An experienced, national panel of judges will

gather at Byrnes to provide valuable feedback to

the outstanding bands competing.

Andy Poor

Music Execution

 Andy Poor is excited to return for his fifth season with Spirit of Atlanta, and 34th for year in the activity. He will be serving as the Caption Supervisor alongside DCI Hall of Famer and SOA Director Emeritus, Freddy Martin, where they will oversee and guide the brass staff in 2020. Dr. Poor holds degrees from the University of Florida (BME’88), and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (MM Trumpet ‘93, DME ‘99). He is currently the Director of Bands at South Forsyth Middle School in Cumming, Georgia, where there are 481 students enrolled in the band program, which has quickly earned a regional and national reputation for musical excellence. His involvement in the marching arts dates back to 1981 when he first marched in Suncoast Sound. He would continue to march for six summers. From 1991-2008, Dr. Poor served as an adjudicator for Drum Corps International and was the Brass Caption Lead Judge from 2000-2005. After judging DCI World Championship Finals in 2008, he began to consult and instruct with various drum corps, including the Blue Stars, Phantom Regiment, Pacific Crest, and the past four years as Brass Caption Head at the Spirit of Atlanta.

Jamey Thompson

Visual Execution

 Jamey Thompson, Visual Designer from Chicago, Illinois, has been involved in marching band and drum and bugle corps for over thirty years. “I’ve greatly respected David’s many contributions to the activity. To work with him and have to opportunity to design for the Pride of the Mountains Marching Band is a tremendous honor.” Jamey was the Visual Designer for Phantom Regiment from 2005-2007 and 2011-2014; Madison Scouts from 2003-2004; and the Glassmen from 1997-2002.  He was recently named Visual Designer for Atlanta CV Drum & Bugle Corps from Atlanta, GA for the 2015 season and returns for his fifth season with three-time WAMSB Champion Calgary Stampede Showband, from Calgary, Canada. Previous DCA credits include Connecticut Hurricanes from 2008-2014 and Empire Statesmen from 2001-2006. Marching band projects include programs throughout the United States, including bands in Florida, Indiana and Texas. Jamey graduated with a B.B.A. from Loyola University Chicago and worked in not-for-profit accounting and arts-management before dedicating his time exclusively to the pageantry arts.

Lafe Cook

Music Effect

Lafe Cook has been a high school band director for twenty-six years and is in his twentieth year as the Director of the Dobyns-Bennett Band Program in Kingsport, Tennessee.  Mr. Cook is a graduate of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville where he was drum major of the Pride of the Southland Marching Band and a graduate assistant with the music department.  He taught at E.C. Glass High School in Lynchburg, Virginia for six years prior to coming to Dobyns-Bennett.  Mr. Cook’s teaching responsibilities at Dobyns-Bennett High School include directing the Wind Symphony, the Marching Band, and administering the 350 member band program. He currently serves as the Supervisor of Secondary Bands for Kingsport City Schools.  He also has served two terms on the board of directors for the Kingsport Ballet and he currently serves the City of Kingsport as a liaison with city government regarding improvements in Kingsport’s arts and entertainment infrastructure and atmosphere. Mr. Cook is Past President of the East Tennessee State Band and Orchestra Association and is President Elect of the Tennessee Music Education Association.

Jack Jean

Visual Effect

Mr. Jean is currently the Associate Director of Bands at Brookwood High School. A native of Des Moines, Iowa, Mr. Jean received his Bachelor of Music Education and Percussion Performance Degrees from the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa in 1989.  He was selected by Northwestern University in 1994 as a Northwestern Summer Fellow, studying conducting with John Paynter, Mallory Thompson, Steve Peterson and Don Owens.His professional experience includes Director and Association Director of Band at Whitewater High School (Fayetteville, GA) Director and Associate Director of Bands at Shiloh High School (Snellville, GA), Director of Bands at Dunwoody High School (Dunwoody, GA) and Director of Bands at Saydel High School (Des Moines, IA).  In 1991 the Saydel High School Jazz Band 1 was selected to perform at the Iowa Bandmasters Association In-Service Conference as a featured ensemble.  Mr. Jean has also served as an adjunct Percussion Instructor at Drake University (Des Moines, IA), Rehearsal Assistant with the Des Moines Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Atlanta Youth Wind Symphony.  He has performed professionally with the Des Moines Symphony Orchestra, Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony Orchestra, Omaha Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of Iowa, New Hampshire Summer Music Festival Orchestra, Des Moines Municipal Band, DeKalb Symphony Orchestra, Gainesville Symphony Orchestra, Tara Winds Community Band and the Cobb Wind Symphony.

During his tenure at Whitewater High School, the Wind Ensemble had many invitational performances.  In 2014, they performed at the University of Georgia January Music Festival as a featured ensemble.  The ensemble performed a shared concert in 2013 with the Georgia State University Symphonic Winds at the Rialto Center for the Arts in Atlanta, GA. The Whitewater High School French Horn Choir also performed a Lobby Concert performance at The Georgia Music Educator’s Association (GMEA) In-Service Conference in Savannah, GA. In September 2011, the Whitewater High School Wind Ensemble performed a shared concert with the Georgia State University Symphonic Wind Ensemble at the Rialto Center for the Arts in Atlanta, GA; and in 2009 they performed at both the University of Georgia January Music Festival and the Georgia Music Educator’s Association In-Service Conference as featured ensembles.  Mr. Jean has performed four times at the Midwest Clinic.  In 1994 and 2001 as a member of Tara Winds Community Band and again in 2011 and 2018 as a member of the Cobb Wind Symphony.
Mr. Jean is an active clinician and adjudicator throughout the United States in both Marching Band and Concert Band arenas.  Most recently he served as a Guest Clinician/Conductor at the 2016 University of Northern Iowa’s “Northern Festival of Bands” Honor Band.  In 2017 Mr. Jean presented a clinic at the (GMEA) In-Service Conference titled “Rips, Runs and Realities….creating and maintaining French Horn Players of all levels”.  He served as the GMEA District VI All-State Band organizer, is a past member and Chairman of the GMEA All-State Band Committee, and is currently member of the GMEA Music Selection Committee.
In 2017 Mr. Jean was named one of 197 quarterfinalists for the 2018 Grammy Foundation’s “Music Educator Award”.  In 2014 he named the Whitewater High School “Teacher of the Year” for the 2014-2015 school year. In 2015 he was recognized by the Georgia Music Educators Association for "Twenty-Five Years of Service to Music Education".  In addition, he was also awarded the “Distinguished Wildcat Award”,recognizing outstanding service to Whitewater High School in 2013-2014.  Mr. Jean is a three time National Band Association “Citation of Excellence” recipient and was the “Excellence in Education Award” winner, sponsored by the Atlanta Braves and AT&T, in 2007.  In 2004 Mr. Jean was named a Finalist for “Teacher of the Year” at Shiloh High School.  His professional memberships include the National Band Association, National Association for Music Education, Georgia Music Educators Association and Honorary Music Fraternities Phi Beta Mu and Pi Kappa Lambda.