Band Info

Jon Merritt (Meadows of Dan, VA) Jon is a graduate of Ohio University in Athens Ohio. He also marched with the Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps in 1991, 1992, and 1993. Jon was the percussion section leader for the World Champion Cadets Drum Corps in 1993. He also enjoys performing with Several Brass Bands and Orchestras. After graduating from Ohio University with his Music Education Degree Jon has been a band director for 13 years in Columbus Ohio. He is a current Music judge for the WGI Percussion Division. Jon is extremely excited to be Teaching, Performing, and Adjudicating with some of the finest people in the country.  

Mr. Scott Allred has held the position of Director of Bands at Fieldale – Collinsville Middle School since its inception in 2004.  At Fieldale – Collinsville, he teaches and conducts all three concert bands (grades 6, 7, and 8) and maintains a small studio of private students.  Under Mr. Allred’s direction, the FCMS band grew from 120 to 240 members strong, making it the largest band program in Henry County.  FCMS bands have received consistent Superior ratings at local and regional events and annually place high numbers of students in All-District and All-Area honor bands.  In 2011, the FCMS 8th Grade Band was chosen to be the featured entertainment for the Schools to Watch National Conference in Washington, DC hosted by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.  In 2012, the FCMS Symphonic Band was selected to play at the Virginia Music Educators’ Association Conference at The Homestead in Hot Springs, VA, and was featured in a joint concert with the Radford University Symphonic Band in April of 2014.  The FCMS Symphonic Band is also a 19-time Grand Champion of the Music Showcase Festival held in Williamsburg, VA.  

In addition to his duties as band director at FCMS, Mr. Allred serves as assistant director of bands at Bassett High School, where he composes and arranges for the nationally renowned and 13-time VA State Champion Bassett High School Marching Band and Indoor Percussion Ensemble.  He has served as a percussion arranger, designer, adjudicator, and guest conductor for middle school and high school bands in both Virginia and North Carolina.  Mr. Allred holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education with from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where he studied conducting with Dr. John Locke and served as principal percussionist with the UNC-G Wind Ensemble.  He currently resides in Collinsville, VA and enjoys spending time with his five children and two grandchildren.

     Greg Thomas is an acknowledged leader in Music Education in Virginia. He is a VBODA Hall of Fame Inductee and led one of the state’s most comprehensive and successful High School band programs from 1993-2019.  Mr. Thomas received his Bachelor’s Degree and Master’s Degree from Virginia Commonwealth University. He taught for 34 years in the Albemarle County Public Schools and is currently on the Faculty of James Madison University where he conducts the Jazz Band and teaches Instrumental Arranging, Jazz Pedagogy and Improvisation. Under his direction, the Albemarle High School Band was recognized seventeen times by the VBODA as a “Virginia Honor Band.” Mr. Thomas has presented multiple times at the State VMEA conference on the subject of creativity in the instrumental ensemble and is in demand as an adjudicator and clinician around the state. His true pride, however, is his wife of 38 years, Veronica Price-Thomas, and their three children: Price, Lauren, and Carmen.

Paula Hales currently lives in Clayton, NC where she serves as band director at Rolesville Middle School. She has performed in WGI with Northern Nash HS and in DCI with the Cadets 94-95. Mrs. Hales has been active in the Marching band community as both member, staff, and director since 1990. She has been an adjudicator in visual effect and performance since 2010 in North Carolina and Virginia.

Mrs. Hales received her Bachelor and Masters of Music Education degrees in 1997 and 2006 from East Carolina University and School administration certification in 2021 from Gardner-Webb University. She achieved National Board Certification in Music education in 2007 and she attended the first DCI Judging Symposium in the summer of 2021. She maintains professional affiliations with MENC and NCBA Central Eastern District associations and has been named Teacher of the Year at her school for 2014. On a personal note, she is a proud mother of four wonderful children, Alex age 25, Matthew, age 23, Maddie, age 22, and Darryn, age 18. She would also like to thank her husband, Allen, and her father, Wayne, for their love and support. 

   William Newton is a Filipino-American percussionist, educator, arranger, and composer. He holds an MM degree in Percussion Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music, where he had the privilege of studying with renowned musicians such as Michael Burritt, Chip Ross, Rich Thompson, Shane Shanahan, and Brian Kushmaul. Prior to Eastman, William earned his BM degree from the University of South Carolina under the mentorship of Dr. Scott Herring.

   Currently, William is the Director of Percussion Studies at Radford University, where he leads the award-winning percussion ensemble, teaches private lessons, and directs the pep band. Additionally, he served as the Drumline Coordinator for Shenandoah University’s Marching Band, arranging music and overseeing the drumline's development in its formative years. Outside of academia, William co-founded Wildlight Publications LLC, a publishing company that promotes and supports emerging composers and percussionists. Under his leadership, Wildlight has grown into a dynamic platform for artistic collaboration, offering educational resources, compositions, and projects such as the Lightpost blog and the Set to Fire podcast.

   William maintains an active performance schedule as a member of the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, the Amick-Newton Duo, and the Wildlight Collective. He is passionate about expanding the boundaries of contemporary percussion music and continually advocates for works by new and diverse composers such as Nate Werth, JaRon Brown, Paul Lansky, Austin Keck, Ben Hausman, and Emmanuel Sejourne. William has also contributed as a performer to the premiere recordings of Under Strange Stars by John Fitz Rogers, Iunctio by Michael Burritt, Until Flesh is Torn from Bone by Brant Blackard, Azure’s Remoulade by JaRon Brown, Fragmented Shards of Crystallized Water by JaRon Brown, Flora by Savannah Fowler, and Fast Forward by Joseph Schwantner.

Amy Stewart has been involved in the marching arts for over 30 years. Most recently, Amy can be found judging marching band and winterguard across the southeast and mid-atlantic. Additionally, she has designed for and taught students at all levels, co-directed a WGI Finalist winterguard, and held leadership roles in performing arts associations. By day, she works as a Human Resources professional and resides in Johnson City, Tennessee.