Music Designers

 

John Max McFarland- Head Music Designer, Owner

John McFarland picJohn Max McFarland (b. 1982) is an active composer/arranger in WGI, DCI, and BOA.  He is currently the Program Coordinator for Legends Drum and Bugle Corps from Kalamazoo, Michigan , a position he has held since the 2016 season.  From 2013 to 2015 he was the percussion composer/arranger for Pioneer Drum and Bugle Corps from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  In 2018 he was the percussion caption head and arranger for the Erie Thunderbirds Drum and Bugle Corps in Erie, PA.  In WGI, John has composed and arranged for many ensembles ranging from Scholastic A Class all the way up to Independent World Class.  Many notable clients include Eastside Fury (2012-2014), Notre Dame Indoor Percussion Ensemble (PIA Finalists 2012, 2013) Ferndale Independent Percussion (2015 PIA Silver Medalists), Farmington United Percussion (2017 PIA Silver Medalists), and Decatur Central Indoor Percussion (2018 PSCA Gold Medalists).  John also composes marching band shows for high schools and colleges all over the country.  

John is also heavily involved with the Cleveland Browns Drumline acting as their Program Director, Music Composer, as well as a Game Day Performer.  He began his tenure with the Browns in 2014 and continues in his current positions today.  

John received his degrees in Composition (B.M.) and Percussion Performance (B.M., M.M.) from Western Michigan University. He studied percussion under Judy Moonert. John has performed as the principal percussionist and Principal Timpanist for the University Concert and Symphonic Bands, as well as the University Symphony Orchestra. He has also performed with the Kalamazoo Symphony and Battlecreek Symphony as a substitute percussionist. John was also a marching member of the Kiwanis Kavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps as well as the Santa Clara Vanguard Drum & Bugle Corps. John studied composition under Curtis Curtis-Smith, Dr. Richard Adams, and Dr. Robert Ricci. His compositions and arrangements have received international recognition with performances all over the United States as well as Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, and Indonesia. His most recent piece, “5 Songs in the Age of Stupidity” for 2 percussion and mezzo-soprano, received 1st prize in the Ironworks percussion duo composition contest.  John is also the owner and founder of Six to Five Productions, LLC a marching arts music publishing company where many of his original shows for marching band, winter percussion, and concert percussion can be purchased.  John resides in Medina, Ohio with his wife Sydney, his son Camden, his daughter Cadence, his 2 cats (Zoe and Minkah), his 2 dogs (Sophia and Ozark)

 

Jerry Kelsey - Wind Composer/Arranger

Jerry Kelsey picJerry Kelsey has been active as an arranger/composer, music educator and adjudicator for the past 30 years.

A proud member of the World Drum Corps Hall of Fame, Jerry has been the brass arranger/instructor and musical designer for many prominent Jr. Drum and Bugle Corps throughout the decades including the Crossmen, Suncoast Sound, Florida Wave, Capital Regiment, and Pioneer. He was also recently a consultant and brass instructor with the Boston Crusaders.

He is currently the arranger, Caption Head, and instructor for the 5-time DCA World Champion Empire Statesmen, and has arranged for the San Francisco Renegades and Rochester Crusaders. On top of his arranging duties with the Empire Statesmen, Jerry currently serves as the Brass arranger for Pioneer Drum and Bugle Corps in Milwaukee, WI

As a composer, his premier of Overture: To a New Beginning was commissioned by the West Bloomfield Wind Symphony in Michigan.

Mr. Kelsey holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Fredonia State University in Fredonia, NY.  While at Fredonia he studied composition with Dr. Walter S. Hartley and conducting with Dr. Harry John Brown.  He currently resides in rural western New York with his wife Dianna and daughter, Jessie.

 

Drill Designers


Ron Hardin

Ron Hardin picAs a designer, Ron Hardin is very active and closely connected with the pageantry activity. Ron has designed hundreds of shows for bands, drum lines, winter guards and drum corps. Annually, he designs for a select amount of groups around the country.  Ron is in demand as a clinician and adjudicator throughout the world, having done many clinics throughout the United States, Europe and Japan. Since 1999, Ron has served as a visual judge for Winter Guard International, annually adjudicating for many circuits, regionals and world championships.

His designs have appeared in several BOA regional finals, won numerous state championships, circuit contests and have won three WGI Percussion Gold Medals.

As an instructor, Ron has been a part of teams earning six DCI World Championships and several High Visual Awards, including the 2012 & 2013 John Brazale Best Visual Award.

Ron's experience in the drum corps activity is extensive, spanning over twenty years. As a performer, he spent the 1991 and 1992 seasons with the Star of Indiana. Upon the completion of his performing career, Ron joined the Blue Devils as a member of their visual staff. After eight seasons, he then spent five years as the Visual Caption Head of the Santa Clara Vanguard. Ron then went on to spend four years as Visual Caption Head of the Canton Bluecoats before taking his current position as Visual Caption Head of the World Champion Carolina Crown.

In addition to instructing, Ron has designed visual programs for Yamato, Pride of the Lions, Magic of Orlando and Minnesota Brass. He has also served as Visual Coordinator for the Blue Stars. Ron has served as an instructor representative on the DCI Instructors' Task Force.

In everyday life, Ron Hardin is currently the director of Bands at Bellevue East High School. Ron took this position in 2000, and has led the Chieftains to many successful performances in all areas, including Concert Band, Wind Ensemble, Marching Band, Jazz Bands, Indoor and Concert Percussion, Chamber Ensembles and Indoor Color Guard. Under his watch, the band programs have performed in ten different states.

​Currently, Ron is the Nebraska State Bandmasters Association Marching Band Chair. When he is not teaching or conducting, Ron finds time to play bass trombone with several ensembles. His greatest pride and joy is his family: his wife, Molly, and their daughters, Emma and Celeste.

 

Jeff Gentry

Jeff GentryThe year of 2016 marks Jeff's 31st year involved in the performance arts.  He has designed and judged all levels of the visual arts activities.  Most recently he had the honor of judging Independent World Class Finals at the 2016 WGI World Championships.

His visual designs have been awarded 6 consecutive World Class, 5 Open Class, 1 A Class and 1 AA Class Indiana Percussion Association (IPA) State Championships.  He is the only designer to have had groups win all four of IPA's movement classes.  He has had at least one IPA Champion for 8 consecutive years and a medalist group for 11 years.  On the International stage he is in rare company having designed for back to back WGI Scholastic World Class Champions in 2005 & 2006. 

His marching band designs have accumlated multiple State titles, hundreds of Visual/GE Visual caption awards and have been consistent Indiana State Finalists.

 

Dr. William Neater

William Neater picWilliam has been involved in the marching arts for twenty years. From being a snare drummer in the Bushwackers Senior Drum and Bugle corps, a visual technician for the Jersey Surf Junior Drum and Bugle Corps, to serving as a judge for the United States Scholastic Band Association, William has been involved in the marching arts in a variety of ways. Most recently working with a number of high school marching bands on Long Island and throughout the New York region as drill writer, visual caption head, program designer and consultant, and assistant marching band director, as well as color guard instructor, designer, and caption head, William has amassed experience in all aspects of the marching arts activity. William has been a Social Studies teacher and alternative school principal at a public high school in New York for ten years, and has earned his Masters in Educational Administration and Technology from Long Island University, in Brookville, NY. William recently completed his doctoral studies in Educational Administration at Dowling College in Oakdale, NY. Dr. Neater is excited to be a part of the tradition building within the NDC Marching Band, and is proud to be a part of the emerging culture of music that is existent at a fine institution like Notre Dame College.

 

Tyler Lindemier

Tyler Lindemier picTyler Lindemier currently lives in Canton, Michigan. He earned a bachelors degree in elementary education with a double minor in math and reading from Eastern Michigan University. Tyler is currently a full time educator and designer for marching bands and indoor percussion ensembles across the country. 

As a marching member, Tyler spent four years with the Glassmen Drum and Bugle Corps (2008-2011). Tyler also was a member of Redline Percussion in 2009 and 2011. 

Currently, Tyler is the visual caption head for the Plymouth-Canton Educational Park Marching Band. Plymouth-Canton was a 2021 BOA Regional Finalist and BOA Grand National Semi-Finalist. He first joined the staff in the fall of 2009. He returned to Plymouth-Canton from 2014-2016, where the band was a consistent semi-finalist and placed in the top 10 in visual performance at Grand National Championships. He is also the visual designer and choreographer for the Percussion Scholastic Open class indoor drumline.

Previously, Tyler was been the visual caption head for Walled Lake Central High School from 2017-2020. Walled Lake Central was a consistent BOA Regional Finalist and AAA Class Regional Champion. He also served in this role for Walled Lake Percussion, a 9 time WGI Scholastic World Finalist and consistent Scholastic World State Champion. He also serves as the drill designer for the indoor percussion program. Walled Lake Central was a 2019 Scholastic World WGI Finalist! 

Tyler has worked with several world class drum and bugle corps, including the Troopers, Blue Knights, Boston Crusaders, and is a current member of the Carolina Crown visual staff. He has also worked as a visual staff member for Eastside Fury and Redline Percussion. Tyler served as a visual designer for Cap City Percussion from 2017-2020, helping the ensemble place 12th at WGI in Independent World in 2017 and 13th in 2018 and 2019. 2017 was Cap City's first WGI PIW finals appearance.  In 2018, Tyler joined the design team of Jubal Winds, a WGI Winds ensemble from Dordrecht, Netherlands as a co-drill writer and Jubal Drum and Bugle Corps as a visual consultant. Jubal was the 2018 Drum Corps Europe Champion!