RMPA Newsletter #9

Congratulations to all the groups who performed at Legacy last weekend! We have the WGI Regional this weekend, then the final regular season show at Longmont High School before prelims and championships...it'll all be over before you know it!

In this edition we have a brief show recap from Lead Judge Ward Durrett, as well as an article on mixing, and a re-run of interviews with Scott Johnson and Ryan Lee which seem particularly relevant at this point in the season

Best of luck to all the performers and staff as you take the floor for the WGI Regional show this coming weekend!

Colin Spear

President, RMPA Board of Directors

• Please help us keep our host schools clean! We've received complaints from some of our schools about parking lots being left with a lot of trash, please clean up after your group and leave the parking lot the way you found it.
• Please remember that open flames/BBQ's (including Blackstone or similar flat-top grills that use propane) are prohibited at RMPA shows.
• If you haven't yet, please share this Portable Seating Policy with your families and supporters
• You can find the final schedule for the WGI show at Fossil Ridge High School HERE

• Saturday, March 14th: WGI Denver Regional @ Fossil Ridge HS
• Saturday, March 21st: RMPA Regular Season Show #5 @ Longmont HS
  
• Saturday, March 28th: RMPA State Prelims @ Mountain Range HS

The fourth show of the season is in the books. Take a look at a recap of the day from the day's Lead Judge, Ward Durrett, who made Overview commentary and will be judging Effect-Music at the next RMPA show at Longmont.

Austen Jankowski is the Assistant Band Director at Lakewood High School in Lakewood, CO where he

teaches the Advanced Percussion, Intermediate Percussion, Symphonic Band, Jazz Band, and two

levels of Guitar courses. He is the Assistant Director of the Bengal Regiment Marching Band, directs

the pep band, and instructs the percussion ensemble. Austen holds a Bachelor of Bassoon

Performance and a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Colorado at Boulder (2018) and a Master's in Music Education from Central Washington University (2025). In addition to bassoon, he

specializes in percussion and audio engineering, having marched with the Blue Knights Drum Corps and Percussion Ensemble. He is also a long-time member of the Denver Nuggets Skyline Drumline and the Colorado Avalanche Celly Squad.

The incredible Scott Johnson graciously took time out of his crazy travel schedule over the holidays to answer these interview questions I sent to him. In addition to sharing his vast knowledge about marching percussion in general, I wanted to get his perspective as a WGI music judge, so most of the questions have that focus. If you want to know more about Scott, here’s a link to his bio.

RMPA is excited to welcome Scott as a Judge in the Music caption for the RMPA Prelims on March 28, 2026, at Mountain Range High School.