Chris Church
Chris Church (Willard, MO)is a 45-year veteran band director, having served as Director of Bands & Fine Arts Department Chairman in Willard, Missouri, and Springdale, Arkansas. He is in his seventh year at Missouri State University, where he serves as a drill writer and marching instructor for the 380-member marching band, teaches low brass methods and a marching band pedagogy and drill writing course, and continues to play tuba in the University Community Band. His marching and jazz bands consistently placed at or near the top in all festivals attended and he has worked as a drill designer for numerous band programs throughout the Midwest. His Wind Symphony earned State Level Honor I Ratings at Concert Band Assessment for 32 consecutive years. He has over 28 years of experience within Drum Corps International, spending 14 seasons with the World Champion Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps from Rockford, Illinois, on the marching/visual staff, visual caption head, and drill writer. He currently serves as a visual judge for Drum Corps International and Bands of America. He has provided clinics and adjudicated concert, jazz, and marching bands in 27 states throughout the United States, also conducting numerous honor bands in the Midwest area. He has judged indoor winter circuits in numerous states, including color guard, percussion, and winds. He is a graduate of the Marching Roundtable Judges Academy and is a certified solo & ensemble and concert band judge in Missouri and Arkansas. Church was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship and taught in Tokyo and Kanazawa City, Japan. In 2024, he was awarded the Charles Emmons Outstanding Band Director Award from the Lambda Chapter-Missouri of Phi Beta Mu International Bandmasters Fraternity.