On A Water Break

WGI 2027: waitlists already? Color guard registration is already putting championship capacity in the spotlight. Whitney Stone, Jeremy Denzer, Sadie Wallace, Trish O’Shea and Garrett Lippie break down the early WGI waitlists, WGI percussion changes, European drum corps, whether BOA should judge color guard separately, and more. Garrett’s 60 Second Tech Block is all about why practice doesn’t make perfect — Practice Makes Permanent.

CHAPTERS
00:00 WGI 2027 Color Guard Tea
02:02 Welcome + Recent OAWB Releases
08:27 Quiet Spin Flagpole Test
11:28 Derek Phillips Family Thanks the Marching Community
16:15 Remembering Steve Vickers
19:00 WGI 2027 Color Guard Registration + Waitlists
25:15 WGI Percussion 2027: Quad Panel, Audio Theater + Regionals
29:59 Scholastic Open Registration Check
30:49 European Drum Corps Championships
32:58 Guard Closet
35:43 60 Second Tech Block
37:27 Practice Makes Permanent
43:46 Water We Doing?!
51:21 Circuit Sound Systems
53:48 Should BOA Judge Color Guard Separately?
57:59 What Are We Going to Do About It?
58:42 Who Actually Runs the Design?
59:41 Gush & Go
1:07:01 Bridgeland Wins BOA North Houston
1:08:11 Whitney Shares a Personal Loss
1:09:21 Closing Rehearsal

ON THIS EPISODE
Whitney Stone — @dancerwhit
Jeremy Denzer — @jeremydenzer
Sadie Wallace — @m.sadiewallace
Trish O’Shea — @trishdish1102
Garrett Lippie — @g_lippie27
Executive Producer: Jeremy Williams

NEWS + RESOURCES
Derek Phillips family/community support: https://www.kcci.com/article/family-of-derek-phillips-thanks-community-for-support/73859683
University of Iowa remembrance: https://hawkeyemarchingband.uiowa.edu/news/2026/09/message-hawkeye-marching-band-and-school-music
Steve Vickers remembrance: https://www.dci.org/news/steve-vickers-longtime-publisher-of-drum-corps-world-dies-at-77/
WGI July Board recap: https://www.wgi.org/26julyboardrecap/
WGI Color Guard current entries: https://www.wgi.org/currententries/cg-current-entries/
WGI Percussion calendar: https://www.wgi.org/percussion/p-calendar/
European Drum Corps Championships preview: https://www.dci.org/news/ensembles-from-five-countries-will-be-represented-at-2026-european-drum-corps-championships/

MORE OAWB
Website: https://www.onawaterbreak.com/
Listen everywhere: https://www.onawaterbreak.com/links
News: https://www.onawaterbreak.com/news
Meet the team: https://www.onawaterbreak.com/team
Join us: https://www.onawaterbreak.com/join-us
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Onawaterbreak
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TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@onawaterbreak

RELATED
Quiet Spin Anchor System Quick Sip: https://youtu.be/2C5ubVbUOdk
OAWB with Punk Rock Irving: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jY6RVI39mjc

Presented by Guard Closet — https://www.guardcloset.com/ — @guardcloset

Your All-Access Pass to the Marching Arts.

Marching band season is fully underway, winter guard planning is starting, and this week Chris Rutt, Dalton Stout, Cynthia Bernard, Jeremy Svoboda and guest Monica Drohan tackle the Nimitz High School marching band shirt pulled by Aldine ISD, heat concerns at the Sullivan Marching Band Festival, Indiana’s 2027 Teacher of the Year Jason Witzigreuter, SoundSport 2027 registration and more.

In this episode:

• Nimitz High School’s marching band shirt is pulled after complaints about its imagery
• Nine people are treated for heat-related concerns at the Sullivan Marching Band Festival
• Homestead band director Jason Witzigreuter is named Indiana’s 2027 Teacher of the Year
• SoundSport opens registration for the 2027 season
• Monica Drohan shares her 32 Count Life Story
• Cynthia Bernard breaks down count sheets, tempo, contrasting tape and rifle vs. saber technique
• Water We Doing?! takes on field entrances, soundtrack selection, asking for help, weather plans, breathing and conditioning

Panel:
Christopher E. Rutt — @wildhornbrass1
Dalton Stout — @SaltyDalti
Cynthia Bernard — @cynthiabern
Jeremy Svoboda / Drum Corps Today — @drumcorpstoday
Guest: Monica Drohan / Evoke Performance Collective — @evoke_pc

Chapters:
01:34 Nimitz High School Band Shirt Pulled
06:14 Sullivan Marching Festival Heat Emergency
10:12 Indiana Teacher of the Year
11:49 SoundSport 2027
18:34 32 Count Life Story
22:19 60 Second Tech Block
33:32 Water We Doing?!
49:43 Gush & Go
59:02 Closing Rehearsal

Presented by Guard Closet. Uniforms, flags, costumes, consignment and design services for the marching arts. GuardCloset.com | @guardcloset

Find On A Water Break: https://www.onawaterbreak.com/ | Listen Everywhere: https://linktr.ee/onawaterbreak | YouTube: @OnAWaterBreak | Instagram, Facebook & TikTok: @onawaterbreak | Be a guest: [email protected]

Your All-Access Pass to the Marching Arts.

Joey Montes III, Jeremy Denzer and Courtney Coffey check in on the fall marching season, then break down the Hawkeye Marching Band’s tribute to Derek Phillips and what it means for marching-band heat safety; Penn State’s Blue Band and Morgan State’s Magnificent Marching Machine bringing Hamilton to MetLife Stadium; the NCCU Sound Machine altercation with North Carolina A&T staff over “breaking ranks”; and DCI’s record 1,000-student INpact + BANDtastic! Indy honors bands.

Jeremy’s 60 Second Tech Block explains how to listen to judge commentary twice, identify repeated themes and walk into critique ready for a real conversation. Water We Doing?! takes on velvet costumes, color guard designers being left off design-team announcements and staffs that refuse to delegate. Gush & Go spotlights Color Guard Tea Break, Simply Colorguard Spin School and the start of fall competition season.

CHAPTERS
00:00 Where Is Your Marching Season?
08:03 Welcome to On A Water Break
08:34 Hawkeye Band Honors Derek Phillips
09:07 Marching Band Heat Safety + WBGT
16:31 Penn State + Morgan State Bring Hamilton to MetLife
18:12 HBCU Band Altercation + Breaking Ranks
22:36 DCI’s 1,000 Middle School Performers
27:24 Guard Closet
29:02 60 Second Tech Block
31:10 How to Use Judge Commentary Before Critique
40:11 Water We Doing?!
40:32 Velvet Costumes
43:02 Why Color Guard Designers Belong on the Design Team
45:14 Delegate to Your Staff
47:59 Gush & Go
52:27 Closing Rehearsal

PANEL
Joey Montes III — @marchingbymontes
Jeremy Denzer — @jeremydenzer
Courtney Coffey — Simply Colorguard

PRODUCTION
Executive Producer: Jeremy Williams
Associate Producer: Devin Rossey

NEWS & RESOURCES
Hawkeye Marching Band tribute to Derek Phillips
Wet Bulb Globe Temperature / heat safety
Hamilton halftime with Penn State + Morgan State
NCCU / NC A&T band altercation
DCI INpact + BANDtastic! Indy
NOAA El Niño update

MORE OAWB
OnAWaterBreak.com | Episodes | News | Listen Everywhere | Team | Join Us

RELATED
S4EP36 — Derek Phillips, WGI jobs, JD Shaw + recruiting
S4EP29 — marching band heat rules + WBGT

PRESENTED BY GUARD CLOSET
Uniforms, flags, costumes, consignment and design for the marching arts. GuardCloset.com | @guardcloset

Subscribe, follow, review and share. We’ll see you at the next rehearsal — On A Water Break.

WGI Jobs, JD Shaw Retires & Marching Band Recruiting | OAWB S4EP36

Haley Harrington welcomes new OAWB team members Garrett Lippie and Devin Rossey for WGI opportunities, DCI offseason changes, marching band and color guard recruiting, JD Shaw’s Phantom Regiment retirement and Garrett’s 60 Second Tech Block on staying engaged through every hold. The panel also remembers Hawkeye Marching Band member Derek Phillips and asks why students still struggle to find a clear path into marching band.

CHAPTERS
00:00 Haley Takes the Host Chair
00:34 Meet Garrett Lippie & Devin Rossey
01:04 32 Count Life Stories
06:23 Melanin Mosaic NYC Color Guard Casting
08:18 Remembering Derek Phillips
11:28 WGI Color Guard Event Manager
12:54 WGI 2027 Judge Applications
14:39 Blue Devils Percussion Staff Discussion
17:23 JD Shaw Retires from Phantom Regiment
20:12 Guard Closet
21:51 60 Second Tech Block
24:47 Stay Off Your Heels & Stay Engaged
28:00 Water We Doing?!
28:35 Why Is Marching Band So Hard to Join?
32:02 Put the Sticks in Their Hands
33:56 Color Guard Recruiting & Open Gyms
34:56 Bringing Drum Corps Back to the Big Screen
38:16 Stay Humble as Educators
44:01 Gush & Go
44:23 Jeremy Welcomes the New OAWB Team
46:12 Garrett’s Gush & Go
47:59 Devin Teases What’s Coming Next
48:44 Haley’s Gush & Go
50:59 Closing Rehearsal

PANEL
Haley Harrington — @h_harrington14
Garrett Lippie — @g_lippie27
Devin Rossey — @devvvie96
Executive Producer: Jeremy Williams

NEWS & RESOURCES
Melanin Mosaic NYC casting
Remembering Derek Phillips
WGI Color Guard Event Manager
WGI 2027 Judge Applications
Blue Devils Staff
Phantom Regiment

MORE OAWB
OnAWaterBreak.com | Episodes | News | Listen Everywhere | Team | Join Us | Blog
YouTube, Instagram, Facebook & TikTok: @onawaterbreak

RELATED
QuietSpin Quick Sip: Spotify | YouTube

PRESENTED BY GUARD CLOSET
Uniforms, flags, costumes, consignment & design for the marching arts. GuardCloset.com | @guardcloset

EDITOR’S NOTE: The episode describes John Mapes as replacing Scott Johnson as Blue Devils percussion caption head. The current Blue Devils staff listing identifies Scott Johnson as Arranger/Caption Head and John Mapes as Arranger/Caption Manager.

Subscribe, follow, review and share. We’ll see you at the next rehearsal—On A Water Break.

On A Water Break celebrates the life and legacy of Dolly Parton through her Tennessee roots, her connection to music education, and an unexpected part of her story: the marching arts.

Ricardo Robinson-Shinall, Jeremy Denzer and Alicia Sharp are joined by Bri Eskenazi, Assistant Band Director with the Sevier County High School Band, Dolly Parton’s alma mater. Bri shares what Dolly’s legacy still means inside the school and Sevier County community, stories that have been passed down through generations, Dolly’s support of young people and education, and how her example continues to influence students walking the same halls where Dolly once dreamed of becoming a musician.
Then it’s time for Dolly Takes the Field. Alicia brings Gates Chili Independent Winter Guard’s 2023 “Dolly,” Jeremy shares Sonnor Cadet CPEC’s unforgettable Tooth Fairy concept built around “9 to 5,” Bri revisits the University of Tennessee Pride of the Southland’s Dolly Parton halftime production, and Ricardo closes the showcase with Dobyns-Bennett Winter Guard’s 2022 “Jolene and Diane.” The episode finishes with a special Gush & Go: Dolly Edition, including Alicia’s deeply personal connection between Dolly, her grandmother and growing up in East Tennessee.
CHAPTERS
00:00 A Salute to Dolly Parton
02:49 Meet the Panel
04:55 Meet Bri Eskenazi
06:55 Bri’s 32 Count Life Story
09:59 Sevier County High School & Its Community
12:25 Dolly’s Legacy at Her Alma Mater
18:20 The SCHS Concert, Buddy Program & Local Stories
22:41 Dolly’s Philanthropy & the Band Uniforms
27:00 What Dolly’s Example Teaches Young Musicians
28:18 Dolly Parton in 32 Counts
30:35 Water Break
32:40 Dolly Takes the Field
34:16 Gates Chili 2023 — Dolly
39:06 Sonnor Cadet CPEC — The Tooth Fairy Works 9 to 5
42:18 Pride of the Southland’s Dolly Show
44:50 Dobyns-Bennett — Jolene and Diane
48:08 Gush & Go: Dolly Edition
55:50 Supporting Sevier County High School
56:49 Closing Rehearsal
GUEST
Bri Eskenazi — Assistant Band Director, Sevier County High School Band
Instagram: @briannachristine12
Sevier County High School Band: https://www.schs.sevier.org/27479_2
Sevier County High School: https://www.schs.sevier.org/
PANEL
Ricardo Robinson-Shinall — @ricardorrobinson
Jeremy Denzer — @jeremydenzer
Alicia Sharp — @aliciaoninsta2
VIDEOS FEATURED IN DOLLY TAKES THE FIELD
Alicia — Gates Chili Independent Winter Guard 2023 “Dolly”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-EpYdl84E0
Jeremy — Sonnor Cadet CPEC — Tooth Fairy / “9 to 5”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3zH-9PUeH0
Bri — University of Tennessee Pride of the Southland Dolly Parton Halftime Show: https://vimeopro.com/dollyparton/dollyparton/video/142027178
Ricardo — Dobyns-Bennett Winter Guard 2022 “Jolene and Diane”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZsLo2HzSW4
EPISODE RESOURCES
Dolly Parton Official Website: https://www.dollyparton.com/
The Dollywood Foundation: https://dollywoodfoundation.org/
Gates Chili Independent Winter Guard — WGI: https://www.wgi.org/23iareview/
Dobyns-Bennett “Jolene and Diane” — WGI: https://www.wgi.org/dbfeature/
ON A WATER BREAK
Website: https://www.onawaterbreak.com/
Listen Everywhere: https://www.onawaterbreak.com/links
Marching Arts News: https://www.onawaterbreak.com/news
Meet the Team: https://www.onawaterbreak.com/team
Join Us: https://www.onawaterbreak.com/join-us
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Onawaterbreak
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onawaterbreak
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@onawaterbreak
On A Water Break is presented by Guard Closet: https://www.guardcloset.com/

Your All-Access Pass to the Marching Arts.
A Podcast for Marching Arts Enthusiasts — On the Field, In the Stands & Behind the Scenes.

That rattling weight inside your color guard flagpole? Bob from SouthEnd Precision 3D decided there had to be a better solution. In this OAWB Quick Sip, Trish O’Shea and Nicole Younger talk with Bob about the Quiet Spin Anchor System, a flexible 3D-printed insert designed to center a standard carriage-bolt weight inside a flagpole and eliminate the metal-on-metal movement that creates that familiar rattle. Jeremy Williams puts the Quiet Spin through a real flagpole test, and Bob explains how years as a guard dad—and roughly 45 revisions, including an early prototype his daughter promptly reported had shattered—led to the finished product. They also get into electrical tape, changing flagpole weights, guard glove clips, saber tips, hair-tie holders and the other hyper-specific marching arts problems SouthEnd Precision 3D is tackling.

Featuring:
Bob — SouthEnd Precision 3D
Trish O’Shea — @trishdish1102
Nicole Younger — @o2binpjs
Jeremy Williams — Quiet Spin demonstration

Find SouthEnd Precision 3D: https://southendprecision3d.com/
Quiet Spin Anchor System: Available through Guard Closet

Quiet Spin Anchor Review: Guard Closet Review

Presented by Guard Closet
Your one-stop shop for color guard, marching band and the marching arts.
https://www.guardcloset.com/ | @guardcloset

On A Water Break:
Website: https://www.onawaterbreak.com/
Listen Everywhere: https://www.onawaterbreak.com/links
Hosts: https://www.onawaterbreak.com/hosts
Marching Arts News: https://www.onawaterbreak.com/news
YouTube: @OnAWaterBreak
Instagram, Facebook & TikTok: @onawaterbreak

On A Water Break is your all-access pass to the marching arts — on the field, in the stands, and behind the scenes.

Join directors, instructors, performers, designers, judges, alumni, and fans for weekly conversations about marching band, DCI drum corps, WGI, color guard, indoor percussion, baton twirling, parades, education, design, and the stories shaping the activity.

Expect marching arts news, interviews, 32 Count Life Stories, 60 Second Tech Block, Water We Doing?!, Gush & Go, Quick Sips, OAWB With interviews, special coverage, and plenty of opinions from around the activity. Those recurring elements are part of the established OAWB format.

New episodes every week.

Website: https://www.onawaterbreak.com
Listen everywhere: https://www.onawaterbreak.com/links
Marching arts news: https://www.onawaterbreak.com/news
Meet the team: https://www.onawaterbreak.com/team
Join us: https://www.onawaterbreak.com/join-us

Your All-Access Pass to the Marching Arts.

Color guard educator, choreographer and adjudicator Wanda Conway joins Whitney Stone, Sadie Wallace and Jeremy Svoboda / Drum Corps Today for a conversation connecting decades of color guard history to the activity today.

Wanda shares stories from growing up near George Zingali, Quasar and the 27th Lancers to teaching the Cavaliers as a teenager, working with the Cadets, teaching marching band in Indonesia, judging across the country and her current work with Onyx. The panel also digs into color guard fundamentals, writing choreography to music and drill, women in marching arts leadership, performer safety, physical preparation and the lifelong friendships built through the activity.

Marching Arts News: Southern University's Human Jukebox x Gap; BGSU's 600-member Falcon Marching Band; Barberton's Student Opportunity to Participate Fund; Cody Fry feat. The Blue Devils on “Magic in You.”

Chapters:
00:00 Meet Wanda Conway
02:06 Welcome
04:13 Human Jukebox x Gap
05:04 BGSU Hits 600
08:07 Barberton Participation Fund
09:33 Cody Fry x Blue Devils
13:14 Wanda's 32 Count Life Story
17:36 Teaching the Cavaliers
19:17 Teaching in Indonesia
24:17 Career Highlights
26:02 Choreography with Sadie
31:54 Fundamentals Still Matter
34:23 What Are We Doing?!
34:40 Women in Leadership
38:26 Writing to Music and Drill
40:54 Performer Safety
46:11 Physical Preparation
50:11 Gush & Go
54:40 Banana Ball Meets Marching Band
01:04:31 Closing Rehearsal

Panel: Whitney Stone @dancerwhit | Sadie Wallace @m.sadiewallace | Jeremy Svoboda / Drum Corps Today @drumcorpstoday

Guest: Wanda Conway

Presented by Guard Closet. Listen everywhere, explore Marching Arts News, meet the hosts and find more On A Water Break.

What happens when Phantom Regiment alumni step back onto the field for the corps’ 70th anniversary?

Ricardo Robinson-Shinall talks with Jamison Williams, Dr. Taylor Clements, Nikki Brose and Megan Mbengue about returning to drum corps after years away, what their bodies remembered, how the rehearsal culture felt different as adults, and the emotional payoff of performing at DCI World Championship Semifinals in Lucas Oil Stadium.

The group also gets into Water We Doing?!, Gush & Go, electronics, judging technology, alumni costuming, women in leadership and why an alumni corps can feel like finding home again.

Guests:

• Jamison Williams — @titan_of_la
• Dr. Taylor Clements — @Dr.TClements
• Nikki Brose — @therealdrumcorpstea
• Megan Mbengue — @megan_mbengue

Host: Ricardo Robinson-Shinall — @ricardorrobinson.

Presented by Guard Closet: GuardCloset.com.

On A Water Break:

Website • Listen everywhere • Join us • YouTube.

Related: DCI 2026 Finals recap • DCI Finals Week.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Phantom Regiment Turns 70
01:06 Welcome + Meet the Alumni
02:01 32 Count Life Stories
09:20 Sections + Jamison’s Viral Photo
13:52 Why They Said Yes to the Alumni Corps
17:59 First Rehearsal Across Generations
22:26 What Came Back Fast — and What Didn’t
26:41 The First “This Is Phantom” Moment
28:50 Guard Closet Break
31:01 What Phantom Regiment Gave Them
38:45 Back on the Field as Adults
41:28 Rewriting Old Drum Corps Memories
46:23 DCI Semifinals Night at Lucas Oil Stadium
49:53 “Phantom Regiment Is…”
50:59 Water We Doing?!
54:45 Could Technology Make Visual Scoring More Objective?
56:23 Phantomettes, Uniforms & Alumni Corps Costuming
1:00:08 Women at the Decision-Making Table
1:00:49 Gush & Go
1:03:08 Could You March Again?
1:06:16 Ricardo’s Cavaliers Challenge
1:07:21 Guest Socials + Closing

Your All-Access Pass to the Marching Arts.

On this episode of On A Water Break, Jeremy Denzer welcomes Courtney Coffey to the team! Courtney shares her 32 Count Life Story before joining Jeremy and Bill “Woody” Woodward for conversations about the biggest topics happening throughout the marching arts.

Courtney shares her journey from Honolulu, Hawaii, to James Madison University, teaching, choreography, and creating Simply Color Guard.

In this episode: Is marching band a sport? Why technique and physical preparation matter. Building stronger rehearsal environments. Professionalism and expectations in the marching arts. How marching arts communities support students.

Marching Arts News: Trump Administration Declares Brass Instruments a National Security Threat: Classic FM |

Why Marching Band Isn't Exactly a Sport: USA Today |

McKinney High School Band Dress Code Discussion: WFAA |

Menasha Marching Band Finds Comfort and Connection After Tornado: We Are Green Bay

60 Second Tech Block: Courtney Coffey discusses why dance technique, movement fundamentals, and performer preparation create stronger performers.

Water We Doing?!: The team discusses skill development, rehearsal expectations, communication, professionalism, and whether physical activity should ever be used as punishment.

Gush & Go: Celebrating positive moments, new opportunities, and growth throughout the marching arts community.

Referenced Episodes:

DCI Finances: Jeff Gill on Drum Corps Costs, Dues & Sustainability |

On A Water Break Rehearsal Block featuring Dalton Stout |

DCI 2026 Finals: Bluecoats Win, Spirit Returns & Rita Moreno

A Podcast for Marching Arts Enthusiasts — On the Field, In the Stands & Behind the Scenes.

Find On A Water Break: Website | OAWB Links | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube | Be A Guest

Presented by Guard Closet.