In celebration of Music for All’s 50th anniversary, the podcast series Joining Us! takes listeners on a journey through five decades of unforgettable moments, legendary performances, and the people who shaped the legacy of Music for All and Bands of America. Hosted by the voice of BOA, Chuck Henson, this audio-only series premieres July 10 and continues weekly through the end of 2025. Listen as we honor the past, celebrate the present, and look ahead to the future—one story at a time.
Share your Bands of America/Music for All memories with us! Send us a recording here, and your stories may be featured on an upcoming episode of Joining Us as we celebrate 50 years!
MEET YOUR HOST
Chuck Henson is recognized by hundreds of thousands of band members and fans as the “Voice” of Bands of America Championships, for which he was the primary public address announcer for 35 years. His introduction to Bands of America began in 1984 as a color guard clinician at Music for All’s Summer Symposium (now the BOA Summer Camp). Chuck has also served on Music for All’s communications and sponsorship staff. Chuck’s love for music and music education is prevalent in everything he does.
EPISODES
Episode 1:
Joining Us! | Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser
Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser was the Executive Director of Marching Bands of America from 1980 to 1982 and is currently the Executive Director of Attitude Concepts for Today, as well as an educational advisor and bestselling author.
Episode 2:
Joining Us! | Greg Bimm
Greg Bimm is the Retired Director of Bands at Marian Catholic H.S., IL. Under Greg, the Marian Catholic band participated in BOA every year from 1981 to 2022 and won seven Grand National Champion titles, five Summer National Champion titles, and 21 Grand National Class Championships.
Episode 3:
Joining Us! | Michael Davis
Michael Davis retired as the Band and Orchestra director for Walt Disney World Resort in 2001. Prior to his tenure with Disney, Mike served on band faculty at James Madison University and the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, to where he helped to bring the first BOA Summer Nationals. He served on the BOA Board of Directors for nearly a decade.
Episode 4:
Joining Us! | Bill & Shawn Galvin
Episode 4 features father-son duo Bill and Shawn Galvin. Bill is a member of the MFA Hall of Fame, the Educational Advisory Committee, and recently retired as the coordinator of the Sandy Feldstein National Percussion Festival. Shawn participated in BOA from 1991-95 and has served as a clinician and evaluator for various Music for All events. He currently enjoys a career as a conductor and percussionist, playing primarily with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.
Episode 5:
Joining Us! | Alfred Watkins
Alfred L. Watkins is the retired Director of Bands at Lassiter H.S., GA, where he taught for 31 of his 37 years teaching. Lassiter H.S. won the 1998 and 2002 Bands of America Grand National Championships and performed six times at the MFA National Festival. Among his many other accolades, Dr. Watkins is a member of the MFA Hall of Fame and a longtime BOA adjudicator, National Festival clinician, and member of the BOA Summer Camp Faculty.
Episode 6:
Joining Us! | Gary Green
Gary Green was the Director of Bands and is Professor of Music Emeritus at The University of Miami Frost School of Music. He brought his band to two early Marching Bands of America competitions and has served as a BOA judge and clinician for many years.
Episode 7:
Joining Us! | Richard C. Crain
Richard C. Crain is the retired President of The Midwest Clinic and was the coordinator of Music for All’s National Festival from its inception in 1992 until 2007. He is a current member of the Music for All Board of Directors and is also a Hall of Fame member.
Episode 8:
Joining Us! | Dean Westman
Dean Westman currently serves as the Performing Arts Chair and Orchestra Director at Avon H.S., IN. He was the Educational Director for Music for All from 2005 to 2007 and has been a BOA Participant Director and Judge.
Episode 9:
Joining Us! | Sheri Manning
Sheri Manning is a retired music educator of 46 years. In her involvement with Bands of America and Music for All, Manning has served on the Educational Advisory Committee and brought her band to BOA events for several decades, helping spur BOA’s growth in Utah and the western United States. She is also a member of the Hall of Fame.
Episode 10:
Joining Us! | Bob Buckner
Bob Buckner served as the Athletic Band Director at Western Carolina University for two decades, directing the “Pride of the Mountains” Marching Band. Prior to that, he directed 1979 MBA Summer National Champion, the Sylva-Webster High School Marching Band. Buckner served as Director of the Honor Band in the Rose Parade in 2013 and 2016 and is a longtime longtime adjudicator, clinician, and advisor to MFA and BOA
Episode 11:
Joining Us! | Rich Frazier, John Pollard, John Potter
Including host Chuck Henson, this episode features four Bands of America announcers of the past, present, and future. Rich Frazier started out at BOA Summer Camp as both a camper and a SWAG before serving several years as an announcer in the 1980s. John Pollard announces for both BOA Championships and the Music for All National Festival and is a member of the Board Of Directors. Dan Potter, in addition to his work as a journalist and radio personality, is a longtime announcer for BOA and host of our marching season podcast Break Ranks! Hear more from Dan and guests every Wednesday throughout BOA season.
Episode 12:
Joining Us! | Bob Morrison
Bob Morrison is the founder of Music for All and current CEO of Quadrant Research. Morrison has been a longtime supporter of BOA, even prior to the MFA days, and has collaborated in multiple capacities, including multiple terms as a member of the board.
Episode 13:
Joining Us! | Susan Smith
Susan L. Smith is currently the President and CEO of RWS Music Company and the Southern Division President of NAfME (National Association for Music Education). Smith has been involved in MFA programming at various levels—as a BOA band director, as the inaugural coordinator of the Chamber Music National Festival, and currently as the coordinator of Student Workshops at National Festival, a member of the Educational Advisory Committee, and a 2026 Music for All Hall of Fame inductee.
Episode 14:
Joining Us! | Carrie Miller & Jamie Weaver
Joining Us today are Carrie Miller and Jamie Weaver, longtime former BOA Summer Camp SWAG Team leaders. Currently, Miller continues her career as an early childhood educator, and Weaver is a retired band director who consults and provides services to band programs.
Episode 15:
Joining Us! | Glenn Kotche
Glenn Kotche is a Grammy Award-winning professional drummer and composer. During his high school years, he was a BOA participant with Lake Park H.S., IL, where he later returned to teach. He also interned for BOA Summer Camp.
Episode 16:
Joining Us! | Nola Jones, John Phillips, Richard Saucedo
Nola Jones, John Phillips, and Richard Saucedo comprise the Bands of America Judge Administration Team.
Episode 17:
Joining Us! | Matt Carter & Mike Fox
Matt Carter is Senior Vice President and Chief Destination Development Officer at Visit Indy. Mike Fox is the Former Stadium Director for Lucas Oil Stadium and, prior to that, the RCA Dome.
Episode 18:
Joining Us! | Dr. Nicholas J. Valenziano
Dr. Nicholas J. Valenziano is a retired music educator and an active professional musician with over 70 years of experience. He was one of the founding members of Marching Bands of America and served MBA as both its Educational Director and Executive Director.
Episode 19:
Joining Us! | Larry McCormick
Today’s episode of Joining Us features none other than Larry McCormick, founder of Marching Bands of America. Listen to Chuck Henson’s interview with Larry to learn more about our founder. Link in bio.