SCMI Judges List

Matt Bearden is an Atlanta-based color guard designer, educator, and adjudicator whose work spans the scholastic and independent circuits. A former member of the Madison Scouts Color Guard (2013–2014), he has developed a strong presence throughout the metro Atlanta area and SAPA circuit as a director, instructor, and program designer, contributing to the development of competitive and educationally grounded programs. Matt serves as a Design Analysis judge with the Gulf Coast Judges Association, North Texas Color Guard Association, and Mid-Continent Color Guard Association, and has adjudicated consistently across multiple circuits since 2019. His perspective is rooted in both practical training environments and contemporary design standards within the pageantry arts. As both a designer and adjudicator, Matt is known for his focus on intentional program construction and performer-centered design. His work emphasizes the alignment of vocabulary, staging, and training to create productions that are cohesive, achievable, and communicative. He is particularly interested in how design structures support performer growth, clarity of effect, and sustained audience engagement over the course of a program. His instructional and design contributions include SAPA medalist programs, including Peachtree Ridge High School (SRA Bronze, 2019) and Phoenix Independent (IRA Bronze, 2018). Matt is currently a doctoral candidate at Georgia State University.

Jimmy Haskell did his undergraduate work at Indiana State University, Terre Haute, Indiana in Instrumental Music. He studied conducting at Indiana University summer clinics and Secondary Administration at Butler University. During his teaching tenure, Jimmy’s Band won the ISSMA Marching Band Class D Title and made numerous appearances in the IHSCGA Finals, WGI Percussion Finals, and his concert bands enjoyed numerous honors in Group I literature. Jimmy also served on the Executive Board of the Indiana High School Color Guard Association as Secretary for six years. He was also one of the founding members of the Indiana Percussion Association where he served as Treasurer, Judges Coordinator, Assisted the Initiation of the first monies to the IPA Scholarship Funds and Logistics Developer for Ten Years. Jimmy has been awarded both the WGI Hall of Fame Award and the Indiana Percussion Hall of Fame Award. Both were voted on and honored by his peers in the activity. After Teaching music in Indiana for 18 years, he took over the family business in Indianapolis, IN due to failing health of his father. This proved to be challenging and rewarding using his teaching and people skills with the business side of running a small business. Jimmy has judged marching band and percussion State Finals in the following states: Indiana, Denver, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Missouri, Michigan, Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi, Florida, and Hawaii, just to name a few. Jimmy currently lives in Terre Haute with his spouse Rob of twenty-three years and their three four-legged children (Woodrow, Olive & Shelby)

Jim Reed is the owner and operator of JReed Show Designs, a freelance company specializing in music arranging, visual design, show coordination, and large-format printing for the pageantry arts.With decades of experience in music education and marching arts production, he has become a sought-after designer, arranger, and creative consultant for programs across the country. In addition to his work as a designer and educator, Mr. Reed has served as an adjudicator for marching band and indoor percussion events across the Midsouth, bringing extensive experience in design, performance, and program construction to the adjudication community. A 1998 graduate of the University of Tennessee at Martin, Mr. Reed served as drum captain and field commander, where he began arranging for drumlines and designing indoor productions — laying the foundation for his career in show design and arranging. He later earned a Master of Music degree with honors from Austin Peay State University in December 2010. Through JReed Show Designs, Mr. Reed has partnered with high school bands and performing ensembles across Tennessee, Texas, Arizona, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Mississippi, South Carolina,and Virginia. He is also a staff percussion arranger for Arrangers’ Publishing Company, a national band publishing house based in Nashville, and has been published by Rowloff Productions.Mr. Reed’s marching arts experience includes performing as a snare drummer with the Spirit of Atlanta Drum and Bugle Corps. He is also a member of the Spirit of Atlanta Alumni Corps, which performed at Drum Corps International in August 2025. He is also a founder and charter member of the Music City Legend Drum & Bugle Corps, where he has served as program coordinator, drill designer, percussion arranger, performer, and Assistant Executive Director. Before transitioning to full-time show design, Mr. Reed had a 26-year career as a band director, teaching in Sumner, Robertson, and Rutherford counties, as well as Goodpasture Christian School.

Nate Hughes currently serves as Director of Bands at South Forsyth High School in Cumming, Georgia, where he has been since 2025. Prior to his appointment as the director at the high school, Hughes served as the Middle school director since 2019. During his tenure at South Middle, the SFMS Symphonic Band has been awarded the Georgia Music Educators Association’s “Exemplary Performance Award,” and has been invited to perform at the Music For All National Concert Band Festival, the Music For All Southeastern Regional Festival, the National Band Association’s Southern Division Regional Conference, the GMEA State Conference, and as a featured ensemble at the University of Georgia’s Middle School Honor Band Festival “MidFest.” While serving in this role, he has been awarded the National Band Association’s Citation of Excellence on two occasions. A native of Nashville, Tennessee, Nate received his Bachelor of Music degree from Austin Peay State University. Nate was a member of the trumpet section of 7-time Drum Corps International World Champion The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps from Rosemont, Illinois. He was also a cast member of Rhythm X Winds from Dayton, Ohio. Nate has served on the instructional staff of several high schools in Tennessee, Texas, and Georgia, as well as drum corps as Assistant Visual Captionhead at Southwind Drum and Bugle Corps, on the brass staff at Spirit of Atlanta, and as Assistant Brass Captionhead at Music City Drum Corps. Currently, Nate serves on the visual staff of the WGI Percussion Independent World group Atlanta Quest. Nate programs marching band shows for numerous bands across the United States, in addition to composing original music, writing drill, and staging winter guards. He is also an active adjudicator and can be found judging both performance and effect captions.

A 1983 graduate of The University of Tennessee at Martin, John D. Easley retired in 2016 after 34 years as a public school band director in the state of Tennessee. His longest tenure was with the Union City School System as Director of Bands for 31 yrs., where the band program boasted membership of approximately thirty eight percent of the student population. Under Mr. Easley’s direction, the band program flourished, affording his students much success, both individually and collectively. A nationally recognized program, the Union City High School Marching Band is a four-time Tennessee Division II State Champion, as well as the winner of ten Bands of America Regional and Super Regional Class Championships, and an eleven-time finalist at the prestigious Contest of Champions at Middle Tn. State University. They have been accepted and marched In The Sunkist Fiesta Bowl Parade, Disney Days Celebration, and the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New York City. In 2005 and 2009, the UCHS Symphonic Band performed a full concert on the deck of the USS Missouri in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. In addition to his work with his own bands, John is consistently sought out as a consultant, clinician, workshop presenter, and adjudicator throughout the Southeast. One of the highlights of his career includes his time as a staff member with the United States Army All-American Band in San Antonio, Texas. Mr. Easley’s professional affiliations include Phi Beta Mu professional band director fraternity (past president); WTSBOA (past president); Tennessee Music Educators Association (past board member); National Music Educators Association; Past Advisory Board Member for Bands of America; American School Band Director Association, and Tennessee Bandmasters Association. Mr. Easley is also an inductee to the WTSBOA Hall of Fame and was inducted into the Tennessee Band Masters Hall of Fame at the Tennessee Music Educators State Conference.

Trevor Rundell, a native of Murfreesboro, TN, is the Head Band Director at Bartlett High School, where he has led the transformation of the band program since assuming the role in 2019. A graduate of Tennessee Technological University with a B.M. in Music Education in 2016, Rundell' s journey includes serving as Assistant Band Director at both Bartlett High School (Fall 2016 - Spring 2018) and Siegel High School (Fall 2018 - Spring 2019) prior to his appointment as the Head Band Director at Bartlett. There, Rundell oversees a nationally recognized marching band, three concert bands, two jazz bands, a percussion ensemble, and a robust district-wide private lessons program servicing over 200 high school and middle school band students. Rundell has been featured as Yamaha “40 Under 40” Educator. Under Rundell' s guidance, Bartlett' s marching bands have achieved remarkable success, securing numerous Grand Championships. Bartlett became a Bands of America Regional Finalist for the first time in 2021 and has since become a consistent finals competitor and 6-time medalist, crowned Regional Champions of the 2023 and 2024 BOA Memphis Regional, and qualified for Semi-Finals at the 2023, 2024, & 2025 BOA Grand National Championships. Rundell' s impact at Bartlett extends beyond the marching field. Under his leadership, the concert bands at Bartlett have received exclusively superior ratings at the West Tennessee Band and Orchestra Association Concert Festival, and are six-time recipients of the Tennessee Bandmasters Award of Distinction in Concert Performance across 2022-2025 in Grades IV and VI. The Wind Symphony performed at the 2025 Tennessee Music Educators Association conference under his direction. In addition to ensemble awards, the program has seen increased representation in WTSBOA’ s All West Honor Bands and the Tennessee Music Educators Association ’ s All State Band, with 77 students earning spots in the 2026 All West Bands and 17 in the 2026 All-State ensembles. In addition to his role as a band director, Rundell serves as the lead winds arranger for Southcoast Music & Design LLC, contributing to musical excellence across several states. Rundell' s arrangements have played a pivotal role in aiding band programs to attain multiple state championships, secure appearances in State Finals, and earn other prestigious accolades, including Bands of America medals, Outstanding caption awards, and multiple Grand National Semi-Finalists.

Lee Gibson has been an active designer, instructor and judge in the marching arts for many years. His work crosses the country and can be seen annually at BOA, WGI as well as numerous state and local events. Lee has judged for many circuits including ISSMA, IHSCGA, CITSA, MCCGA, and KMEA. Lee works as a designer for Dance Sophisticates and serves on the executive board for the Indiana High School Color Guard Association

Bill Castillo is a percussion instructor and composer from St. Louis, Missouri. Most recently, Bill was a member of the percussion staff for Rockwood Summit High School Marching Band. Bill was the Program Coordinator and an arranger for South County United Percussion based out of St. Louis. Bill has also written for and taught the Northwest High School percussion program. Before Northwest High School, Bill was the coordinator for the Belleville East High School percussion program. His drumlines and percussion ensembles have won numerous awards across the country. He has held similar positions at Wentzville High School and Belleville West High School. Bill is also an in-demand arranger for numerous high school programs across the country. Bill has taught camps at Truman State University. He has performed with various ensembles in the St. Louis area and given percussion clinics across the country. Bill is owner of Messy Desk Music, a company that specializes in music writing, engraving and recording. He’s currently the office manager for Visaudio Designs. He has worked with Key Poulan Music, JKS Music, Lorenz Music and Tapspace Publications, among other companies. He has presented clinics on Virtual Drumline, Sibelius and Finale software across the country. Bill is a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, a professional music fraternity for men. He is also a proud endorser of Innovative Percussion Sticks and Mallets, Pearl Drums and Adams Keyboards, and Remo Drumheads. Bill is married to his wife Lori and they have three children.