THE MARCHING ARTS MUST ATTEND EVENT OF THE YEAR!
DISCOVER, CONNECT, AND CREATE
WGIcon is the premier educational event for all instructors, designers, technicians, and administrators of Percussion, Winds, and Color Guard groups around the globe. Learn from some of the greatest minds in the activity throughout a single weekend filled with multiple interactive and engaging sessions. Discover your passion, connect and network with other members of the community, and create lifelong memories at WGIcon!
2024 Location
The San Francisco Marriott Marquis Hotel has extended its offering of a discounted rate on rooms until sold out!
Hotel Address: 780 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94103
Check out the collection of restaurants at Yerba Buena Lane!
Transportation to WGIcon
WGicon Sessions // Resources
- General Effect for ALL
- Do You See What I See
- Mental Health Resources Handout for Building Mental Well-Being in Today’s Performers
- Mental Health Resources for Building Mental Well-Being in Today’s Performers **Presentation Slides**
- Building and Maintaining a Middle School Color Guard
- Balancing Life in This Crazy World
- Marching To Success
- Success with Basic Skills – Paul Weber
- Choreography for Drumlines – Rochelle Mapes
- AI-Powered Precision Presentation – Gabrielle Vita
Color guard
Presenter: Rick Subel & Cynthia Robbins
Description: Dive into the artistry of winter guard soundtracks as we explore crafting unique, complex, and dynamic compositions. We will discuss how to carve out a distinct identity for your ensemble through original treatments of source music inspiration while highlighting industry tricks and tools for mastering soundtracks, ensuring optimal sound and presence across various equipment. Explore the collaborative process of working with music editors and engineers, transforming conceptual ideas into unique, well-paced, and compelling soundtracks. Elevate your creativity with insights that blend competitive strategy, audience engagement, atmosphere, and emotion to leave a lasting impact on both performers and audiences alike.
Bio: Rick is the co-founder, director, and creative designer for Paramount Winterguard in Atlanta, GA. With over 25 years as a designer in the pageantry arts, Rick is constantly learning and sharing new and proven methods for creating competitive and artistic designs. In addition to his design roles, Rick is an active adjudicator, clinician, and consultant.
Bio: Cynthia Robbins is a color guard educator and designer from Houston, Texas. In her tenth year as color guard director at The Woodlands High School, Cynthia has over 20 years of experience teaching and designing in the pageantry arts. She lives in Houston with her fiancé Ryan and their sweet dog Biscuit.
Presenter: Robby Jacobson
Description: This session will discuss how we can tailor our technique and training programs for our performers to maximize their ability to take their training and apply it to their performances. With interactive audience participation, this session will take a multi-angled approach to training philosophies ranging from technique choices to teaching strategies, allowing us to efficiently magnify the carryover from our training programs to our productions. Let’s discuss ways to maximize and implement a solid training program that will optimize your performer’s ability to be successful while also being time efficient.
Bio: Robby has a long career teaching color guard at many levels. He currently teaches winter guard at Fantasia, Mission Viejo HS, and Palm Desert MS. Robby has also been on staff with the Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps for over 16 years. In addition to teaching color guard, Robby is a certified Pilates, Barbell, and Kettlebell instructor. He also trains instructors and teaches at Kettlebell Certifications, allowing him to teach diverse groups of students.
Presenter: Jennifer Hinshaw
Description: This session will bring you to the dance floor. Participants will explore a contemporary master class that will get your pulse rate up and your muscles sore. Bring your water, moveable clothing, strength, confidence, and, most importantly, your passion! We will explore skills you have seen on the floor with some of your favorite A, Open, and World Class guards. Participants can also choose to simply observe. We will smile together, laugh together, and maybe even cry a little. Don’t miss it!
Bio: Jennifer Hinshaw has been immersed in dance since the age of 3. Childhood classes in multiple genres cultivated a love for dance that became her life’s work. Jennifer received her BS in Dance Education from UNC Greensboro and went on to found two full-time public school dance programs. In addition to her work in public education, she has spent the last 20 years passing on her passion for dance as a color guard educator, a studio administrator, and an accomplished freelance choreographer.
Presenter: Karl Lowe & Curtis Costanza
Description: In this session, you will explore short live performances together through multiple points of view and determine whether your interpretation and score of the performances are similar to or different from those of your WGIcon neighbors. Facilitated by Karl Lowe and Curtis Costanza, you will investigate how a performance can be perceived differently by other designers and directors and see what happens when you change your perspective.
Presenter: Andy Toth
Description: Let’s talk about critique! In this session, you will learn practices to maximize the time spent in the conversations between the judge and director. Learn how to steer conversations to get meaningful feedback while observing live scenario settings and see how your approach can significantly impact your overall experience.
Bio: Andy Toth has been an active and passionate citizen in the marching arts community for the past three decades. He is an original cast member of the Emmy & Tony award-winning production of Blast! and is honored to have designed for numerous high schools, including Carmel HS (2002-2022). He has a BS degree in Exercise Physiology from UIC-Chicago, where he resides today. 2024 marks Andy’s 10th year on the WGI color guard steering committee and his 25th year on the design team for Pride of Cincinnati.
Presenter: Heather Graham and Michael James
Description: All of us interpret music differently while choreographing. Some pick the flow of the lyrics, while others may follow the underlying rhythms, but everyone’s goal is to bring the music to life through unique and stunning visual effects. Watch Heather and Michael explore these different choreographic choices live while teaching a group of guest performers and witness how different interpretations can still lead to beautiful creations.
Bio: Originally from Wisconsin, Heather currently resides in Ohio. Her performance career includes Phantom Regiment, Carolina Crown, and Pride of Cincinnati. Heather is proud to be a designer and choreographer for various programs across North America, including Miamisburg HS, UCF Pegasus, University of Cincinnati, Dartmouth HS, Phoenix Independent, Origins, and Calgary Stampede. She is also the caption manager for the Boston Crusaders. She currently serves as the VP of Mepa and on the WGI Board of Directors.
Bio: Michael James, born and raised in St. Petersburg, Florida, graduated from the University of South Florida with a BA in Modern Dance Performance. After college, he performed in the American Stage Company’s “Shakespeare in the Park” Series for five seasons and danced and choreographed for the Children’s Theater Tour. Michael was a scholarship student at the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in Beckett, Massachusetts, where he studied under Linda Kent and Carolyn Adams
Presenter: Becca Anderson
Description:
Do you have a limited number of resources and don’t have a big budget? Need to figure out some basic ideas on how to save money? Becca will take you through some cost saving ideas for everything from floors to costumes to flags. She’ll also discuss how the most important pieces of your puzzle like your hook, music, and how you use color might be all you need for a great production.
Presenter: Jessica Byrne
Description: The choreography has been taught, and now it’s time to clean! There is more to cleaning than saying, “Flag up on count 5 and down on count 6”. While cleaning, sometimes the biggest challenge is ensuring the choreography doesn’t start to fall flat and become sterile. Through a live demo session with open class performers, explore with Jessica as she keeps the life in the choreography, fixes what may be broken, and creates one cohesive flow of equipment and movement. Also moderated by Karl Lowe, learn key details she looks for while cleaning and additional tips to communicate with performers to keep the performance alive!
Bio: Jessica was born into a marching arts family and has been around the activity for most of her life. Growing up in Dorchester, Massachusetts, she began her marching career as a member of St. Ann’s in the novice class in 1993. Lucky enough to be a part of the Eastern Mass circuit during its most prominent years, Jessica traveled up the classes until both St. Ann’s world teams folded in 2002. Jessica joined Blessed Sacrament World Guard in 2003 and continued through til 2007. She went back for the 2011-12 seasons with Sac. Continuing her family’s legacy, she performed 6 summers with the Boston Crusaders (01-06).
In 2015, Jessica started giving back to the two organizations that had given her so much, St. Ann’s and Blessed Sac. Beginning as a technician, she quickly morphed into a prominent staff member of both St. Ann’s A guard and Blessed Sac world; she does a little bit of everything. Now entering her 10th season on staff, she is looking forward to bringing a new set of St. Ann’s girls to WGI finals for the first time and the legendary sac world for their 43rd world finals. Jessica is passionate about helping keep independent color guard alive in Massachusetts.
Presenters: Rosie Queen & Rick Subel
Description:
Join Rick Subel & Rosie Queen for the next installment of their “WGI Game-Changer” series. At our last WGIcon, we barely scratched the surface of all there is to uncover, so the well-received historical series will continue with a Part 2.
This session isn’t just about reminiscing over the past 47 awe-inspiring years of WGI Color Guard performances; it’s about harnessing past lessons to propel us toward new heights of creativity and inspiration. Join us as we explore the essence of greatness, unique identities, creativity, and ground-breaking techniques of those past units that changed the WGI game.
Together, we’ll unravel the threads of innovation and dissect the most captivating moments in WGI Color Guard history. With over 45 years of spectacular performances as our canvas, we’ll paint a picture of inspiration for the future.
Bios:Rosie Queen has been a driving force in the marching arts since 1983, serving as an instructor, designer, adjudicator, and clinician nationwide. Notably, she directed Carmel H.S.’s program for 16 years, from 2003 to 2019. Passionate about mentorship, Rosie has shared her expertise at WGI and BOA events, creating educational videos and serving on WGI’s advisory and executive boards. She recently relocated to Southern California and continues to inspire as the Instructor Education Director for the WGASC.
Rick is the co-founder, director, and creative designer for Paramount Winterguard in Atlanta, GA. With over 25 years as a designer in the pageantry arts, Rick is constantly learning and sharing new and proven methods for creating competitive and artistic designs. In addition to his design roles, Rick is an active adjudicator, clinician, and consultant.
Percussion
Presenter: Kevin Shah
Description: This session will arm you with actionable strategies and frameworks for creating, curating, and producing a more cohesive musical score for your ensemble.
We will focus on both the creative and functional thought processes that go into building a sonic experience across all classes of competition. While there will be some discussion around technology, the main focus will be creative ideation, orchestration, and the process of editing the soundtrack for a more authentic audience experience.
Bio: Kevin Shah is passionate about bringing artistic expression to life through composition and re-imagining the world creatively and meaningfully. Kevin owns and operates projectRISEmusic.com, which features original works for marching band and indoor percussion. In 2021, Kevin launched PRMworkshops.com, a design-focused educational platform for the marching arts, through which he provides exclusive workshops, design and composition coaching, and an online community with hundreds of members.
Presenter: Paul Weber
Description: In his session, Success with Basic Skills, Paul Weber breaks down the development of a successful indoor percussion ensemble based on the training and application of basic skills. Although successful ensembles at all levels share several attributes, groups at a basic level have unique characteristics and needs. Designing a show and training program that work together to address the needs and attributes of your students can form the foundation for short-term success and long-term growth.
Bio:Paul Weber has been the director of the Irondale HS drumline since 2003. During his tenure, the Irondale drumline has made eight WGI World Championship finals appearances and has been awarded medals in both Open and A class, including a World Championship in 2023. Weber has also worked with River City Rhythm (program coordinator/batterie arranger), the Blue Knights drum corps (batterie coordinator/percussion captionhead), the Madison Scouts, Blue Stars, Southwind, and the Timberwolves PACKcussion.
Presenters: Rob Ferguson, Chad Heiny, Bobby Jones
Description: This interactive session will feature a live, real-time experience in critique preparation and interaction. Performances will be adjudicated in real time with staff and judges both preparing notes. A live critique will ensue, exploring various best (and worst) practices!
Description: Each year, WGI percussion adjudicators participate in several meetings to hone and refine their craft. This series of meetings always begins with a full roster kick-off session to review key details heading into the next season. This year, this kick-off meeting will be open to all. Come join us as a “fly on the wall” for this hour-long initial judge meeting.
Presenter: Rochelle Mapes
Description: This class will focus on creating and assessing drumline choreography using foundational movement elements like rhythm, level, space, and dynamics/textures. We will cover strategies for developing a unique choreographic voice specific to a show concept. Additionally, we will discuss terminology and verbiage to describe the movement, with the aim of creating a common language for judges, staff, and members.
Bio: Rochelle Mapes is the choreographer for 5-time PIW Gold Medalist Pulse Percussion and Chino Hills HS and is the Operations Manager for Box Six. Outside the drumline activity, Rochelle is the Director of Dance at Mater Dei HS, an experienced freelance choreographer and master class teacher, a respected dance judge for prestigious events like UDA College Dance Team Nationals, and a former professional dancer. She earned an MA and BFA in Dance from Cal State University, Long Beach.
Panelist: Julie Davila, Austin Greene, John Mapes, Donnie Ross
Description: Join us for an enlightening panel discussion that brings together two dynamic designers and instructors and two experienced adjudicators. This session offers a unique opportunity to gain insights from both sides of the activity, with panelists discussing their journeys, challenges, perspectives, and the elements that contribute to a successful program. Be ready to engage and ask your own questions in this interactive, informative, and thought-provoking session.
Presenter: Tony Lymon
Description: A practical, real-world approach to going from seeing things you like to creating something you love. This clinic seeks to demystify design concepts, lingo, and processes in plain terms for those who feel left out of the conversation. Whether you are looking to have a better working relationship with the designers you hire or you want to advance your design skills with new perspectives, this is the clinic for you.
Bio: Tony is a distinguished Artistic Director, recognized for his expertise in show design within the marching arts. Currently serving as the Artistic Director for the Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps and Artistic Design/Sound Design for United Percussion (PIW), Tony also holds the role of creative designer for feniX Independent Winter Guard (IW), ViP Percussion (PIW), UP2 Open (PIO), Vision Percussion (PIO), and Boswell HS (PSW). With extensive experience, Tony has made a lasting impression on the marching band and percussion community. Recently concluding a twenty-four-year tenure as founder and show designer for Petal Indoor Percussion Theatre (PSW), a WGI Percussion Scholastic World Class Finalist, he has also contributed significantly as the co-music arranger/show designer for the Petal High School marching band, guiding them to success on both regional and national platforms.
Presenters: Mark Thurston, Chris Hestin, Caleb Rothe
Description: Ask the burning questions you’ve been holding onto. This is your chance to delve deep into the art and science of indoor percussion in an interactive “office hours” setting. Engage in intimate table discussions and learn from some of the greatest minds in the indoor percussion activity.
Presenter: Wardell King & Kristina Haney
Description:“Fostering a Diverse Ensemble” highlights the significance of inclusivity in performing arts. It explores how diverse perspectives fuel innovation, enrich storytelling, and foster empathy. Showcasing the diverse landscape of WGI as a whole, learn how small language changes, uniform/costume selection, and group culture have helped create a welcoming environment for our ensemble and how you can implement them into your independent or scholastic groups.
Bio: Mr. King is in his 30th year as an independent music educator, arranger, consultant, and performer specializing in marching percussion. He is currently the Executive Director / Caption Head of Vision Percussion Indoor Drumline (PIO) and serves as caption head/arranger for various high schools in Arizona. Wardell has a strong teaching philosophy that guides him to offer life lessons through music and dedicated practice.
Bio: Kristina is an educator from Chandler, AZ. She has performed with several ensembles in and out of state, including Dark Sky Percussion, Pulse Percussion, and Pacific Crest. She has taught several ensembles in different captions and is currently the Assistant Director of Vision Percussion in Gilbert, AZ, where she is also on the design team and teaches the cymbal line. Kristina strives to create a safe and diverse environment for performers and staff.
winds
Presenter: Wayne Dillon
Description: Let’s face it, evaluating General Effect in the marching arts can feel like comparing apples to oranges or dogs to ponies. In this workshop, we will look at the necessary skills for judges and designers to navigate GE assessment across various marching arts platforms. Participants will explore the intangible factors that make up show design and audience engagement, delving into methods for comparing different design and performance elements. Techniques for assessing aesthetic, intellectual, and emotional responses will be discussed. Finally, we will address the inherent subjectivity of GE judging while providing strategies for minimizing bias.
Bio: Wayne Dillon holds a Master’s Degree in Jazz Performance/Pedagogy from the University Of Miami (FL). He is the former Director of Bands at Elizabeth HS in NJ. Wayne is currently the Director of WGI’s Winds Division. He also serves as an adjudicator for Drum Corps International and Bands of America. Wayne is on the Music Admin team for FFCC outdoor, and works as an educational clinician for Conn Selmer.
Presenter: Matt Harloff
Description: Unfortunately, there aren’t any magic words or pixie dust that instantly transform a marching band, concert band, or winds group. Upgrading the sound quality in any musical ensemble takes time, focus, effort, constant reminders, and a well-developed plan. This session will share tips, exercises, daily routines, and a few helpful stories that will hopefully improve your ensemble’s sound.
Bio: Matt Harloff received a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Indiana University & Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Indianapolis. Matt is currently the director of bands at Avon High School in Avon, Indiana. He serves as the Marching Black & Gold director, co-conductor for all 5 Concert Bands, and Director of Avon Indoor Winds. Matt is also the brass caption head for Carolina Crown. Matt is married to his wife Susie & has two children, Tyson & Shaelyn.
Presenter: Andrew Markworth
Description: In this session, we will dive into some best practices for putting together a backing track for a WGI Winds group. Let’s discuss sample libraries, mixing, speaker placement, arranging, rehearsal tips, and more, including examples of some previous projects.
Bio: Andrew Markworth is a composer, arranger, and consultant who writes for marching bands, indoor percussion and winds groups, and drum corps all over the world. He is currently the music director for Rhythm X. He was the Music Arranger/Coordinator for the Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps from 2015-2020 and the Front Ensemble Arranger/Coordinator for Carolina Crown from 2007-2014. Andrew is currently the full ensemble music arranger for Vandegrift High School, Centerville High School, and many others.
Presenters: Zack Novicki & Stephen Alia
Description: LSM Winds and Horizon Winds are currently the only two WGI Winds programs to compete in all three classifications (A, Open, and World). Join their directors, Zack Novicki and Stephen Alia, as they discuss what led to their program’s reclassifications, how they handled the changes, and the notable differences between competitive classes.
Zack and Steve will host a brief Q&A towards the end of this session so attendees can better evaluate what competitive classification may be best for their winds program.
Bios: Zack Novicki is the Associate Director of Bands at Southgate Community Schools and the Executive Director/CEO of LSM Performing Arts. In his time at LSM, he has helped lead LSM Winds to 7 World Championships Finals appearances, including back-to-back WGI Winds World Championships (2022 WIA, 2023 WIO). LSM Winds is now in the Winds Independent World Class. Zack has actively served on the WGI Winds Advisory Board since 2015 and is currently a member of the Winds Steering Committee.
Stephen Alia is honored to serve as the Executive Director for the Horizon Pageantry Arts Association, Inc., a Florida not-for-profit organization, as well as as the Interim Director of Horizon Winds. He is also the designer for LSM Winds, Kent City Winter Winds, Newnan HS Winds, and Black Flag Winds from East Carolina University. He serves as the Education Coordinator for the Central States Judges Association and on the Steering Committee for the Winds division of WGI.
Presenters: Olivia Spell & Jose Antonio Montes III
Description: “It Takes a Village” is not just an age-old cliché; it’s a call to action. Olivia D. Spell and Jose Antonio Montes III share how working together, investing in your students, and growing the community within your program has created an environment where students and staff can feel supported and nurtured to achieve their fullest potential.
Bios: Olivia D. Spell is a 2009 graduate of East Carolina University. In her 13th year at Corinth Holders High School, she oversees the Marching Band, Concert Band, Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble, Basketball Band, Jazz Band, Winds, Guard, and Winter Percussion Ensemble. Growing this program from the ground up has been one of the most rewarding parts of her career! Olivia enjoys traveling, shopping, and cooking. She also enjoys spending time with her husband, Ryan, and their children, Robbie and Addie Jo.
Jose Montes is a Visual Designer originally from El Paso, TX. He works with competitive marching ensembles in the US. Montes writes drill, designs uniforms/props, choreographs, is a program coordinator, runs visual clinics, and judges Indoor/Outdoor competitions across the country. He is the Executive Director of Eva Independent in Raleigh, NC. The organization has a successful winds group and is in the process of starting a Winter Guard and Indoor Percussion group under the same umbrella.
Presenters: Matt Harloff & Susie Harloff
Arguably, one of the biggest challenges of being a director or staff member of a program is NOT helping your performers excel musically or visually, but rather how to still be a wife, a husband, a son, or daughter…a mom or dad… and even a good friend. There are not a lot of classes you can take that advise on how to run a successful program & maintain a fun and healthy home life. One of the most common questions is: “How can you do drum corps, marching band, WGI & still have a family?”
In this session, we share our journey, lessons learned, and how we balanced life in our crazy world.
Bios: Matt Harloff received a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Indiana University & Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Indianapolis. Matt is currently the director of bands at Avon High School in Avon, Indiana. He serves as the Marching Black & Gold director, co-conductor for all 5 Concert Bands, and Director of Avon Indoor Winds. Matt is also the brass caption head for Carolina Crown. Matt is married to his wife Susie & has 2 children, Tyson & Shaelyn.
Susie Harloff is from Avon, Indiana. A music teacher by day, she spends her evenings with the Avon band. She is the choreographer and movement specialist for the Avon Winds and the director of the Avon Cadet Guard. She is also the Color Guard Track coordinator for the Music For All Summer Symposium. Susie is happily married to the incomparable Matt Harloff and has loved sharing their passion for the pageantry arts with their two children, Tyson and Shaelyn.
management
Presenter: Will Frankenberger
Description: Phrases like “just be smart about it” are said frequently as educational
advice or policy clarity for staff members and performers to sum up the process of
protecting participants. In reality, that approach leads to a lack of clarity and application to create safe environments since information is not provided on who, when, how, or why. This comprehensive session will explore the critical steps necessary to safeguard
everyone in the marching arts from misconduct and abuse. Participants will gain
practical knowledge on recognizing, preventing, and addressing inappropriate behavior, with a focus on creating a safe and supportive environment for all members within the unique dynamics of the marching arts. Through engaging discussions, expert insights, and actionable strategies, this program aims to empower attendees to proactively protect their groups and foster a culture of care. Join us to ensure that every individual in the marching arts community can thrive without fear and misinformation.
Bio: Dr. Will Frankenberger (he.him) has worked as an advocate and investigator in
participant protection for over a decade. Professionally, he oversees the Participant
Protection program for WGI and is a sought-after educator and consultant on topics
such as health and wellness programming, alternative dispute resolution, and trauma-informed response and care. Will’s vast marching arts experience includes performing, teaching, designing, judging and circuit administration.
Presenter: Gabrielle Vita
Discover the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in enhancing the precision and efficiency of color guard program management. Designed for instructors and management teams, this session will unveil AI-driven solutions to streamline operations, improve communication, and maximize organizational impact. From automating administrative tasks to providing personalized insights for instructors, explore the key highlights. Including real-world case studies and interactive discussions, take advantage of this opportunity to revolutionize your approach to organizational management in color guard using AI. Join us for an enlightening session that promises to reshape your strategies for success!
Bio: Gabrielle Vita is originally from Fredericksburg, VA. She graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a bachelor’s degree in Forensic Science. Gabrielle began her color guard training at 12 years old, performing with a local winter guard directed by her mother. After graduating high school, her color guard performance career continued with Teal Sound (2007), Jersey Surf (2008 – 2010), Blackwatch Winter Guard (2011), and The Cadets (2011).
Gabrielle has been an educator for over 12 years. She has worked with a variety of different high school and independent programs including Daviess County HS (2013 – 2019), Eklipse (2015), James E. Taylor HS (2019 – 2022), and Origins Winter Guard (2020 – 2024) in Texas. She currently resides in Houston, TX, where she is a laboratory technician for a chemical manufacturing company pursuing a career in information technology.
Presenter: John Arevalo
Description: An issue we face as competitive educators is time. We constantly fight the clock to develop our programs and pass down knowledge, experience, and passion for our art form to future generations. This session will share how to utilize various trending applications as tools to manage these issues, including simple day-to-day responsibilities, Anatomy/Health Management, Movement/Equipment Training, Communication/Media outreach, and Educational/Design management.
Bio: John Arevalo studied Music and Dance Education at CSU Fresno. Having been in Marching Arts for almost 20 years, he has worked with a variety of groups at the scholastic, collegiate, and independent levels. The most notable groups include Imbue WG, Golden Empire, I-Squared, BC Indoor, NOCO, Altered Modalities, and Fresno States Marching Band and Independent WG. He currently works with the Clovis North and Selma High School programs and provides consulting work for local programs in the valley.
Presenter: Christopher Tanner
Description: Join Christopher Tanner for ‘Marching to Success: Marketing Strategies for Non-Profit Arts Organizations,’ a marketing-based session where you’ll uncover the secrets to boosting your organization’s visibility and impact. Whether you’re a band booster or leading a top-tier non-profit, this seminar is your gateway to mastering marketing techniques. Learn essential tips and tricks to elevate your outreach, engage your community, and secure vital support for your cause.
Bio: Christopher Tanner is an experienced marketing professional with more than 25 years of expertise in the marching arts as a performer, designer, and adjudicator. Apart from his pageantry art experience, he has worked in sales, marketing, and management roles in the Fortune 500 world. Currently, Christopher is the Marketing Manager for Digital Performance Gear (DPG), and he resides in Tennessee with his wife Jennifer, son Grayson, who plays hockey, and their cat, Bauer.
Presenter: Emily Yraceburu
Description: There is a difference between creating a space where everyone is invited and creating a space with everyone in mind.” As we attempt to make the marching arts more inclusive, we need to consider some simple practices and intentional changes we can make to the culture of our programs to provide security for our participants of all gender identities. We will dive into best practices and navigate through conversations using proper language. We will discuss costume design choices and other situations related to performers’ gender identity while touching on the historical context of marching art’s cultural development.
Bio: Emily Yraceburu has a MA in Cultural Studies from Claremont Graduate University. As a performer, Emily marched with Bluecoats Drum Corps and Imbue Winterguard. Emily has previously taught at Blue Knights, Imbue Winterguard, and various high schools in Southern California. Outside of color guard, Emily has worked for the last decade in social services with a variety of clients. Currently, Emily works in the Graduate Division at UC Berkeley.
Presenter: Eddie Dalton
Description: From conception to auditions, from the first rehearsal to the last, from a new program to a World Championships finalist, and from home base to Dayton and back, join MTC Travel Designer Eddie Dalton as he breaks down all the steps needed to get your program from A 2 B.
Bio: Eddie is no rookie in organizing events and tourism. Born and raised in Orlando, Eddie began his journey through the hospitality industry at Universal Studios. He then continued his journey with the Hilton Hotels. After obtaining his bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership, he made the move to Indiana. Dalton is no stranger to indoor percussion. He was a performer with Infinity Percussion 2015-16 and taught visuals for Lake Howell HS (FL). Eddie is a Travel Designer at MTC.
Presenter: Ruth Ann Medworth & Susie Harloff
Description: Ruth Ann and Susie share methods to build and maintain a quality middle school feeder program. Participants will delve into essential topics such as recruitment strategies, audition processes, refining techniques, managing equipment and costumes, effective fundraisers, excelling in performances and competitions, building traditions, and ensuring the program’s longevity. Join us to lay the foundation for a thriving middle school guard program.
Bio: Ruth Ann Medworth has been involved with the Northview and former Brazil High School Color Guard since 1977. Known for entertaining and fun shows, the guard has won two state championships and appeared in 32 WGI Scholastic World finals. . She serves on the IHSCGA Board of Directors and was WGI Vice President from 1995-2009. Ruth Ann is also recipient of the IHSCGA Envoy Award and a member of the WGI Hall of Fame.
Bio: Susie Harloff is from Avon, Indiana. A music teacher by day, she spends her evenings with the Avon band. She is choreographer and movement specialist for the Avon Winds and the director of the Avon Cadet Guard. She is also the Color Guard Track coordinator for the Music For All Summer Symposium. Susie is happily married to the incomparable Matt Harloff and has loved sharing their passion for the pageantry arts with their two children, Tyson and Shaelyn.
Presenter: Shirley Dorritie // Performance Coach
Description: Are your students presenting with far more anxiety, panic, and “cracks” in their overall mental well-being than ever before? Do they seem to give up sooner and take longer to bounce back? Are their reactions catching you by surprise? You’re not alone, and you aren’t imagining it!
This session will give you insight into what’s going on with today’s performers as well as practical tools for stabilizing their reactions and building their mental well-being.
Bio: With over 50 years in pageantry to her credit, Shirley is a member of the DCI Hall of Fame, the World Drum Corps Hall of Fame, and the Winter Guard Association of Southern California’s Order of Excellence. A licensed psychotherapist, she specializes in training performers throughout the world for optimal achievement regardless of the conditions. Her book, PERFORMING AT THE TOP OF YOUR GAME: Practical Strategies for When It Really Counts, is available at www.PerformAndAchieve.com
2024 Keynote speakers
SESSION TITLE: The Art of Exploration
Presenter: Deanna Marsigliese // Pixar Animator
Description: It’s a generally accepted notion that our best work is our most inspired work, that a powerful design engages our hearts as well as our minds, and that truly seeing is quite different from simply looking.
Exploration is the key that unlocks all of these concepts by opening the world to us in new, exciting, and unusual ways. Deanna Marsigliese has been crafting animated characters for over twenty years, and yes, it’s a fun job. However, this career path isn’t without its unique challenges. Curating and maintaining an encouraging level of inspiration is certainly one of those challenges.
In this talk, Marsigliese digs deep into her own process and explores the creative habits that keep her engaged and endlessly inspired. In an industry rife with deadlines and an insatiable appetite for fresh ideas, Marsigliese demonstrates how an active imagination, a curious nature, and a resilient sense of self can lead to continuous innovation.
Bio: Deanna Marsigliese is an Italian-Canadian animation art director living in San Francisco, CA. Specializing in story-telling through character and costume design, Marsigliese has worked for Pixar Animation Studios since 2012. Her credits include Soul (2020), Onward (2020), Toy Story 4 (2019), Incredibles 2 (2018), Bao (2018), Inside Out (2015) and The Good Dinosaur (2013).
Most recently, Marsigliese acted as both character art director and animation sketch artist lead for Pixar’s Luca (2021) and designed new emotions for Inside Out 2, which is set to release in June 2024.
Prior to Pixar, Marsigliese freelanced as a 2D animator and character designer on a wide variety of film, television, and commercial projects. She also served as the Professor of Classical Animation at Seneca College in Toronto, Canada, for six years.
Today, Marsigliese enjoys leading workshops, delivering keynote presentations, and participating in panel discussions worldwide, all in the hopes of inspiring others through her passion for animation and design. She has been hosted by SXSW, D23, ILM, WIA, LBXO, THU, Brainbar, Leaders London, The View Conference, RiseUp Summit, Pixelatl, Prémios Quirino, and The Walt Disney Family Museum. Marsigliese is a vintage fashion enthusiast with a penchant for very large designer costume jewels. When in need of inspiration, she explores; traveling the world at length with a surprisingly small backpack.
SESSION TITLE: When Excitement Becomes Anxiety – Conquering the Performance Roller Coaster
Presenter: Shirley Dorritie // Performance Coach
Description: Live performance is an emotional roller-coaster that can dramatically impact your student’s ability to deliver their skills when it really counts! The way you rehearse and prepare for performance can either intensify those changes or neutralize them. Discover the most common experiences that interfere with performance and what causes them. Learn the cues to watch out for and practical strategies for avoiding them in the first place!
Bio: With over 50 years in pageantry to her credit, Shirley is a member of the DCI Hall of Fame, the World Drum Corps Hall of Fame, and the Winter Guard Association of Southern California’s Order of Excellence. A licensed psychotherapist, she specializes in training performers throughout the world for optimal achievement regardless of the conditions. Her book, PERFORMING AT THE TOP OF YOUR GAME: Practical Strategies for When It Really Counts, is available at www.PerformAndAchieve.com
VANDERCOOK COLLEGE OF MUSIC OFFERS GRADUATE CREDIT FOR ATTENDING WGICON
WGI is proud to continue its partnership with VanderCook and the Music Education Center of America to offer graduate credit for attending WGIcon this coming September. Through the Continuing Education program, teachers may earn credit for attending the convention sessions and completing the necessary coursework that follows. The university offers the course as a retrospective, which allows teachers to register for the credit even after attending the professional development event.
CLICK HERE to learn more, and sign up today!
WGicon Scholarships
The application window for all 2024 WGIcon scholarships has closed
WGIcon Scholarships provides ambitious educators with a weekend full of knowledge, a priceless network within the activity, and the tools to return home and grow their own marching programs. This scholarship valued at $600 will cover registration and 2 night hotel stay, is open until end of day on March 15th.
Three (3) winners were selected April 5th and announced prior to World Championships.
Click below to see the video highlights from the previous WGICON events.
