Judges

Head Judge

Tracy Wright

Tracy D. Wright is is the Director of Bands at Ringgold High School. For 23 years he served as the Director of Bands at Ringgold Middle School and Assistant Director of the Marching Tiger Band.  He also serves on the Operations Staff for the American Band College in Ashland, OR and the Western International Band Clinic in Seattle, WA.   Mr. Wright was named the RMS Teacher of the Year for the 2000-2001 academic year and has received three Citation of Excellence awards from the National Band Association (2002, 2005, 2011).  Mr. Wright is a member of the Georgia Music Educators Association, National Association for Music Education, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and an elected member of the American School Band Directors Association and Phi Beta Mu (Honorary Band Directors Fraternity).  He has served GMEA on various committees, District VII band chair, and is currently the Vice-President of All-State events for the State of Georgia.

Under Mr. Wright’s direction, the RMS Band performed at the Southeastern United States Band Clinic at Troy University (2002, 2011), the Georgia Music Educators In-Service Conference (2003), and the University of Georgia Middle School Music Festival (2005).  The RMS Band also performed in Washington, DC, Orlando, FL and Baltimore, MD.

The RMS band received a commendation from the Governor of Georgia in 2000.  The band also received numerous superior ratings at GMEA festivals and other regional festivals in concert, jazz, and chamber ensembles.  GMEA awarded the Ringgold Middle School Band with the prestigious “Exemplary Performance Award” in 2012.  The RHS Marching Tiger Band has won numerous championships, performed in the New York City Veteran’s Day parade (2006, 2012), the Chicago St. Patrick’s Day parade (2011), various college football games, and traveled to The Bahamas and Canada.

A marching, concert, and jazz band clinician and adjudicator throughout the Southeast, Mr. Wright was awarded the Master of Music in Conducting from the American Band College at Southern Oregon University in 2004.  He earned a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, AL in 1992.  At JSU, Mr. Wright studied saxophone with Dr. Ronald C. Attinger, directed the basketball pep band, served as a drum major of the nationally renowned Marching Southerners, and was a student of the legendary David L. Walters.

A native of Ringgold, Georgia, Mr. Wright is a member of Quitman Lodge No. 106, Free & Accepted Masons,  and is a member of the York Rite and Scottish Rite.  He also teaches and lectures on Catoosa County and Georgia history and lives in Chickamauga with his wife Amy, the media specialist at Ringgold Primary School, and their daughter Georgia Lou.  Mr. Wright serves as an Elder and is active in the music department at Covenant Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Chattanooga, TN.

Band Judge

Rob Ingram

Mr. Rob Ingram is serving as the Director of Bands at Perry High School. In his role, Mr. Ingram oversees all aspects of the Panther Regiment Marching Band, Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Concert Band,  Percussion Ensemble, and Color Guard. Mr. Ingram is an Alumni of Perry High School, class of 2012. He is excited to carry on the tradition of excellence of the Perry Band program.  In addition to his teaching responsibilities at Perry High, Mr. Ingram teaches a private saxophone studio throughout the Middle Georgia area where his students are consistently chosen for District Honor Band, Region Band, and multiple All-State selections. 

Prior to Perry High, Mr. Ingram served as the Assistant Director of Bands at Houston County High School. At Houston County, Mr. Ingram conducted the Symphonic Winds, Concert Band II, assisted with the Black and Silver Brigade, and was actively involved in all other facets of the school’s band program.Before his time in Houston County, he served as the Director of Bands at Mount de Sales Academy in Macon, Ga. While at Mount de Sales he was responsible for all beginning band classes, concert band, and marching band. 

Mr. Ingram earned his bachelor’s degree in Music Education with an emphasis in Instrumental Music from Georgia Southern University in 2016. While at Georgia Southern Ingram, was the Drum Major of the Southern Pride Marching Band, Principal Saxophone in the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Lead-Alto in the Jazz Ensemble, and was awarded the Robert E. Gerkin Woodwind Scholarship. Mr. Ingram currently plays saxophone in Wellston Winds. Mr. Ingram’s professional affiliations include the Georgia Music Educators Association, National Band Association, and the National Association for Music Education.

Mr. Ingram and his wife, Cassie, are natives of Perry, Ga. Cassie is an Algebra 1 teacher at Houston County High school. The Ingram’s welcomed their daughter into the world in February of 2022. Together they have two rescue dogs Maggie and Eleven.

Ben Tingle

Guard Judge

Robin Lane

Drum Major Judge

Daniel Marshall

Clinician

Michael Pickett

Clinician

Ashley Jarrell

Clinician

Nick Gattis

Percussion Judge

Steven Walker

Dr. Steven Walker is Director of Percussion Studies and Lecturer in Music Technology. He conducts the UNG Percussion Ensembles and Nighthawk Pep Band while coordinating all athletic ensembles. Dr. Walker also teaches Percussion Methods and several courses in music technology while directing the UNG Music Media Team.

Prior to arriving at UNG, Dr. Walker was an assistant band director in Cobb and Fulton Counties in metro Atlanta. He earned Bachelor degrees in Music Education and Percussion Performance from Kennesaw State University, a Masters in Music in Jazz from Georgia State University, and his DMA in Percussion Performance and cognate in Music Technology from the University of Salford, Manchester UK.

Dr. Walker continues to be an active performer and clinician in metro Atlanta and the Southeast, playing in a wide variety of ensembles and teaching a broad scope of percussion, drum set, and marching percussion applications. Additionally, he continues to record and produce music in multiple genres and has releases on all major streaming platforms.

Band Judge

Frank McKinney

Band Judge

Hayes Bunch

Hayes Bunch joined the faculty of Young Harris College in the Fall of 2022 as Director of Bands and Assistant Professor of Music. He conducts the Young Harris College Concert and Jazz Bands, teaches Percussion Class and Advanced Conducting for music education majors, and Applied Major Percussion lessons.

As a conductor, Bunch has led works and collaborated in rehearsal and performance with Oberlin Conservatory’s Stephen Hartke, Harvard Professor Emeritus and Pulitzer Prize winning composer Bernard Rands, University of Missouri – Kansas City Conservatory professor and Pulitzer Prize winning composer Zhou Long, and eighth blackbird. He has contributed research on the music of Donald Erb at the College Band Directors National Association National Conference, on programming possibilities for electronics and ensemble at the Southwestern Division Conference of the College Band Director’s National Association, and has participated in conducting symposia with Richard Clary, Eugene Corporon, Michael Haithcock, Craig Kirchoff, Gary Lewis, H. Robert Reynolds, Kevin Sedatole and Mallory Thompson. Bunch has also served as a guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator for various concert, marching, chamber music, solo, and continuing education events in Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Virginia, South Carolina, Missouri, Texas, Michigan, and Tennessee. Bunch has served on the faculty of the University of South Carolina Aiken, the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp (MI), the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (TX), the Temple Independent School District (TX), the Interlochen Arts Academy (MI), and the Obion County Schools (TN).

Bunch performed as a percussionist under the baton of Leonard Slatkin on the Grammy Award Winning recording of William Bolcom’s Songs of Innocence and Experience (Naxos), internationally at the Beijing Modern Music Festival at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, China, stateside with The Fountain City Brass Band (MO), Temple Symphony Orchestra and Temple Jazz Orchestra (TX), Plymouth Symphony (MI), and with artists Randy Brecker, Allen Vizzuti, Gordon Goodwin, Bill Watrous, among others. He also performed with the award-winning Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps. Bunch currently  enjoys playing with the Tri-State Community Band in Blue Ridge, GA.

Bunch holds the Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees in Conducting from the University of Missouri – Kansas City Conservatory, the Master of Music in Percussion Performance from the University
of Michigan, and the Bachelor of Music in Music Education (K-12 Instrumental) from the University of Tennessee – Martin. Bunch’s professional affiliations include the College Band Directors National
Association, National Association for Music Education, Georgia Music Educators Association, Percussive Arts Society, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, as well as honorary memberships with Tau Beta Sigma and Kappa
Kappa Psi.