JUDGES

Below are the names and qualifications of our 2024 Festival judges.

Alan Sharps – Music/Marching Judge

Alan Sharps received both Bachelors and Masters degrees in Music Education from the University of Miami in Coral Gables, FL. While at U.M. he served as the Graduate Assistant Director of the U.M. “Band of the Hour”. He began his teaching career in 1980. After teaching in Florida for five years he taught in Virginia Beach, VA for an additional eleven years. His bands were awarded the Virginia Honor Band plaque five times.

Mr. Sharps is proud of all of his current and former students. One stands out in particular due to his career in the music business. Artist-producer Pharrell Williams was a percussionist in Mr. Sharps band at Princess Anne H.S. in Virginia Beach. Pharrell was named Music Producer of the Decade from 2000-2010. Pharrell served as a judge on the NBC show “The Voice”. His most famous hits Happy and Get Lucky propelled him from music producer to superstar fame.

In 1997, Mr. Sharps moved to San Antonio to take a position at Winston Churchill High School. He taught there for eleven years. In 2008 Mr. Sharps opened the new C.T. Johnson High School also in North East I.S.D. He taught there until his retirement in 2020. He currently works at C.T.J. as a clinician and director of the jazz bands.

The bands Mr. Sharps taught were honored to be Bands of America Regional Champions twelve times. They were also finalists at the B.O.A. Grand National Championships in Indianapolis eight times. They placed between third and sixth place seven times at the Texas State Marching Band Championships before being awarded first place in 2020. The bands were invited to participate in the Tournament of Roses Parade in 2005 and 2014. The C.T.J. Wind Ensemble also performed at the Midwest convention in 2019 and the band received the Sudler Shield award for marching band excellence in 2015.

Peter Warshaw – Music/ Marching Judge

[BIO COMING SOON!]

Rick Rodriguez – Percussion Judge

Mr. Rick Rodriguez is currently the percussion director and Associate Band Director at Cedar Ridge High School, Round Rock TX. Rick has also been the director of the Cedar Ridge Symphonic Band as well as the director of the Cedar Ridge Jazz Ensemble and is currently assisting all of the Cedar Ridge Concert Bands as well as the Cedar Ridge Wind Ensemble.

Rick Rodriguez is from McAllen, TX and grew up in the Rio Grande Valley nine miles north of Mexico. He became interested in percussion in 1971 at the age of six when his father Henry Rodriguez started him on percussion. Many years later, Rick is in the Blue Devils snare line under Tom Float and Scott Johnson and eventually earns a degree in Music Education from the University of North Texas under Dr. Schietroma. Some of his UNT college colleagues include Mike McIntosh, Paul Rennick, Ben Maughmer,
Jeff Prosperie, Jim Reilly, Kevin Murray, Dr Brian West, Jason Sutter and Jeff Ausdemore. Mr. Rodriguez now has well over 30 years of percussion and band ensemble/masterclass experience.

Since the early 90’s, Mr Rod and his percussion ensembles have several several appearances at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic held annually in Chicago IL. During his work at Spring High School, the Spring Percussion Ensemble was scouted by John Paynter in 1994 and was invited to perform with John Paynter and the North Shore Concert Band of Chicago at Northwestern University. Most recently, the Cedar Ridge Percussion Ensemble has been awarded 1st place in the Blackswamp Percussion Ensemble Showcase.

Rick Rodriguez is an active percussion arranger and versatile band and percussion clinician. In his younger days, Rick was the “center snare” of the infamous University of North TX PASIC Drum Line and was also a snare drummer for the Sky Ryders Drum and Bugle Corps as well as the Concord Blue Devils. He has been on the working staff of Phantom Regiment, Blue Knights, under Ralph Hardimon, Blue Devils well as on the percussion staff of The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps under Mike McIntosh. Rick Rodriguez has also been on the adjudicating staff of Drum Corps International, Bands of America and the Wgi percussion judging panel. Mr. Rodriguez is currently endorsed by the Zildjian Cym Co., Innovative Percussion, Marimba One and Evans Drum Heads.

Keith McKeachie
Colorguard Judge

[BIO COMING SOON!]