23RD ANNUAL FALCON SOUND INVITATIONAL

Judging Panel:

 

Ensemble Music: Alex Kaminsky

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Alex Kaminsky is Director of Bands and Associate Professor of Music at VanderCook College of Music in Chicago. He holds degrees from the University of Florida and Indiana University, is active as an adjudicator, and is in demand as a guest conductor and clinician across the country.

Throughout his 30-year career as a high school band director in Florida, Kaminsky’s ensembles consistently earned Superior ratings at all levels of evaluation. His high school bands performed at many prestigious events and national conferences including the ABA National Convention, CBDNA/NBA Southern Division Conference, FMEA President’s Concert, Music for All National Concert Band Festival, National Wind Band Festival at Carnegie Hall, and 4 times at the Midwest Clinic. Kaminsky’s marching bands consistently placed in the Florida Marching Band State Championship Finals, winning the FMBC State Championship 4 of his last 6 years as a high school band director, as well as placing in finals at BOA regional competitions.

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Individual Music: Michael Gabriel

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Michael Gabriel is a conductor, teacher, and contemporary music specialist based in Lansing, MI where he is completing a Doctoral degree in Conducting and a Master’s degree in Music Theory at Michigan State University. He recently was named a finalist for the WASBE International Conducting Competition and the American Prize in Conducting. He has guest lectured, conducted, and taught internationally, including most recently the Mid-Europe Festival and the American University in Paris. He has also presented sessions for the NAfME National Assembly, College Band Director’s National Association, and FMEA. A fervent support of new music permeates his research, which has included collaborations with composers Joseph Schwantner, Ricardo Lorenz, and the estate Chick Corea. His dissertation, “Reframing the American Wind Ensemble…the Centrality of Latin American Composition” was awarded the Dissertation Completion Fellowship by the MSU College of Music.

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A Florida native, he taught in BCPS for five years, at Hollywood Hills and Charles W. Flanagan High School, where the The Falcon Sound Marching Band under his leadership consistently placed in FMBC State Championship finals. All the ensembles consistently received superior ratings and performance invitations, and collaborated with some of the nation’s leading composers and conductors. He received a B.M.E. (Hon.) from Florida State University. His research mentor there was Clifford Madsen, for whom he produced a thesis awarded a grant by the National Band Association.

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GE Music: Tom Santino

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Ensemble Visual: Jennifer Miles

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​Jennifer Miles resides in Saint Petersburg, Florida and has been teaching elementary music in Hillsborough County for the past 16 years. Jennifer graduated from The University of North Florida with a degree in Music Education and has an extensive performance history in the drum corps activity. She performed with Kiwanis Kavaliers (2003), Spirit Drum and Bugle Corps (2004-2007), and Phantom Regiment (2008-2009). 

 

Previously she’s worked as a visual/brass technician with OLA high school, Atlanta, GA (2014-2016). In 2015 she traveled to Tocancipa, Colombia as a guest clinician for their annual music festival, and to Guatemala City, Guatemala as a clinician to Buhos Marching Band. Jennifer served as visual caption head with the Wiregrass Ranch High School Marching Band from 2014-2022, awarded 4A State Champions in 2019. Jennifer has been judging the visual caption in the state of Florida and Texas for the past ten years. She is currently on staff with World Class Drum and Bugle Corps, Carolina Crown as a visual technician since the 2021 season. I’m very excited and honored to be invited to Flanagan HS to judge the Falcon Sound Invitational :) ​​​​​​​

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Individual Music: Justin Samuel

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​Justin is a full time visual designer, educator, and adjudicator. He has worked with The Bluecoats drum and bugle corps from 2022-2026. Justin also worked with The Cadets drum and bugle corps in 2021.

 

During the fall Justin currently works with Broken Arrow High School as visual caption head and choreographer. He has worked with Marcus High School TX, Wakeland High School TX, Prosper High School TX, Braswell High School TX, as well as having, designed, taught, and consulted for others nationally. In the winter and spring Justin serves as the visual caption head for Pulse Percussion based in Southern California.

 

In March 2017 Justin had the honor to stage and choreograph a winds and drumline 360 stage performance for the Veuve Clicquot Carnaval in Miami FL. He currently splits the year between Broken Arrow Oklahoma and Whittier California.

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GE Visual: Shavon Garcia

 

Percussion: Jason Bloom

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Jason Bloom is a percussion arranger, designer, adjudicator, clinician, and educator based in South Florida. A graduate of Florida Atlantic University and alumnus of the Boston Crusaders Drum & Bugle Corps, Bloom works with collegiate and scholastic ensembles throughout the United States as a program designer, arranger, and consultant.

 

His work has been performed across the United States and internationally, including performances in London, Rome, and at the 2009 Presidential Inauguration of Barack Obama. As a performer, he has appeared with the Tony Award-winning production BLAST! at the Seoul Drum Festival and alongside Peter Erskine at the Fortune Global Forum.

 

Bloom is an active adjudicator and educational consultant and currently serves as a design consultant with STRYKE Percussion, where he contributes to the continued artistic development of one of the nation’s premier independent percussion organizations.

 

Color Guard: Adam Sage