-time WGI Independent World Class Champion Fantasia. In addition to a long list of achievements, he has instructed many great organizations including the Santa Clara Vanguard, the Crossmen, the Glassman, and the Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps. 

Indoors, Mykail has had the pleasure of working with James Logan High School (CA), Mt. Carmel High School (CA), Valencia High School(CA), and James Bowie High School (TX). 

He has worked with band programs such as the Riverside Community College Marching Tigers, 2007 Bands Of America Grand National Champion LD Bell High School (Hurst, TX), and 2006 BOA Grand National Champion Broken Arrow High School (OK), and Connally High School in Austin, TX. Mykail is often called upon as a design consultant and clinician for bands and guards across the United States.

Curtis - Curtis Costanza’s pageantry experience includes consultant, designer, and instructor roles for various high school marching bands throughout the country for the past 25 years. 

Winter guard experience includes the SanJose Raiders (1997-1999) and Northern Lights (2000-2002) WorldClass color guards. 

Currently he is the judges’ coordinator for theNorthwest Association of Pageantry Arts. His winter guard judging experience began in 1990 in the California Color Guard Circuit as anEquipment judge and later for WGI as a general effect judge and served as the Equipment Caption Facilitator for WGI from 2002- 2005. 

Curtis has been a clinician presenting information to judges and instructors on various topics focusing primarily on the winter guard activity. He has made presentations for the Gulf Coast Color Guard Circuit, North Texas Color Guard Circuit, Northwest Marching Band Circuit, Northwest Association of Pagentry Arts, Southeast Color Guard Circuit, Winter Guard Association of Southern California as well as Bands of American and WGI.

Fred- Fred Feeney served as Chief Judge of WGI from 1994 to 2006 and served on the WGI Task Force for several years before that.  He currently serves on the WGI Board of Directors and has been the Chair of the Board’s Education Committee.

Fred is also Chief Judge of the Gulfcoast Judges Association, the organization that provides judges to five different circuits across the Southeastern United States.  He has held that position for over 25 years and was one of the founding members of the organization.  Fred started judging for Winter Guard International in 1984.

A former member of the Blue Stars Drum & Bugle Corps in the late 70’s he was a staff member in the early 80’s and once again started working with the corps in 2006 as a program consultant when they returned to World Class competition.  He also has experience as a judge for DCI.  He has worked as a show consultant and program designer for marching bands in Mississippi, Alabama and Florida and has judged marching band contests throughout the country.  

Fred received his undergraduate degree from the University of Southern Mississippi and a Juris Doctorate from Mississippi College.  After law school he worked in Washington D.C. for U.S. Senator Thad Cochran and then as a law clerk for U.S. District Judge Tom S. Lee in Jackson, Mississippi.   In his life away from pageantry he is a partner in a Gulfport, Mississippi law firm where he has a very active litigation practice handling cases in state and federal court.  He is married to Susan Labrecque who has her own storied history in the pageantry activity and has three beautiful and talented daughters; Audrey, Olivia and Caroline.  

SCGC Members in Action