Clif Walker

Clif Walker is in his third year as the Front Ensemble Arranger for Gateway Indoor and his sixth year as percussion arranger at Blue Springs High School (Blue Springs, MO). He holds a BSE from Missouri Western State University and an MME from the University of Central Florida.

During his time at Blue Springs as Director of Percussion (2011-2015), the percussion program performed for the Missouri Music Educator's Association State Convention as winners of the percussion ensemble "Call for Tapes" (2015), and earned first place in the World Division at the 25th Annual Mozingo Music Percussion Competition (2014), earning the awards for Best Front Ensemble and Best Tenorline. In 2015, Blue Springs became the first Missouri band to make the Bands of America Grand National Finals.

While Director of Percussion at Timber Creek High School in Orlando, Florida (2001-2008), Clif lead an ensemble that performed at the 2003 and 2008 FMEA State Music Conventions, the 2004 SDMENC/FMEA Music Convention, and the 2005 Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC) as the winners of the high school percussion ensemble "Call for Tapes." In 2008, Timber Creek Independent was launched with Clif as Director/Arranger and made WGI History with two class promotions in one season. They achieved several other successes as well, including first place finishes at WGI Orlando (A Class), the WGI Nashville Power Regional (Open Class), and FFCC State Championships (World Class). They also were WGI PIW Finalist at World Championships in Dayton, Ohio their very first year.

Clif worked with the Southwind Drum and Bugle Corps (Percussion Caption Head/Arranger 1999-2002) and is a former member and instructor of the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps (1992, 1994, and 1998). He also served as the Vice President of the Florida Chapter of the Percussive Arts Society (2008-2009).

He is an active adjudicator, arranger, and composer with original works performed at PASIC, The Midwest Band Orchestra Clinic, and the Sydney Opera House. His works for percussion ensemble, "Promise Music," "A Garden of Weeds," and "10 Windows" are all published by Innovative Percussion.

Clif is proud to endorse Yamaha Musical Instruments, Remo Drumheads, Sabian Cymbals, and Innovative Percussion Sticks and Mallets. He lives in Blue Springs, Missouri with his wife Christie and their three children—Joe, Tes, and Berg.

Bret Kuhn

Bret graduated with a Bachelors degree from Northeast Missouri State University where he studied percussion with Dan Petersen. He was a member of the Disney World All-American Band in 1980 and then in 1981 became a member of the Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps.

When first moving to Chicago, Bret was a freelance drum-set artist and has performed with Rich Matteson, Bobby Shew, Gloria Estefan and Nexus.

Bret began teaching the World Champion Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps in 1984 and served as Caption Head as well as Percussion Arranger through 2005. During this tenure, they won 6 World Championships and 5 High Percussion Awards. In 2005, after retiring from the Cavaliers, he joined the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps as a design and percussion consultant. In 2010, he served as Program Coordinator for the Colts Drum and Bugle Corps. He is currently consulting with Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps.

Bret is the Percussion Coordinator for the Prospect High School music program from Mt. Prospect, Illinois. He is also a consultant for various high schools around the country including LD Bell High School from Hurst, Texas. Bret has also taught the Oklahoma State Centennial Band who performed in the 2007 Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California.

He is an active Percussion Arranger/Clinician for various colleges and High Schools both across the nation and abroad. These include Northern Illinois University and Arizona State University. Bret consulted and worked with the Texas State Indoor Percussion ensemble from San Marcos, Texas who competed at the 2006 PASIC Convention.

Bret arranges for two of the top marching groups in Japan. One is Aimachi from Nagoya, Japan who were the 2006 Champion’s at the All Japan Championships. The other group, Vivace, is a semi-professional all girl marching band from Tokyo, Japan.

He was also a guest performer and composed an original percussion ensemble entitled “Renegade Highway” for the Plano East High School who performed at a Showcase Concert at the 2006 Percussive Arts International Convention held in Austin, Texas. Bret has written articles for publication in Percussive Notes Magazine and currently serves on the Board of Directors for PAS.

As a clinician, Bret has traveled extensively across the United States, Japan and Europe presenting clinics for Yamaha, Zildjian, Remo and Innovative Percussion.

Chris Sakowski

Chris Sakowski completed his Master of Conducting from the American Band College of Sam Houston State University in Ashland, Oregon. He received a Bachelor of Music Education from The University of Memphis. As a marimbist at Memphis, Chris won the U of M Concerto Competition. He also was the section leader of the "Best Bass Line" at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention in 2001. Before graduating, he went on to be the caption head/arranger for The University of Memphis Drumline. Chris’s DCI/WGI percussion experience (1997-2013) includes teaching The Cavaliers, The Bluecoats, The Crossmen and The Colts. The most significant highlights of this era includes winning the Fred Sanford Award for “Best Percussion” at DCI World Championships in 2011 with The Cavaliers and acting as percussion co-caption head for The Crossmen in 2010. Chris also worked with WGI World Class Finalist Gateway Indoor for nine years, filling several roles including battery caption head, music coordinator and front ensemble arranger. Chris is a sought after adjudicator, percussion and wind arranger across the United States and abroad. He has led workshops as a clinician at The University of Oklahoma, Iowa State University, Missouri State University and in England at the British Youth Band Association Convention. Chris has written music for numerous high schools, colleges, drum corps and professional ensembles, highlighted by the NFL’s St. Louis Rams Drumline and the 2005 European Indoor Percussion Champions: 37th Kingswood from Bristol, United Kingdom. He was also proud to write a percussion ensemble piece that was premiered as part of the 100th anniversary of The University of Memphis, and performed by the U of M Percussion Ensemble, in 2012. Chris currently lives in the St. Louis, MO area with his wife Lauren and daughters Elizabeth Daisy and Charlotte Grace. He has taught string orchestra and band in the Rockwood School District since 2007 and is proud to be an Innovative Percussion Educational Artist.