Christian Cruz-Vargas
Christian Cruz-Vargas has been involved in a wide variety of musical settings since starting his career. He has performed classically with the FIU Wind Ensemble, Parris Island Marine Band Wind Ensemble, Armed Forces School of Music Wind Ensemble and Concert Band and most recently with the FIU Orchestra and Percussion Ensemble. While in the Marine Corps he also served as the drum-set player in the Big Band of Parris Island as well as the Jazz combo. Along with these accomplishments as part of the Armed Forces he was able to travel the United States playing professionally with wind ensembles, percussion ensembles and parade bands. Being featured in several NFL games, music festivals and other great performances.
Christian has also been involved as a writer, arranger, consultant, and educator. Since 2007 he has written for several schools in the USA including Richmond Hill High School (GA) FountaineBleua HS (LA) Olympic HS (NC) and others. As an instructor he taught from 06-08 at G. Holmes Braddock High School winning the Percussion State Championship in Class 1A in 2006. While in the USMC he taught for Richmond Hill High school taking various high drum trophies in multiple marching festivals in GA. After leaving the Marine Corps he began teaching at Felix Varela Senior High School winning the state percussion championship in 2010 as Percussion Caption Head. He went on to serve as the assistant director of Velocity Independent leading them to their first finals appearance. After taking the role as director in 2015 Velocity was renamed FIU and nder his instruction as Director FIU Indoor Ensembles have won 5 straight fan favorite awards, 3 Gold and 2 Bronze Medal as well as several Finalist appearances. Most recently he has been name the creative director of two time open class champion Chromium Winds, serving in the role since their inception.
His education includes G. Holmes Braddock Senior High School, Florida International University and the Armed Forces School
Tim Fairbanks
Tim Fairbanks has taught at Centerville HS (OH) since 1997, and serves as the Marching Percussion Director and the Drill Designer for the marching band, winter guard, and indoor drumline, which is a consistent Scholastic World Finalist at the WGI World Championships. Centerville Indoor Drumline is the 1999 Scholastic Open Champion and 2004 WGI Scholastic World Champion. Tim is the Director and Visual Designer for Rhythm X, WGI Percussion Independent World Class Champion in 2008, 2009, 2013 and has been the Drill Designer for the Bluecoats (Canton, OH) and Blue Stars (Lacrosse, WI). He proudly endorses the products of Pearl/ Adams, Evans/Daddario, Sabian Inc., and is a signature artist with ProMark. Tim is the Vice President-Percussion for WGI Sport of the Arts, serving on the WGI Board of Directors Executive Committee, in addition to membership on the WGI Percussion Advisory Board and Steering Committee. Tim is an internationally in demand clinician, designer, arranger and adjudicator.
Michael Gaines
Born and raised in Dayton, Ohio, Michael Gaines grew up with the pageantry arts all around him. His career started with his Independent World Class color guard, Escapade, and his alma mater Carroll HS, both from Dayton, OH. Over the years since then, Michael has taught many WGI groups, including Pride of Cincinnati, Aimachi Color Guard, Aimachi Percussion, Aimachi Winds, Carmel HS, Center Grove HS, Miamisburg HS, Choctawhatchee HS, Centerville HS, and many more. Michael was inducted into the WGI Hall of Fame in 2007.
In addition to his work for WGI groups, Michael designs for marching bands around the country, including several Bands of America National Champions, as well as theatrical stage shows such as “Blast! The Music of Disney.”
From 1998 to 2011, Michael was the drill designer and Visual Coordinator for The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps, and served on the design team for all 7 of their Drum Corps InternationalWorld Championship titles. He is currently the Creative Director for Vanguard Music and Performing Arts, as well as Visual Designer for the 2018 Drum Corps International World Champion, Santa Clara Vanguard. In 2011, Michael was inducted into the DCI Hall of Fame.
Michael currently resides in San Francisco, CA.
Andrew Markworth
Andrew Markworth is a composer, arranger and consultant writing wind, front ensemble and battery percussion for marching bands, indoor drumlines and drum corps.
He is currently the music arranger and coordinator for the Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps from San Antonio, TX and The Company Performance Ensemble of Great Britain. He also is the music director for Rhythm X; both the 3 time gold medalist percussion group (2008, 2009, 2013) and the WGI Winds group who were Independent World class gold medalists in 2015, 2017, and 2018. He has also written for many successful high school groups including Centerville HS, Cedar Park HS, Vandegrift HS, Kennesaw Mountain HS, Bellbrook HS and many more.
Andrew currently resides in Centerville, Ohio with his wife Kara, daughter Natalie, son Brady and Ralphie the Westie. Before becoming a full time composer and arranger, he was the Centerville High School Band Director from 2005-2008.
He was a member of the Centerville Jazz Band and world champion winter drumline from 1997-2001. Following high school he was a member of the Glassmen Drum and Bugle Corps in 2001 and 2002, being the percussion captain in 2002. In 2004, he was a member of the DCI World Champion Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps. Andrew was also a member of the WGI Independent World Class Medalist Rhythm X from 2003-2005, being the ensemble captain in 2004 and 2005.
Andrew is a Yamaha Artist and a proud endorser of Vic Firth sticks and mallets, Evans Drumheads and Zildjian Cymbals. In 2009 Vic Firth introduced the Andrew Markworth Signature mallets for marimba and vibraphone. He recently gave clinics at the Bands of America Summer Symposium and PASIC.
Zack Novicki
Zachary Novicki is the Executive Director of LSM Performing Arts Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing incredible individuals through the gift of art.
Zack is also the Assistant Band Director and Winter Guard Director for Southgate Community Schools, and has assisted with many other school music programs throughout the State of Michigan. Zack also works as a music arranger, design consultant, and clinician for various programs across the United States and Canada.
Zack has served as a member of the WGI Winds Advisory Board since the inception of the winds division, and is currently serving a two year term on the WGI Winds Steering Committee, where he is responsible for collaborating to evaluate scoring systems, philosophies, and ongoing instructor education for the Winds activity.
Fun fact!: As a result of his experience and success in the marching arts, Zack was hired as a Special Abilities Actor and played the role of a marching member of the United States Marine Corps in the blockbuster movies Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad.
Keith Potter
Keith Potter began his pageantry career in high school as a saxophone player and drum major for Center Grove High School in Greenwood, IN. After graduation, he became a drum major instructor at FJM clinics and later went on to join the Cadets of Bergen Countyas a member of the color guard from 1991-1993. He also performed with The Pride Of Cincinnati and Escapade winter guards during this same time period.
Once wrapping up his performance career, Keith quickly turned to education and design and has been serving as a color guard or program designer, at some capacity, for over 25 years. His previous design work includes: Carroll High School, Center Grove High School, Avon High School, Carmel High School, The Cadets of Bergen County, The Cavaliers, and Escapade Winter Guard. Most recently, Keith was the Program Designer at Carolina Crown from 2009-2016 and currently works as designer/director at Center Grove High School and on the design team with The Pride of Cincinnati (since 1997).
Potter, a graduate of Indiana University, lives in Indianapolis, IN with his 3 wonderful children and an awesome wife! While maintaining heavy involvement in the pageantry arts, Keith also built a 13-year career in the Architecture and Interior Design industry as an Account Executive in commercial wallcoverings, a Market Development Manager in commercial furniture, and eventually as VP of Architecture and Design Sales for IdeaPaint, based out of Boston, MA. Two years ago, Keith (with family support) decided to make a go of a full time pageantry design business, Keith Potter Design. It has been challenging but rewarding and Keith is now able to focus all of his energy into doing what he loves.