Forte Announces 2012 Design Team
Forte Drum and Bugle Corps of Texas is proud to present the 2012 Design Team. Heading the Design team is Dallas Burgess. Dallas spent his marching carrer with the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps as well as the Colts Drum and Bugle corps. Most recently Dallas has been an active member of the Board of Directors of OYAA, the parent organization of Forte Drum and Bugle Corps. Dallas has provided the corps with a great deal of internal structure from the programming side, and we are excited to have him on board assembling a World Class Staff.
Serving as the Visual Designer, and Drill Designer for the corps is Mr Andy Brady. Andy has provided and consulted on design teams with ensembles all accross the United States and is well versed in music performance and musical composition, visual technique, motivational speaking, choreography, as well as adjudication. His movement program, “Muscle Marching,” has gained appreciation from directors, dancers, and physical trainers as well as show vast gains in training efficiency and student achievement. He is a USSBA and FBA trained judge. Andy has performed all around the world including a session at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. In addition to the various roles in the marching band/ winter-guard, and judging arena, Andy has marched and instructed the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps. He has served as a consultant and visual caption head with several drum corps and serves as Lead Designer for Plus One Designs and Consulting.
And holds a bachelors degree (Magna Cum Laude) in Visual Design with music and dance emphasis from the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater.
” Having worked with Andy Brady in the past I know he’ll bring enthusiasm, skill and incredible talent to Forte.”
Eric Molho, Minnesota Brass Inc, DCA Champion Corps Director
Serving the Corps as Brass Arranger for the 2012 season is Mr Andrew Craig Fitzpatrick. Craig Fitzpatrick holds a Bachelor of Music degree in composition from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, where he studied composition with Stephen Heinemann. He obtained his Masters in Music Composition in 2003 from the University of Illinois in Champaign. While there, he studied composition under Stephen Taylor and Rick Taube and also served as a teaching assistant, instructing undergraduate theory and ear-training courses. Since then Craig has had the opportunity to work closely with Jack Stamp, David Maslanka, and David Holsinger.
In 2001, Craig won the Creative Division of the Bradley University Research and Creative Achievement Exhibition with Subliminal Designs, a composition designed using music notation through alternative visual representations. Craig was also a finalist in the ASCAP Foundation Morton Gould Young Composer Awards in 2001 and 2003. In 2005, he was chosen as a participant in the National Band Association’s Young Composer Mentor Project sponsored Bands of America.
Craig has been commissioned to write concert band literature for various Midwest Jr. High and High Schools. His compositions for orchestra, choir, soloists, and small ensembles have been performed at Bradley University, the University of Illinois and the University of Michigan. Craig is also a published composer with Alfred and TRN Music Publishers.
Since 2001, Craig has arranged music for competitive high school marching bands in the Midwest. Additionally, he has experience designing drill for competitive marching bands. Schools Craig arranges for have been Illinois State Class Champions and BOA Super Regional Finalists and have placed in their class at BOA regional competitions. He has also served as an adjudicator throughout the Midwest. Craig marched with the Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps baritone line in 1998 and has been involved with the Cavaliers brass staff. Since 2001, he has taught competitive marching brass and arranged for Morton High School, who have been named the 2005 through 2009 class 2A Illinois State Champions. He also maintains an extensive private brass studio, teaching trumpet, french horn, trombone, euphonium, and tuba lessons to students of all ages. His students regularly attend the IMEA district and state festivals in the orchestral, jazz, and band divisions. During the 2005-06 school year, Craig served as assistant director of bands at Washington Community High School. During this time, the Washington High School Symphonic winds were selected to compete at the 2006 Illinois Superstate Concert Band Festival for the first time.
Craig studied trombone with Hugo Magliocco at Bradley University and Elliot Chasanov at the University of Illinois. He currently performs with Opera Illinois, the Prairie Wind Ensemble, and the Peoria Municipal Band, and he was featured as a soloist in the Municipal Band’s 2004 season.
Forte is happy to have Dallas, Andy, and Craig aboard and look forward to future announcements of staff for the 2012 season. We ask that you visit the corps website at www.ForteCorps.org for further staff updates.
