Design Staff

Dell Trotter, a resident of Perkinston, Miss., has been the brass caption head of Southwind Drum & Bugle Corps since the 2016 season. Trotter earned a Bachelor of Music Education from Delta State University, where he performed with the faculty ensemble, The Delta Brass Quintet. He also earned a Masters of Arts and Letters from The American Band College at Southern Oregon University. He previously served as the brass caption head for Delta Brigade Drum & Bugle Corps and as a brass consultant for Blue Stars Drum & Bugle Corps. Trotter is currently serving in his eighth year as Director of Bands at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in Perkinston, Miss., where he oversees the 200 member “Band of Gold.” Prior to his time at MGCCC, he taught for 13 years in the public schools of Mississippi as a middle school and high school band director.

During the Fall of 1995, Mr. Bailey became the Colorguard Coordinator for the Jacksonville State University Marching Southerners and still holds that position today. During the winter of 1995 Mr. Bailey became the Founder/Director of the Central Carroll High School Winterguard located in Carrollton, GA., and remained the director for four years. In 1997 Mr. Bailey co-founded the JSU Center Stage Winterguard along with Director of Bands, Kenneth G. Bodiford. Both The Central Carroll Winterguard and the JSU Center Stage Winterguard received awards on the local and national level. In addition to other awards, the JSU Center Stage Winterguard is a 6 time WGI Finalist and a WGI Independent Open Bronze Medalist and a 2007 WGI independent World finalist.

Since the founding of these outstanding organizations, Mr. Bailey has been involved with several Drum and Bugle Corps throughout the southeast. In addition to his role as colorguard coordinator for the Marching Southerners, he is also the 2004 Southeastern Colorguard Circuit Service Award Recipient, the 2005 SCGC Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, an inductee into the SCGC and SAPA Hall of Fame, former president of the Southeastern Colorguard Circuit and The Southern Association for Performing Arts.  Mr. Bailey holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Masters in Education degree from Jacksonville State University and is currently an instructor of English, a JSU Faculty advisor, technology liaison for the Jacksonville State University Writing Project Summer Institute, Phi Kappa Phi president elect and the coordinator of Integrated Studies at Jacksonville State University.

Dr. Kenneth G. Bodiford has served as the Director of Bands and Assistant Professor of Music at Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Alabama since 1994. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education at Jacksonville State University, his Master of Music in Music Education and Wind Ensemble Conducting degree at East Carolina University and his Doctorate of Musical Arts in Instrumental Conducting degree from The University of Alabama.

Dr. Bodiford is the conductor of the Jacksonville State University Chamber Winds, which is the top performing wind ensemble at the university. This ensemble has performed for regional and national venues such as the Alabama Music Educators Conference and the Bands of America Concert Festival Regionals. The ensemble also performs on campus and throughout the northeast Alabama and Georgia regions. In addition to his responsibilities as the Director of Bands, Dr. Bodiford teaches the instrumental conducting courses at the university and maintains a busy national schedule as a clinician, adjudicator and guest conductor.

Dr. Bodiford is also the director of the internationally known “Marching Southerners.” Since Dr. Bodiford’s appointment to the Jacksonville State University director’s position, the band program has consistently grown in both quantity and quality each year. Under his leadership, The Marching Southerners have grown from approximately 144 members to a membership in excess of 450. They have been included in the Congressional Record of The 111th Congress U.S. House of Representatives for their production, “Of Thee I Sing,” performed in Gubernatorial, and Presidential inaugural parades as well as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Was selected to lead the 2012 London New Year’s Day Parade and were selected in 2016 to perform for the 75th Anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor in Oahu, Hawaii. Most recently, the band has been invited to lead the 2019 World Pease Parade in Rome. Italy.

Dr. Bodiford served as the Executive Director of the Spirit of Atlanta Drum and Bugle Corps (JSU Spirit) from 2001 until 2007. Under his leadership, the corps consistently ranked among the elite top twelve corps in the nation at the DCI World Championships. In 2013, Dr. Bodiford was nominated for the Music Educator Award presented by The Recording Academy and the GRAMMY Foundation. He was selected as the 2016-17 director of the United States Army All American Marching Band. This group consists of 125 of the top marching band students in the United States. They perform halftime for the All American Bowl each year that is held in San Antonio, Texas.

Throughout his career, Dr. Bodiford has studied with some of the nations finest conductors. As an undergraduate student, his mentor and band director was Dr. David L. Walters, Director Emeritus, Jacksonville State University. He has also studied with conductors such as Dr. William Wiedrich, University of South Florida, Dr. Robert Ponto, Oberlin Conservatory, Dr. Ken Ozzello, The University of Alabama, and Dr. Frank Battisti, New England Conservatory.

Marsha Foster has been the color guard caption head for the Southwind Drum and Bugle Corps since the 2017 season. Mrs. Foster earned her Bachelor of Music in Piano Pedagogy from Memphis State University, now the University of Memphis. While at MSU she served as the color guard captain and choreographer. She also performed in the wind ensemble, symphonic band and the MSU Camerata Singers. She marched on the weapon line with the Memphis Blues Brass Band Drum and Bugle Corps in 1982. Her 30+ year career of color guard choreography and instruction began at Collierville High School in Collierville, TN and extends throughout the Southeastern United States to numerous award winning High Schools as well as several Universities. Currently Mrs. Foster is in her 9th year at the University of South Alabama where she choreographs for the JMB fall and winter guards. She also works with the Robertsdale HS guard and the Gulf Shores guard as choreographer/tech. For 18 years she was at Daphne H.S. in Daphne, AL serving as the color guard coordinator/instructor/choreographer for the fall and winter guard programs. Under her direction the DHS guard consistently earned Best in Class and Best in Show awards at marching band contests. The DHS winter guard has medaled in the Scholastic A Class the last 15 years in the GCGPC Circuit. Seven times as A class Champions, once as AA Champion and once as Regional A Champion. They were the WGI Pensacola Regional Scholastic A Champion for 2010 and have been semi-finalists at the WGI World Championships 6 times. Mrs. Foster has been married to Mark Foster for 34 years and they have two daughters.

Elanders Frazier is the Caption Head, Battery Arranger and Supervisor for Southwind Drum & Bugle Corps. He has been a percussion instructor, arranger, visual designer, adjudicator, and clinician for grade schools and independent ensembles in the Gulf Coast area since 2002.  He holds an A.A. in Business and a B.S.B.A. with a concentration in Management from the University of West Florida. His collegiate performance credits include: Pensacola State College (Wind Ensemble and Jazz Ensembles) and the University of West Florida Symphonic Band. His professional marching credits include Eminence Indoor, Spirit Drum & Bugle Corps, and Music City Mystique. He was inducted into the Gulfcoast Colorguard and Percussion Circuit Hall of Fame in 2018. Elanders is a member of the Percussive Arts Society, a percussion educator with Innovative Percussion.

John Gaal is a percussion specialist originally from Atlanta, Georgia. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Percussion Performance from Bob Jones University and is currently completing a Masters degree in Percussion Performance at Texas Christian University. John has been an active member in the performing arts community for the last ten years. John marched with the Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps from 2013-2015, and from 2015-2016, John was a member of Music City Mystique. Since then John has been an active instructor, teaching Music City Mystique in 2017, Vigilantes Indoor Percussion in 2018, and numerous private students around the Fort Worth area. John is currently the Assistant Percussion Teacher at Southwest High School, located in Fort Worth, Texas. This will be John’s fourth year with the Southwind Drum & Bugle Corps.

Building on its successful 2017 and 2018 tours, Southwind Drum and Bugle Corps is already gearing up for an even more ambitious 2019.

How a corps looks on the field is as important as how a corps sounds. To build on our success in 2017 and 2018, Southwind is pleased to welcome Chad Hannah to our design staff. A veteran corps show designer, Chad is excited to return to Southwind as an alumni from 1990-1992.

Chad brings an impressive range of experience to Southwind’s design team, from visual designer for Sprit from JSU and staff member of Spirit of Atlanta to Director of Bands for Rome High School, Rome, Georgia. Before that, Chad served as Associate Band Director for Choctawhatchee High School in Fort Walton, Florida. Chad earned his BS in Music Education from Jacksonville State University.

So welcome, Chad. By the looks of things, Southwind will be turning even more heads in 2019.

Ryan Reed is a percussion educator and designer from the Northeast Ohio area. The 2019 season will mark Ryan’s second year on staff with Southwind Drum and Bugle Corps, and first year as front ensemble arranger. Additionally, Ryan serves as a front ensemble instructor for Matrix Performing Arts (2013-current). Previously, Ryan served as the front ensemble arranger for the Skyliners’ Drum and Bugle Corps (2016-17) and Sunrisers Drum and Bugle Corps (2018), as well as front ensemble instructor for the Empire Statesmen Drum and Bugle Corps (2009), Glassmen Drum and Bugle Corps (2012), Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps (2015) and front ensemble instructor/coordinator for Capital City Percussion (2013-15).

Ryan received a B.M. in Music Education from Kent State University where he studied percussion with Ted Rounds. As a performer in the marching arts, Ryan was a front ensemble member of Matrix Percussion from 2006-2008, taking part in the ensembles European tour in 2008. He was also a member of the Empire Statesmen Drum and Bugle Corps in 2007 and 2009, and the Glassmen Drum and Bugle Corps in 2008. In 2016, Ryan performed with Matrix International for the 2016 Chaiayi City International Band Festival in Chiayi City, Taiwan.

In addition to teaching, Ryan is a designer for marching bands and indoor drumlines around the country with Ferguson Design Solutions. Ryan is also an endorser for Innovative Percussion.

Ryan is very excited to be with Southwind for the 2019 season.

Terry Sanders received his degrees in Music Education and Computer and Information Science from Troy State University. He studied percussion and clarinet while a member of the “Sound of the South” band program. His last 2 years he served as section leader for the SOTS Percussion Section. Terry also studied percussion privately with Sergeant Carl Griggs of the United States Marine Drum and Bugle Corps.

Terry was the Percussion Caption Head and arranger for the Florida Wave Drum and Bugle Corps from 1980 – 81. Mr. Sanders is currently the Director of Percussion at Escambia High School in Pensacola, Florida. Under his direction, the acclaimed Diamonds Indoor Percussion Ensemble has been mainstay in WGI Percussion since 1997 winning Regional Championships as well as being WGI World Championship finalist and semifinalist in PSA PSO and PSW since 1997. He has served multiple years on the WGI Percussion Advisory Board. Mr. Sanders has been the featured clinician for numerous outdoor and indoor Judges associations and is a standing member of the Marching Percussion Committee for the Percussive Arts Society. Terry is a long time educational endorser for REMO Drum Heads, Innovative Percussion, Pearl/Adams Drums, and Sabian Cymbals. This is Terry’s 3rd year as the Program Coordinator for Freedom Percussion.

Nathan is the visual caption head as Southwind Drum and Bugle Corps.  He received his degree in Music Education from The University of Southern Mississippi.  Nathan is the Director of Bands at Saint Stanislaus College Prep and Our Lady Academy in Bay Saint Louis, MS.  Nathan works with various groups around the coast as a clinician for marching fundamentals and design.  He has performed with Teal Sound Drum and Bugle Corps( 2011) and Spirit of Atlanta Drum and Bugle Corps (2012-2014). This will be Nathan’s fourth year with Southwind.

Justin Williams has been Southwind’s brass arranger since the 2017 season. Justin received a Bachelor of Arts degree with special honors in Political Science and a minor in music from Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Ala. He also received the Master of Arts in History from JSU and the Master of Arts in Religion from Liberty University. Justin serves as arranger and program consultant for many high school band programs across the country and is staff arranger for the Jacksonville State University Marching Southerners. When not arranging and composing, he teaches history, political science, and religion at Central Alabama Community College in Talladega, Ala.