Your All-Access Pass to the Marching Arts.

DCI’s 2027 World Class field is getting bigger. Chris Rutt, Grantis Peranda and Jeremy Svoboda break down the Mandarins’ approved return after a one-year hiatus and Gold and The Battalion moving from Open Class into DCI World Class beginning in 2027.

The panel also remembers longtime Drum Corps World publisher and DCI Hall of Fame member Steve Vickers. Grantis takes the 60 Second Tech Block with practical fall color guard costuming advice: choose something that serves the show, survives the field, fits performers well and helps them feel confident. Water We Doing?! tackles recycled and overcomplicated show concepts, copyright and licensing frustrations, and performing in extreme weather.

CHAPTERS
00:00 DCI 2027 Headlines
00:41 Welcome + News
01:17 Mandarins Return to DCI
03:08 Remembering Steve Vickers
07:10 Gold + The Battalion Join World Class
12:52 What You May Have Missed
14:29 Guard Closet
16:08 60 Second Tech Block
17:17 Fall Color Guard Costuming
29:23 Water We Doing?!
33:04 Copyright & Marching Arts
35:55 Extreme Weather + Performer Safety
40:50 Gush & Go
46:42 Final CTA + Closing Rehearsal

PANEL
Chris Rutt — @wildhornbrass1
Grantis Peranda — @grantisimo_p
Jeremy Svoboda / Drum Corps Today — @drumcorpstoday

NEWS & RESOURCES
Mandarins approved to return to the DCI Tour in 2027
Remembering Steve Vickers — Drum Corps International
Gold + The Battalion approved for DCI World Class in 2027

RELATED OAWB
S4EP39 — WGI 2027 Waitlists, Percussion Changes + Practice Makes Permanent
S4EP38 — Marching Arts News + Color Guard Tech Advice

MORE OAWB
OnAWaterBreak.com | Listen Everywhere | Marching Arts News | Meet the Team | Join Us | YouTube
Instagram / Facebook / TikTok: @onawaterbreak

PRESENTED BY GUARD CLOSET
GuardCloset.com | @guardcloset

WGI’s new Color Guard Chief Judge Denise Bonfiglio joins Trish O’Shea and Sadie Wallace for a special installment of the WGI 50th Anniversary Series — looking back at nearly 50 years of winter guard history and ahead to what comes next.

Denise has been part of WGI since its earliest years as an instructor, designer, adjudicator and educator. She revisits the programs that transformed color guard, explains why WGI’s promotion system is working, discusses growing championship waitlists and venue capacity, and takes us inside the process that led to her becoming WGI Color Guard Chief Judge. She also traces her role in WGI’s adjudication philosophy, mentoring judges, and the challenge of coordinating roughly 380 judging assignments for the season.

CHAPTERS
00:00 Welcome — Denise Bonfiglio joins OAWB
00:36 Trish, Denise & Sadie reconnect
01:22 WGI’s 50th anniversary
05:33 Color guards that changed WGI
14:44 Could anyone have imagined 50 years?
16:39 Scholastic World growth
20:09 Why the promotion system works
22:48 Waitlists & championship venue capacity
23:58 Denise’s road to WGI Color Guard Chief Judge
26:36 WGI adjudication philosophy
28:58 Mentorship and training judges
30:54 What the Chief Judge job requires
31:24 Roughly 380 judging assignments
33:39 Dale Powers & Emerald Marquis memories
35:51 Looking toward WGI 2027
39:09 Closing

GUEST
Denise Bonfiglio — WGI Color Guard Chief Judge

HOSTS
Trish O’Shea — @trishdish1102
Sadie Wallace — @m.sadiewallace

WATCH MORE WITH DENISE
Denise Bonfiglio’s first OAWB interview + 32 Count Life Story

OFFICIAL WGI RESOURCES
Denise Bonfiglio Named Color Guard Chief Judge
WGI 50th Anniversary Opening Ceremonies
2027 WGI Color Guard Calendar

RELATED OAWB
Greg Case — includes OAWB’s earlier coverage of Denise’s appointment

MORE ON A WATER BREAK
Website | Listen Everywhere | Marching Arts News | Meet the Team | Join Us

Follow @onawaterbreak on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook & TikTok.

Presented by Guard Closet — uniforms, flags, costumes, consignment and design for the marching arts.

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
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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: onawaterbreakpodcast@gmail.com

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.

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