- 2026 VRMF Judges -
Stephen Meyer
Dr. T. André Feagin
Dr. T. André Feagin
Stephen Meyer is currently the Director of Bands and Associate Professor of Music at Northern Arizona University. He is also the music director for The Tempe Winds and on the conducting staff for the Phoenix Youth Symphony Orchestras. While at NAU, the Wind Symphony has been twice invited to perform at the College Band Directors National
Stephen Meyer is currently the Director of Bands and Associate Professor of Music at Northern Arizona University. He is also the music director for The Tempe Winds and on the conducting staff for the Phoenix Youth Symphony Orchestras. While at NAU, the Wind Symphony has been twice invited to perform at the College Band Directors National Association Regional Conference, and the Lumberjack Marching Band performed at the 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Meyer previously served on the faculties of the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam and the University of South Carolina. During his tenure as Director of Bands at Clear Creek High School, the Clear Creek Wind Ensemble was a featured performer at The Midwest Clinic (2013), a three-time National Winner in the National Wind Band Honors project, and a two-time national finalist for The American Prize in Wind Ensemble Performance. Before Clear Creek, Meyer taught at Harrison High School in Cobb County, Georgia, where he assisted with performances at The Midwest Clinic (2007), the Georgia Music Educators Association conference, and the University of Georgia. With Meyer as co-director of the marching band, the ensemble was a consistent Bands of America Regional and Super Regional Finalist, a BOA Grand National Finalist in 2007, and invited to perform at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2009. Meyer graduated magna cum laude from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music with a bachelor’s degree in music education. He earned a master’s degree in music education and a doctorate in wind band conducting from the University of Michigan. Meyer is the author of Rehearsing the High School Band, volumes 1 and 2, Rehearsing the Middle School Band, and Rehearsing the Marching Band.
Dr. T. André Feagin
Dr. T. André Feagin
Dr. T. André Feagin
Dr. T. André Feagin serves as Director of Bands and Wind Ensembles and Associate Professor of Conducting at The Hartt School, University of Hartford. He provides artistic, administrative, and organizational leadership for the conservatory's band program and serves as conductor and artistic director of the Hartt Wind Ensemble, the premier
Dr. T. André Feagin serves as Director of Bands and Wind Ensembles and Associate Professor of Conducting at The Hartt School, University of Hartford. He provides artistic, administrative, and organizational leadership for the conservatory's band program and serves as conductor and artistic director of the Hartt Wind Ensemble, the premier wind ensemble of the conservatory. In addition, he coordinates the graduate wind band conducting area, mentoring master's and doctoral students in wind conducting. Dr. Feagin also serves as the conductor of the Greater Hartford Youth Wind Ensemble through The Hartt School Community Division, where he works with talented young musicians from across the region in pursuit of artistic and musical excellence. Dr. Feagin has appeared as a guest conductor with numerous all-state and honor bands, as well as professional ensembles throughout the United States, Canada, Central and Southwest Europe, and Southeast Asia. His work as a conductor, educator, and advocate for music education has led to invitations to conduct at Carnegie Hall, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and The Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic. He has also collaborated with premier military ensembles, including the United States Air Force Band of Mid-America, the United States Military Academy Band (West Point), "The President's Own" United States Marine Band, and the United States Coast Guard Band. Dr. Feagin brings more than two decades of experience in the marching arts as a performer, designer, arranger, educator, and adjudicator. As a performing member, he served four years as conductor of the Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps where he was honored with the Drum Corps International Jim Jones Leadership Award (2000). He has served in leadership roles as Brass Caption Head for the Santa Clara Vanguard, The Academy, and the Memphis Sound Drum and Bugle Corps, and has been a member of the brass instructional staffs of the Boston Crusaders and Carolina Crown. From 2009–2018, Dr. Feagin served on the staff of the United States Army All-American Marching Band and was appointed Director of the ensemble in 2011, 2013, and 2018. As an adjudicator, he has evaluated many of the nation's premier marching arts organizations, including Bands of America and Winter Guard International.
Rick Rodriguez
Dr. T. André Feagin
Rick Rodriguez
Rick Rodriguez is currently the percussion director and Associate band director at Cedar Ridge High School, 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 and the Cedar Ridge Wind Ensemble. He is also the primary director of the Cedar Ridge Ja
Rick Rodriguez is currently the percussion director and Associate band director at Cedar Ridge High School, 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 and the Cedar Ridge Wind Ensemble. He is also the primary director of the Cedar Ridge Jazz Ensemble and the Cedar Ridge percussion program. Mr Rodriguez and his ensembles have been fortunate to have several appearances at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic held annually in Chicago IL.
Mr Rod is also a busy and active percussion arranger and versatile 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. Rick has been a staff member of the Blue Devils, Phantom Regiment, Blue Knights and is currently with The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps. He has also been on the adjudicating staff of Drum Corps International (DCI), Bands of America (BOA) and is currently on the WGI judging panel. Mr. Rodriguez is endorsed by the Zildjian Cym Co., Innovative Percussion, and Evans Drum Heads.
Taylor Smith
Conrad Isenhour
Matt Hartwell
Taylor Smith is currently a freelance educator (private lessons, masterclasses, clinics) in Houston, TX. In 2009, he graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a Bachelor of Music Education degree. Taylor has been active in Drum Corps International as a previous performer with Carolina Crown and as a brass staff member of Troopers, C
Taylor Smith is currently a freelance educator (private lessons, masterclasses, clinics) in Houston, TX. In 2009, he graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a Bachelor of Music Education degree. Taylor has been active in Drum Corps International as a previous performer with Carolina Crown and as a brass staff member of Troopers, Cavaliers, and Carolina Crown helping them achieve 4 Jim Ott High Brass Awards and the 2013 DCI World Championship. Since 2020, he has been a part of the Brass Staff of the Santa Clara Vanguard and currently is the Brass Caption Manager.
Prior to being a freelance educator, Taylor taught in Sapulpa, OK; Austin, TX; Sugar Land, TX; Richmond, TX; and most recently taught at Pearland Junior High West in Pearland, TX during their performance at the Music For All National Concert Band Festival. His bands have previously earned first division ratings at the Texas University Interscholastic League Marching Band Evaluation and Concert and Sightreading Evaluation.
Matt Hartwell
Conrad Isenhour
Matt Hartwell
Matt Hartwell (Claremont, California) is a full-time visual designer, educator, and adjudicator. Hartwell has marched with The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps (2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008) and Aimachi Marching Band (2007). He taught at the Santa Clara Vanguard from 2010-2021, serving as the Visual Caption Head from 2017-2021. In 2022, Hart
Matt Hartwell (Claremont, California) is a full-time visual designer, educator, and adjudicator. Hartwell has marched with The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps (2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008) and Aimachi Marching Band (2007). He taught at the Santa Clara Vanguard from 2010-2021, serving as the Visual Caption Head from 2017-2021. In 2022, Hartwell taught both The Blue Devils and The Bluecoats. He currently serves as the Visual Caption Head at The Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps. Hartwell taught George Mason University Indoor Percussion from 2010-2013 and has held the title of Visual Caption Head and Staff Coordinator for Pulse Percussion since 2017.
Conrad Isenhour
Conrad Isenhour
Conrad Isenhour
Conrad Isenhour resides in Austin, Texas and works as a marching arts instructor, choreographer, visual designer, and adjudicator across the state and country. Conrad is the Visual Caption Manager, Ensemble Manager, and a choreographer for the Santa Clara Vanguard Drum & Bugle Corps. He also holds the positions of Visual Caption Manager,
Conrad Isenhour resides in Austin, Texas and works as a marching arts instructor, choreographer, visual designer, and adjudicator across the state and country. Conrad is the Visual Caption Manager, Ensemble Manager, and a choreographer for the Santa Clara Vanguard Drum & Bugle Corps. He also holds the positions of Visual Caption Manager, Rehearsal Coordinator, and Lead Choreographer for Rhythmic Force Percussion in Austin. Conrad has been a visual and brass instructor, a choreographer, and movement specialist for multiple high achieving marching band programs in Texas including Westlake HS, Cedar Ridge HS, and Vandegrift HS. He held a similar role for the Claudia Taylor “Lady Bird” Johnson High School Marching Band in San Antonio for more than a decade. In his time at CTJ, the brand-new school bloomed into a BOA regional and super regional champion, a Grand National finalist and a UIL State medalist and champion. Conrad is proud to have been a staff member for 3 separate band programs who have each earned at least one UIL 6A State medal.
Conrad’s prior DCI teaching experience includes being the Visual Caption Manager and choreographer of The Crossmen Drum & Bugle Corps where he also previously taught brass, being a member of the Boston Crusaders visual staff and brass staff, the Blue Stars visual staff, and the Cadets visual staff where he led the movement and choreography program for the musicians. He was previously a member of the consistent WGI World Class Finalist Monarch Independent Percussion visual team where he coordinated the movement and choreography program and was a visual staff member for the WGI silver medalist Crossmen Winds. In 2023, Conrad had the honor of adjudicating the UIL Texas State Marching Band Contest.
Conrad holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from The University of Texas at San Antonio where he also studied film, dance, and music. He is a co-creator of Marching Band Movement, an educational video course designed as a resource for teachers and students to be better trained in modern marching arts movement and dance. As a performer, Conrad spent his time marching baritone for The Crossmen and The Santa Clara Vanguard.
Patricia Beggy
Patricia Beggy has been an adjudicator in pageantry arts for over 35 years and has been a mainstay in the judging community often acting in the role of lead judge. She is accredited in
and judges all visual captions for Marching Bands, Drum and Bugle Corps and Winter Color Guards. Ms. Beggy has taught, consulted and judged for Baton Twirl
Patricia Beggy has been an adjudicator in pageantry arts for over 35 years and has been a mainstay in the judging community often acting in the role of lead judge. She is accredited in
and judges all visual captions for Marching Bands, Drum and Bugle Corps and Winter Color Guards. Ms. Beggy has taught, consulted and judged for Baton Twirling, Cheerleading, Drum and Bugle
Corps, Marching Bands and Winter Color Guard. She spent many years teaching Scholastic A and Scholastic Open winter color guards, including several WGI finalists. In addition, her work as an instructor and staff member with Marching Bands proudly includes BOA finalists. She is very committed to judge education and works as a clinician for various judges’ associations both nationally and internationally.
As a performer, Patricia Beggy began dancing, twirling and marching at the age of 6 and continued until she aged out at 21. Her first year in the pageantry activity ended with winning an American Legion State Championship in twirling, and her last year ended with winning a
American Legion State Championships in Drum Corps. She studied dance for over 15 years, including attending Dartford College of Movement Studies in England, and was a company member of The Performance Dance Ensemble.
Outside of judging, Ms. Beggy highly values giving back to the community and volunteers for many non-profit organizations. In the past, she has served on the Massachusetts Judges
Association Board of Directors and for 10 years was on the Board of Directors for the non-profit CitySprouts.org, receiving their Community and Environmental Impact Award for her service.
She has traveled extensively throughout the world expanding her knowledge and love for different cultures, world history, music, art and food. She holds Masters Degrees in both Education and Administration and recently retired from the position of Elementary School
Principal from the Cambridge Public Schools, in Cambridge MA, USA.