Why should your band attend The Conquest in 2023? Let’s ask some of our regularly attending directors:
We welcome you to Allatoona High School as our honored guests.
Campus
Our spacious, state-of-the-art campus is ideal for many types of events, especially sports and outdoor performances.
The Stadium
The 2,750 seat Buccaneer Stadium remains as pristine as the day it was constructed. The home side includes a fifty-four foot press box as well as almost six hundred chair back seats for added comfort during the performances.
The Field
The competition field will be the size and shape of a regulation football field with sidelines and high school hash marks clearly marked. The field is turf with excellent drainage and a moderate crown.
Band Bus Parking Lot
The bus parking lot is located opposite the stadium and is designed for ease of access, unloading, loading, and exit.
Sideline Ensemble Warm-Up Area
The Sideline Ensemble Warm-up Area is directly between the Band Bus Parking Lot, the Equipment Parking Lot, and the Band Warm-up Areas.
Band Warm-up Areas
The spacious, yet secluded, Band Warm-up Areas allow for performance preparation while respecting the other contestants and active performers within the stadium.
Equipment Parking Lot
The Equipment Parking Lot is located between the Band Parking Lot and the Stadium and utilizes pull-through parking for ease of unloading, organizing, and assembly.
Prop Parking Lot
The Prop Parking Lot is located adjacent to the stadium and allows for the assembly of props and equipment. Entry to the field is quick and seamless over flat, level pavement.
Hospitality Suite(s)
The Allatoona Band Boosters Association provides a hospitality suite for the directors, staff, and drivers. Enjoy a quiet moment with your colleagues from other schools before or after your performance.
3300 Dallas Acworth Highway NW, Acworth, GA 30101
The Conquest Marching Band Competition
October 14th, 2023
Allatoona High School
3300 Dallas Acworth Highway
Acworth, GA 30101
Rules and Regulations
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There is a $100 registration fee for all participating bands due immediately.
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Georgia bands must also submit a refundable $500 performance bond in a separate check that must be received in order to complete your registration. The performance bond will be returned on the day of competition if the band performs.
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Both the registration fee and performance bond will be returned if the event is cancelled.
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The competition field will be the size and shape of a regulation, well-lit football field.
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5 and 10 yard lines, high school hash marks, and sidelines are clearly marked
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A fence encloses the field with a regulation track outside the fence, and bleachers on either side
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Movement of equipment and percussion ensemble instruments will be on a flat paved surface
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All motorized vehicles must have a drip pan or spill prevention device
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No Projectiles / Pyrotechnics are permitted as part of the show
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Field power is available on either side of the field at the 50 yard line
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The field is turf, drains very well, and has a moderate crown
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The Conquest is an Olympic style contest with adjudicators providing professional assessments for Band, Drum Major, and Visual Ensembles/Auxiliary Units.
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Bands will be classified according to the number of wind instrument players. Bands may choose to enter a higher classification, but not a lower one.
Classifications:
Class A 1-40 wind players
Class AA 41-59 wind players
Class AAA 60-79 wind players
Class AAAA 80-100 wind players
Class AAAAA 101+ wind players -
Bands will be scheduled at a 20-minute interval.
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Order of performance within each class is determined by pre-registration form completion. Entries with the earliest arrival date perform last in class.
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Scoring will be according to GMEA guidelines:
Superior (85.0-100);
Excellent (70.0-84.9);
Average (55.0-69.9)
Fair (0.0-54.9) -
In the event of inclement weather, the competition will move into the Allatoona High School gymnasium. Instead of numerical scores, participants will receive “Comments Only” from the adjudicators.
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Awards will be given for the following:
For EACH Class:
— 1st Place in Class
— 2nd Place in Class
— 3rd Place in Class
— Best Music
— Best Percussion
— Best Drum Major
— Best Visual EnsembleSilver Division Champion (Highest overall score in Classes A, AA, and AAA)
Gold Division Champion (Highest overall score in Classes AAAA, and AAAAA)
Overall Grand Champion (Highest overall score REGARDLESS of Class) -
Each ensemble’s staff will have the opportunity to meet with adjudicators at the conclusion of the show. Staff members will meet with the evaluation panel. Drum Majors will have the opportunity to meet with their adjudicator as well. Having constructive feedback from top-notch designers and educators early in the season can prove to be invaluable to your program.
A few notes about the Stands and the Competition
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Fire is NOT permitted at any time.
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There will be a designated area for videotaping.
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Bands will be seated in reserved areas designated based on the number of participating bands.
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Later performing bands may be seated on the track for exhibition and awards.
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Please have your students and parents patronize our concession stand.
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Please be supportive of all bands coming to this competition.
Competition Judges
The Allatoona Band program is honored to have these judges participate in The Conquest 2023
- Band Judge:
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Randall Coleman
Randall Coleman is currently the Director of Bands at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Previously, he served as the Professor of Conducting and the Associate Director of Bands at the University of Alabama where he served as the conductor of the Alabama Symphonic Band and the Associate Director of the Million Dollar Band. He also teaches graduate and undergraduate conducting and wind band literature classes. In addition, Professor Coleman was the Coordinator of the Crimson Music Camps and the Alabama Honor Band Festivals. Professor Coleman also served as Conductor and Artistic Director of the Alabama Winds, an all-adult community wind band based in Birmingham, Alabama. Prior to his appointment to the faculty at the University of Alabama in 2007, Mr. Coleman enjoyed a successful 25-year career as a high school band director and supervisor in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia. He received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Music Education at Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Alabama, and the Masters of Music Education degree from Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia.
During his teaching career in Georgia, Mr. Coleman was an active member of the Georgia Music Educators’ Association, where he held the office of President, First Vice-President and State Band Division Chair. Professor Coleman has been awarded the Citation of Excellence from the National Band Association on twelve occasions and was inducted into the John Philip Sousa Foundations’ Legion of Honor in 2004. Under Professor Coleman’s direction, the Milton High School Wind Ensemble performed at the 2004 GMEA Inservice Conference, the 2004 Bands of America National Concert Band Festival, and the 2006 National Convention of the Music Educators’ National Conference. At the University of Alabama, Professor Coleman has conducted the Alabama Symphonic Band at the 2014 and 2020 College Band Directors’ National Association Southern Regional Convention, and the 2012 Alabama Music Educators’ Conference. He has also conducted the Alabama Wind Ensemble at the 2014 American Bandmasters’ Association National Conference and at the 2010 College Band Directors’ Association Southern Regional Conference. A strong proponent of new music for wind band, he has commissioned or participated in consortiums for 10 pieces including Diamond Fanfareby Samuel R. Hazo, Diabolus Ex Machinaby Jim Bonney, Mutiara by Anthony Barfield, Auto ’66 and Symphony No. 1 – Codex Gigas by James David, Alabama Fanfareby Robert W. Smith, Devils’ Driveby Brett Abigaña,Solace in the Equinox andTheBest of Roomsby Tyler S. Grant, and In My Father’s Eyesby Julie Giroux. Professor Coleman has served as a guest conductor of the Sabina Wind Orchestra in Rieti, Italy and conducted the Alabama Wind Ensemble as a part of the International Music Meeting in May of 2012 in Padova, Italy. Professor Coleman also led the Alabama Winds on a 12-day tour of Italy, performing concerts in Como and Rome. He has been published six times as a Research Associate to the Teaching Music Through Performance in Band book series published by GIA publications. Professor Coleman has conducted the University of Alabama Million Dollar Band in performances at the Southeastern Conference Football Championships, and in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, Louisiana, the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida, the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona, and the Mercedes Benz Dome in Atlanta, Georgia, where the Crimson Tide won the 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2017 National Championships. Under his direction, the Alabama Winds has given invitational performances at the 2015 and 2019 Alabama Music Educators’ Association Inservice Conference, the 2016 University of Alabama Honor Band Festival, the 2020 Samford University Honor Band Festival and at the 2017 Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference in Chicago, Illinois. Professor Coleman has also conducted all state bands and all region bands across the country.
Professor Coleman is an elected member in the prestigious American Bandmasters Association and is currently serving the National Band Association as 2ndVice President. He is also serving the College Band Directors’ National Association as the Alabama State Chair. Professor Coleman also holds membership in the National Association for Music Education, Phi Beta Mu International Bandmasters’ Fraternity, Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity, where is also serves as Nu Nu Chapter sponsor, the Alabama Music Educators’ Association and the Alabama Bandmasters’ Association.
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- Band Judge:
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David Vandewalker
David W. Vandewalker is the Assistant Director of Bands at Georgia State University where his primary responsibilities include conducting the University Band, teaching the marching band, and directing the Basketball Pep Band. He is also the music director and conductor of the Metro Atlanta Youth Wind Ensemble hosted at Georgia State University. Vandewalker received a Bachelor’s of Music Education degree from Baylor University, earned his Master of Arts in Education degree from Central Michigan University, and is amidst dissertation research examining musical expression in performance as a Doctor of Musical Arts student at Boston University. He is a nine-time recipient of the National Band Association’s prestigious Citation of Excellence Award, a three-time recipient of the National Wind Band Honors Awards in the New Music category and is recognized in multiple editions of Who’s Who Among American Teachers.
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- Band Judge:
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Blair Calloway
Blair Callaway is in his third year as an Instructor of Instrumental Music Education at Jacksonville State University. Blair taught high school band for twenty-eight years at Heritage HS, Gilmer HS, Foley HS (AL), Alma Bryant HS (AL), and Russellville HS (AL). He marched with the Guardsmen, Cavaliers and Suncoast Sound Drum and Bugle Corps. Blair is a member of the National Association for Music Education, Alabama Music Educators Association, American School Band Directors Association, National Band Association, Georgia Association of Jazz Educators and the Epsilon Nu Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. He is the 2018 Heritage High STAR Teacher, 2015 Heritage High School Teacher of the Year and is a member of Phi Beta Mu. He has received the NBA Citation of Excellence four times and his bands have received the GMEA Exemplary Performance Award three times. Blair is a Past President of the American School Band Directors Association. He has been an instructor for the U.S. Army All American Band and has performed with the Tara Winds at the 2015 Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic and the 2021 Alabama Winds at the Western International Band Clinic. Blair serves as the organist at Anniston United Methodist Church.
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- Band Judge:
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Bob Thomas
Bob Thomas is the Program Coordinator for the Cleveland Arts Performance Ensembles and serves as a member of the WGI Winds Steering Committee. He has also served as the Program Coordinator for several other organizations including Swansboro High School and Seminole High School.
He is a frequent Bands of America and Drum Corps International judge.
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Band Judge:
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Sue Samuels
Dr. Samuels returned to her alma mater in 2019 as Director of Bands and Coordinator of Music Education Studies. Prior to Furman, she was Director of Visual and Performing Arts at Randolph School in Huntsville, Alabama and served for 14 years as Director of Bands at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Her responsibilities included teaching and administering the Marching Blazers, the Wind Symphony, the Symphony Band, and the Blazer Band, as well as teaching courses in conducting and music education. During her time at UAB, the Marching Blazers more than doubled in number, performed nationally and internationally before tens of thousands, and garnered a reputation as one of the outstanding college marching bands in the southeast. In addition, Dr. Samuels created the UAB All-Star Band Festival which served more than 300 high school students from Alabama each fall, and more than 600 young musicians were served at the annual Middle School and High School Honor Band festivals each December.
Under Dr. Samuels’ direction, the UAB Wind Symphony performed at local and regional festivals including the Alabama Music Educators State Conference, the Southern Division of the College Band Directors National Association, and the Grainger Festival in Chicago, Illinois.
Dr. Samuels’ teaching experience prior to her arrival at UAB includes 12 years at Lassiter High School in Marietta Georgia, 1 year as Assistant Director of Bands at the University of Georgia, and 2 years as Director of Bands at WT Woodson High School in Fairfax, Virginia. Under her direction, all bands she conducted received straight superior ratings at festivals over her 14-year career as a high school band director. In addition, the bands at both Lassiter and Woodson performed at the Bands of America National Concert Band Festival, and the Lassiter Band won the 1998 Marching Band Grand National Championships.
In addition to her work as a band director, Dr. Samuels enjoys being a mom to her beautiful son, Andrew, whom she adopted from Ethiopia in 2010.
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Drum Majors Judge:
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Jared Geer
Jared Geer is a world-champion drum major from the Blue Devils Drum & Bugle Corps, and current marching band instructor at Hillgrove High School in Powder Springs, Georgia. He teaches drum majors from across the nation, specializing in conducting fundamentals, rehearsal leadership, expression, cues, and more.
“I am here to support YOU! Never hesitate to contact me about how I can best help you with your journey as an effective leader for your band program.”
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Percussion Judge:
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Scott Brown
Scott Brown is currently the Assistant Band Director at Dickerson Middle School and Percussion Director at Walton High School, both in Marietta, GA. He is also Percussion Arranger and Consultant for Beatrix Drum & Bugle Corps from Hilversum, The Netherlands, winner of the 2010 High Percussion title for Drum Corps Netherlands and Drum Corps Europe. In addition, Mr. Brown is co-founder of Percussion Workshop, a percussion consulting company, and co-founder and director of the North Georgia Percussion Camp.
Prior to his appointment at Walton, Scott spent 14 years with the 1998 & 2002 Bands of America Grand National Champion Lassiter High School Band including 12 years as battery percussion arranger and 10 years as assistant percussion director. In addition to the national championships, the Lassiter band won 8 BOA Regional Championships and participated in both the Macy’s and Tournament of Roses parades. The Lassiter Percussion Ensemble performed for the BOA National Percussion Festival, the Midwest Clinic, and the Percussive Arts Society International Convention, along with concert performances and marching percussion clinics for the GMEA Conference.
Mr. Brown is co-author of “Field Level – The Ultimate Band Director’s Guide to fielding the Ultimate Marching Percussion Section” published by Row-Loff Productions and composer of “Kumi-daiko” published by JW3 Publications. His articles on percussion pedagogy have been selected for publication in School Band & Orchestra Magazine, Percussive Notes Magazine, and Halftime Magazine. Mr. Brown is active as a clinician, having presented clinics for The Midwest International Band & Orchestra Clinic, the Percussive Arts Society International Convention, the Georgia Music Educator’s Association Conference, the Texas Bandmasters Association, the Ontario Music Educator’s Association Convention, and marching and concert percussion clinics in the Netherlands, Belgium, Colombia, and Germany.
As an adjudicator, Mr. Brown has judged competitions throughout the world for DCA, USSBA, CIPA, CWEA, SAPA, WGAZ, SFWGA, and WAMSB including the 2007 DCA World Championship Semi-finals in Rochester, NY, the 2008 WAMSB European Open Championships in Roselare, Belgium, the month-long World Music Contest in Kerkrade, the Netherlands in 2009, The 2010 Royal’s Cup National Marching Band Championships in Bangkok, Thailand, the 2010 WGAZ Championships in Phoenix, AZ, and the 2010 Kuala Lumpur World Marching Band Championships in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Mr. Brown holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education from Western Carolina University where he was a recipient of the prestigious North Carolina Teaching Fellows Scholarship. He was a three-year member of the Carolina Crown Drum & Bugle Corps where he was recognized “Percussionist of the Year” in 1997 and has worked with concert and marching percussion ensembles throughout the U.S. and Europe including the Spirit of Atlanta Drum & Bugle Corps, the Kennesaw Mountain High School Band, and Pasveerkorps, Showband Marum, Con Spirito Drum Corps, and Damiate Band from The Netherlands.
Since its inception in the spring of 2001, the percussion ensemble at Dickerson Middle School has performed for numerous events throughout the United States including the Georgia Music Educator’s Association Convention, the National Band Association Southern Division Conference, and the Music For All National Percussion Festival. Mr. Brown and the Dickerson Percussion Ensemble presented a clinic, “Developing a Successful Middle School Percussion Ensemble” for the 2005 GMEA Conference and presented a clinic/performance for the 2006 Percussive Arts Society International Convention in Austin, TX and the 2008 Midwest Clinic in Chicago, IL. In 2006, the Dickerson Percussion Ensemble received a Commendation from the Governor of Georgia and in 2010 received a Proclamation from the Cobb County Board of Commissioners. In 2011 the ensemble performed for the Atlanta Hawks vs. Miami Heat NBA professional basketball game in Atlanta, GA.
Mr. Brown received a citation for “Significant Contributions to Bands in the State of Georgia” from the Georgia Music Educator’s Association, the “Citation of Excellence” from the National Band Association, the “Citation of Excellence” from the Percussive Arts Society, and is included in the 2006 National Honor Roll listing of “Outstanding American Teachers”. Mr. Brown is an educational artist for Evans Drumheads, Innovative Percussion, Mapex Drums, Majestic Concert Percussion, Row-loff Productions, and Sabian Cymbals.
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Visual Ensembles Judge:
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Andria Foerch
Andria is the co-founder and director of Paramount Winterguard from Decatur, Georgia, and has participated in the pageantry arts for more than 25 years.
Andria has taught various successful programs such as Tarpon Springs High School, Seminole High School, Kiski Area High School, Westfield High School, Harrison High School, Phantom Regiment Winterguard, Georgia State University and Paramount Winterguard, where she currently serves as co-director alongside her husband Rick Subel. She has spent her summers working with programs such as Santa Clara Vanguard, Phantom Regiment, Bluecoats, Crossmen and most recently Carolina Crown.
Andria received her Master of Arts in Teaching from Mercer University and her undergraduate from the University of South Florida. She currently works at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta as the Manager of Patient Digital Experience.
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