Mark Waymire Joins Spirit Staff
Mark Waymire Joins Spirit Staff
Spirit is excited to announce the appointment of Mark Waymire as Director of Programming, Development and Education. In addition to his duties as the head of programming and corps development, Mark will also serve as Brass Co-Caption Head working with music coordinator and brass arranger, Scott Boerma and Dr. Ray Vasquez to establish a brass program with exceptional depth of experience and instruction.
“Mark brings a wealth of drum corps experience to Spirit having been brass caption head at both Madison Scouts and Glassmen during his career as well as working on the staff at Phantom Regiment for six years prior to his tenure as a high school band director in Texas. Mark has tremendous experience in all areas of the marching activity from being an adjudicator, to drill writer, to visual caption head at Phantom Regiment in 1992, to brass arranger and brass caption head. He has a great understanding of the current drum corps activity and a firm idea as to where Spirit needs to go in the very near future,” says corps director, Joel Vincent.
Waymire explains, “I have a special place in my heart for my earliest exposure to drum corps. I remember my high school director showing drum corps videos and some of my freshmen peers were not paying close attention. As for me, I was mesmerized. There are several corps I remember vividly from that video, one was Spirit. Within six months of watching that first video, I was seeing Spirit live, a memory now firmly planted in my heart. I would have never thought I would have the opportunity to not only lead the creative direction of this drum corps icon, but to do so at a time where the momentum is so strong for getting the corps back to a high level of prominence and excitement within our very special activity. The talented staff is incredibly committed to the students and fans it serves. We are going to work hard, but we’re also going to have a lot of fun.”
Mark is currently a doctoral student at the University of Mississippi where he is finishing his PhD in Music Education. Prior to attending Ole Miss, Mark was the Associate Director of Bands at Eastern Michigan University where he directed the symphonic band and marching band. In addition, he taught classes in conducting, orchestration, band arranging, music education and received the 2005-06 Eastern Michigan University Outstanding Lecturer Award, the highest honor at EMU.
Before his appointment at EMU, Mark taught in the Louisiana and Texas public schools. He spent ten years at Seguin High School in Texas where the band experienced marked growth and national recognition. During his career he has been honored with six H.E.R.O teaching awards, nine appointments to Who’s Who in American Education, and two National President’s Award for Education Excellence. He holds a bachelor degree from Louisiana State University, a master’s degree in conducting and music history from Sam Houston State University, and additional doctoral hours at the University of Michigan.
He currently judges for Music for All/Bands of America as well as many state and regional organizations. He also has spent time designing in the indoor guard circuit with Neuvo and Interstate winter guards.
In the drum corps world Mark aged out of Phantom Regiment in 1984. He has spent fourteen years instructing the drum corps activity including six years on both the visual and brass staff of Phantom Regiment. He was the Phantom visual caption head in 1992. Mark then took a few years off to concentrate on his high school band in Texas only to return in 2002 as a member of the Madison Scout brass staff. From 2003-2006 Mark was the brass caption head at Madison Scouts before joining the brass team at Glassmen in 2007. Mark took 2008 off to concentrate on his doctoral studies although he has found time to be the drill designer for the University of Michigan marching band as well as several competitive high school bands across the country.
In other Spirit news, the corps is pleased to announce that brass arranger Scott Boerma will return for the 2009 season in an expanded role also serving as Music Coordinator. Shane Gwaltney returns as the Percussion Coordinator and Battery Arranger while Eric Willie will continue to write for the Front Ensemble. Gwaltney has listed Joe Hobbs and Sean Womack as Percussion Co-Caption Heads for the ’09 season. Jill Brennan and Robby Dufresne will return for their second year with Spirit as guard designers and head up the guard program. Dr. Ray Vasquez returns as brass Co-Caption Head. Additional staff announcements will be announced in the near future.
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24/7/2010
