Katie VanDoren is currently a band director at Vandegrift High School in Austin, Texas. Originally from Cedar Park, Texas, Mrs. VanDoren graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of North Texas with a bachelor’s degree in Music Education.

Katie joined the Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps after spending 12 years with Carolina Crown. She joined the brass staff in 2013, after marching with the corps from 2008-2012. Katie also works with the SASI Leadership Faculty, a group of current and former teachers dedicated to developing student leaders. Since 2013, she has enjoyed getting to be a part of the “SASI Experience”, an uplifting and empowering environment for both students and staff.

Katie’s professional affiliations include the Texas Music Educators Association, the Texas Bandmasters Association, and the Association of Texas Professional Educators. She currently resides in Austin, Texas with her husband Evan and their dog, Cooper, where both enjoy being part of a wonderful community of outstanding music educators.

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Joe Hobbs is in his 4th year as the Director of Percussion at Vandegrift High school in Austin, TX. Under his direction, the Drum Line won the Dripping Springs Drum Line Contest in both 2016 and 2017 as well as the Lone Star Classic in 2018.  The Vandegrift percussion ensemble was also selected to perform at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in 2017.  Joe was previously the director of percussion at Newman Smith High School in Carrollton, TX. The Newman Smith drum line won both the Plano Drum Line Contest as well as the Lone Star Drum Line Contest. The Newman Smith Drum Line was also invited to present a Marching percussion clinic at the 2015 PASIC Convention.

Joe is currently the Battery Coordinator for the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps from Canton, Ohio.  Joe previously served as the percussion caption head for The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps from Rosemont, IL from 2015-2018. During this time the percussion section saw a radical change in placement going from 10th place in 2015 to 3rd place by 2017.  The group also saw over a 95% retention rate during Joe’s time leading the caption.  Before joining The Cavaliers, Joe served on the percussion staff for the Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps and the Spirit of Atlanta Drum and Bugle Corps from Atlanta, GA. Joe was also involved with Music City Mystique as a battery instructor from 2009-2011. He was a member of Southwind Drum and Bugle Corps from 2001-2003. During his time at Southwind, he was named the 2003 DCI I&E Snare drum champion. From 2004-2006 Joe was a member of the Cavaliers snare line. During his time with the Cavaliers, Joe won 2 DCI world championships, 2006 DCI I&E mixed ensemble championship, “Cavalier of the year” and the “Zildjian award” in 2006. 

Joe received his Music Education degree from Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky. Other teaching experience includes George Rogers Clark High School, Southwind Drum and Bugle Corps, Murray State University, Austin Peay State University, Mt. Juliet High School, Marshall County High School, and Murray High School. Joe is endorsed by Pearl Drums, Innovative Percussion, and Evans Drumheads.​

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Hector Gil is in his 18th year of teaching and joined the staff at Vista Ridge High School and Henry Middle School as the Director of Percussion in 2008. He attended Texas A&M University-Commerce where he received his Bachelor of Music Education degree in 2001, and he completed one year of graduate work at Texas Christian University. While at A&M – Commerce, and TCU, Mr. Gil performed in various ensembles including the Texas A&M University-Commerce Wind Ensemble, the Texas A&M University-Commerce Drumline, the Texas A&M University-Commerce Steel Band, the Texas Christian University Wind Symphony, the Texas Christian University Symphony Orchestra, the Texas Christian University Percussion Ensemble, and the North East Texas Symphony Orchestra. He was a member of the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps in 1997 and 1998 and was also a member of the 2000 Percussive Arts Society International Percussion Ensemble Competition winning collegiate ensemble with the Texas A&M University-Commerce Percussion Ensemble under Dr. Brian West. After college, Gil began his teaching career at United High School in Laredo, TX. After 3 incredible years, he moved to Fort Worth to teach at Texas Christian University as the Drumline Instructor for the TCU “Horned Frog” Marching Band. After leaving TCU in 2007, he moved to Austin and is now in his 11th year as a music educator in Leander ISD. Hector’s students and ensembles have achieved numerous accolades that include being named The Percussive Arts Society International Percussion Ensemble Competition Winners in 2014 and 2018, The TMEA Honor Band Winners in 2010, 2014, and 2018, The Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic Performers in 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2016, The Black Swamp Percussion Ensemble Showcase Winners in 2017, The Western International Band Clinic in 2008 and 2013, the Texas State Marching Band Championship in 2008, 2013, 2015, and 2016 and The Winter Guard International World Championships in 2006 and 2007. He has been extremely fortunate to study from some incredible teachers that include Mr. Carlos Gil, Dr. Brian West, Mr. Bobby Francis, Mr. Bill Bachman, Dr. Jim Yakas, and Mr. Matt Savage. Gil is an active composer/arranger for many Texas high school programs, adjudicates for many competitions, and has served as a clinician for numerous percussion programs throughout the state. His professional affiliations include The Percussive Arts Society, Texas Music Educators Association, the Texas Bandmasters Association, and is a proud Education Artist with Innovative Percussion Inc. He is happily married to his beautiful wife Brandy and they have two beautiful daughters, Makayla and Elena. Hector is extremely lucky to have been able to experience so many incredible moments in his career and he recognizes that those moments were not achieved alone. He feels the individuals that have impacted him the most in his life have been his mom and dad, Carlos and Grizelda Gil.

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N-BEAM Consortium

Every day we hear and experience music that has incorporated music technology, through electronic components and instruments, to positively contribute to the listener’s overall musical experience.  Electro-Acoustic (EA) music is now widely accepted in music – in both production and performance – from scores created for screen and stage, to popular music, and even the professional classical orchestra stage.

As technology becomes a more important part of the daily life of our students and can create new palates of sound in our music, educators must embrace technology as part of our sound and our curriculum – much the same way as it already has been in most other areas of music.  The New Band Electro-Acoustic Music (N-BEAM) consortium aims to add three new pieces of EA music to the school concert band repertoire.

​In 2018, N-BEAM v1.0 released it’s first composition to its members – TECHNO BLADE, by Benjamin Taylor.  This was followed in 2019 with Daniel Montoya Jr.’s composition AXE TO GRIND.  In 2020, the N-BEAM consortium met the goal of introducing three new pieces of EA music to the school concert band repertoire by the addition of Alex Shapiro’s OFF THE EDGE.

With N-BEAM v2.0, the New Band Electro-Acoustic Music consortium project looks to build on this success with the addition of three more EA pieces to the wind band repertoire.

Beginning in early 2021, N-BEAM v2.0 consortium members will receive the first of three new pieces of concert band literature, graded between 2 and 2.5, each including an audio component.  Those components may be live or interactive, using an electronic instrument or computer/tablet to create sounds; or may be fixed, like an accompaniment audio track that is played throughout the composition. Each of these compositions will be created in a way that will allow any school (and their director), the “plug and play” ability to perform each composition easily and effectively, regardless of their experience with technology, their level of access to sound reinforcement equipment or their technology/instrument budget.

​At least 30 schools will have an opportunity to join a consortium that funds the creation of those three pieces.  And each consortium member will receive performance benefits for being part of this project.

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Ogechi Ukazu is a doctoral candidate in wind conducting, under Jerry Junkin, at the University of Texas at Austin where she also serves as a teaching assistant for the UT band program. Prior to this position, she acted as Visiting Instructor of Instrumental Music at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton, Texas. Ms. Ukazu spent 10 years as a Band Director in both middle and high schools in the Houston area. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from the University of Houston and a Master’s Degree in Conducting from Sam Houston State University. In 2011, the Claughton Middle School Symphonic Band, under the direction of Ms. Ukazu, performed at the Midwest International Band & Orchestra Clinic. Ms. Ukazu is an avid proponent of quality music education for all students and has presented on music education advocacy at workshops and clinics around the state of Texas.

Ms. Ukazu’s professional affiliations include College Band Directors National Association, Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity, Tau Beta Sigma, and honorary membership in Kappa Kappa Psi.

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Sketchbook Podcast welcomes Daniel “Danpod” Valdez for the 1st annual Sketchie Awards where together they present nominations and winners for the 2019 marching band season. The Sketchies are awarded for performance, production, and design in marching band. For this first year, a small group of marching band fans, designers, commentators, & bloggers from all over geographically voted for and nominated bands from all over the country. This is NOT a Bands of America Grand Nationals only award show. If your band performed and one of our voters saw you live or on video, you were eligible to be nominated.

This episode is brought to you by our sponsors: TxBands.com, HornRank.com, IndianaMarching.com, General Effect, Jammin’ Jammies, Seth’s Brats-muellers, Jacob’s Ladders, Kosman Koozies, Drake (the hotel, the rapper, or something or someone else entirely?), Don Chez, Hines Ketchup, Kendrick Landmar, Matt’s Cars & Sons, Mack’s Double Swing Flag Emporium, and of course, The DanpodCast.

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