Military schools from around nation gather at Randolph-Macon Academy for Drum Major Competition

On February 21-23, 2020, Randolph-Macon Academy hosted the 44^th Military School Band & Chorus Festival.  The annual Military School Band & Choir Festival is a three-day clinic for the top musicians from military secondary schools and colleges from across the nation.

Growing from its roots as a festival attended only by bandsmen from the military schools located in Virginia, The Military School Band & Choir Festival has grown into a national event, drawing schools and colleges from across the United States. This year’s festival roster includes more than 100 cadets and bandmasters, choir directors and chaperones from eight military academies.  This year’s festival participants are from schools in California, New Mexico, Wisconsin, Missouri, Texas, Connecticut, and Virginia.

Each festival is structured to include a festival concert band conducted by a noted current, or former, military conductor, and a drum major clinic instructed by an active duty military drum major. A recent addition, now in its third consecutive year, is a festival choir conducted by a noted military choral conductor.

The drum major competition was held on February 22nd in the Melton Gymnasium on the R-MA campus. This was an opportunity for the drum majors to show off what they had learned in the clinics and compete for the Gold Medal: Outstanding Drum Major.

Watch the competition on the exclusive Royal Examiner video and an interview with Senior Chief Musician Michael Bayes from the U.S Navy Band. MUCS Bayes is also the drum major for the Navy Band and conducted the clinic.

Drum Majors and links to the participating schools:

James Bongard – U. S. Coast Guard Academy, New London, CT

Jonathan Kattnig – U. S. Coast Guard Academy, New London, CT

Gavin McGahey – U. S. Coast Guard Academy, New London, CT

Dylan DeViney – Marine Military Academy, Harlingen, TX

Tristyn Gavulic – Hargrave Military Academy, Chatham, VA

Liam Griffin – Saint John’s Northwestern Military Academy, Delafield, WI

Devonte Knight – Missouri Military Academy, Mexico, MO

Diego Lopez – Missouri Military Academy, Mexico, MO

Yuqi Liu – Army & Navy Academy, Carlsbad, CA

DonDiego Rains – New Mexico Military Institute, Roswell, NM

Barry Zhu – Randolph-Macon Academy, Front Royal, VA

Austin Johnson – Randolph-Macon Academy, Front Royal, VA

Sean Loeber – Randolph-Macon Academy, Front Royal, VA

Jacob Gehly – Randolph-Macon Academy, Front Royal, VA