Dan Bryan
Dan Bryan serves as Chair of Secondary Music for Modesto City Schools and Director of Instrumental Music at Joseph Gregori High School in Modesto, California. He serves on the Boards for the Central Valley Guard and Percussion Circuit, the Stanislaus County Music Educators Association, and the California Band Director’s Association.
Dan is an adjudicator and clinician for several schools and organizations around the country and Thailand, as well as Drum Corps International.
As an instructor and composer, he is an eight time Winter Guard International World Championship Medal winner (and four time WGI Finalist). He works with the Italian National Champion and Drum Corps Europe Finalist Millennium Drum and Bugle Corps of Milan, Italy, DCE finalist Juliana Drum and Bugle Corps from Holland, and was honored to be a composer for the 2008 Olympic Mass Band in Beijing. His music and instructional book are published internationally through Key Poulan Music, Shawn Glyde Music, GPG Publications, and Extreme Brass and Percussion.
Dan recently completed his graduate studies in Instrumental Conducting through the American Band College program at San Houston State University. He is also a graduate of Modesto Junior College and CSU Fresno, where he performed as principal and co-principal percussionist in the wind and percussion ensembles. He is a former member of DCI Finalist (1989, 1992) Sacramento Freelancers, where he performed in both the horn line and front ensemble. Dan continues to perform as a freelance percussionist throughout northern California.
Dan is a teacher/endorser for Innovative Percussion and co-owns Pitopia Percussion with this wife Lindsay. He and Lindsay reside in Modesto CA with their amazing daughter Kate.
Allan E. Kristensen
Allan E. Kristensen has recently retired from 34 years in music education and arts supervision. During his career, Mr. Kristensen served as a high school band and orchestra director and elementary music teacher in Oregon and California, where his ensembles earned recognition at local, state and national festivals and competitions.
Most recently, Mr. Kristensen served as the Visual and Performing Arts Manager for the Fresno Unified School District, where he worked to ensure equity and access to an arts education for all students. The arts in Fresno today includes a PreK through 6th grade arts curriculum in all disciplines, and secondary music, theatre and visual art opportunities for all students in programs that are growing at a rapid rate in size and quality.
He studied percussion with Anthony J. Cirone and conducting with Dr. Vernon Reed. He credits Fred Sanford, Robert Kalkofen, Rick Dobbs, Ralph Hardimon and Andy Narrell for percussion development, and Rocco DiStacio and Frederick Fennell for conducting guidance and mentorship. He has performed with the San Jose Symphony, Nova Vista Symphony, Oakland Symphony, and the Fresno Philharmonic. He also performed and taught the World Champion Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps (1974-1976 Marching Member as a Snare Drummer/1986-1987 as Percussion Instructor)
Mr. Kristensen has become a highly recognized music adjudicator and clinician world-wide, having judged both the Bands of America National Championships and the DCI World Championships several times each, as well as teaching, writing and judging in Great Britain, Japan and Canada.
He has been extremely active serving the music profession as President of the Western Band Association (WBA), Percussion Coordinator and board member for San Joaquin Valley Color Guard and Percussion Review (SJVCGPR), President of the Fresno-Madera County Music Educators Association (FMCMEA), and board member for the Central Section of the California Music Educators Association. In 2006 Mr. Kristensen was awarded the Central California Outstanding Music Teacher, and awarded the Outstanding Administrator for California in 2015. He has also been selected twice to conduct the Fresno and Madera County Jr. High Honor Band.
Along with his BA, Mr. Kristensen also holds a Master's Degree in Educational Administration.
He is married to Kim Fox-Kristensen and they have a daughter named Ryann.
During his free time, he can be found on a golf course attempting to look as good as his 16 handicap.
Nick Peterson
Nick Peterson currently resides in Loveland, Colorado and has been extensively involved in the marching activity in a wide range of capacities. Most recently, Nick has served on the brass instructional staff of The Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps, of Allentown, PA in their distinguished 2005, 2009, and 2011 seasons, under the seasoned musical leadership of Gino Cipriani. Prior to teaching, Nick performed with the Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps in 2003 and 2004.
As a Band Director in Loveland, Colorado, Nick helped continue the legacy of success of the Loveland High School Band program in the areas of leadership development, concert band, chamber ensembles, and marching band, earning high accolades at both the state and national level. Since leaving to earn a Masters Degree, Nick has served as a visual/music consultant, instructor, and drill writer for several High School programs throughout the region, as well as the University of Northern Colorado Marching Band, helping bring about unprecedented and exciting achievements in each situation. As an adjudicator, Nick has trained and worked with the Colorado Bandmasters Association, Utah Music Educators Association, United States Scholastic Band Association, Rocky Mountain Color Guard Association, and is a sought after judge for many Band and Winter Guard events in Colorado and nationwide.
Nick would like to thank his mentors, William Chumley, Larry Wallace, Ken Singleton, Richard Mayne, Gary Hall, Sherree McLaughlin, Gino Cipriani, and André Feagin for their lasting impact in shaping his passion for music and teaching.
Steve Robertson
Mr. Steven Robertson has recently retired from 44 years of teaching. In that time he worked with the following successful high school band programs; Grants Pass, Aloha, Sunset, Clayton Valley (Concord, CA.), Columbia River and Skyview. He also was the director of the Concord Blue Devils B Drum and Bugle Corps. Mr. Robertson also worked as the band director at Pacific University in Forest Grove, OR.
Steve is an active music arranger and has written works for marching bands, drum corps, jazz bands and middle school band music. He also plays music and currently plays trumpet in a big band and a local orchestra and plays French horn in a Wind Symphony. He has been studying trumpet seriously for the last couple of years under Dr. Gerald Webster’s guidance. He is currently working as a school rep for the Music World Stores in Vancouver and Battleground, a company that carries all of the top manufacturers music equipment available and has very competitive school bid pricing.
Mr. Robertson would like to thank the band parents for all of their help in setting up today’s show and supporting music education. He would like to wish each competing band today the best performance possible and hopes that his comments will be helpful to the group.