The White Sabers are extremely excited to announce their Show Coordinator for the 2020 season, John McFarland! John has already demonstrated a vast amount of creativity and leadership with the team! John’s has a great amount of experience both in performance and in the Marching Arts; which include the Kiwanis Kavaliers, Santa Clara Vanguard, Pioneer Drum and Bugle Corps and most recently Legends Drum and Bugle Corps. We’re excited to see where John’s abilities take the 2020 season!
John Max McFarland is an active composer/arranger in WGI, DCI, and BOA. He is currently the Program Coordinator for Legends Drum and Bugle Corps from Kalamazoo, Michigan , a position he has held since the 2016 season. From 2013 to 2015 he was the percussion composer/arranger for Pioneer Drum and Bugle Corps from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In 2018 he was the percussion caption head and arranger for the Erie Thunderbirds Drum and Bugle Corps in Erie, PA. In WGI, John has composed and arranged for many ensembles ranging from Scholastic A Class all the way up to Independent World Class. Many notable clients include Eastside Fury (2012-2014), Notre Dame Indoor Percussion Ensemble (PIA Finalists 2012, 2013) Ferndale Independent Percussion (2015 PIA Silver Medalists), Farmington United Percussion (2017 PIA Silver Medalists), and Decatur Central Indoor Percussion (2018 PSCA Gold Medalists). John is also the owner and founder of Six to Five Productions, LLC, a marching arts music publishing company where many of his original shows for marching band, winter percussion, and concert percussion can be purchased.
John received his degrees in Composition (B.M.) and Percussion Performance (B.M., M.M.) from Western Michigan University. He studied percussion under Judy Moonert. John has performed as the principal percussionist and Principal Timpanist for the University Concert and Symphonic Bands, as well as the University Symphony Orchestra. He has also performed with the Kalamazoo Symphony and Battlecreek Symphony as a substitute percussionist. John was also a marching member of the Kiwanis Kavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps as well as the Santa Clara Vanguard Drum & Bugle Corps. John studied composition under Curtis Curtis-Smith, Dr. Richard Adams, and Dr. Robert Ricci. His compositions and arrangements have received international recognition with performances all over the United States as well as Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, and Indonesia. His most recent piece, “5 Songs in the Age of Stupidity” for 2 percussion and mezzo-soprano, received 1st prize in the Ironworks percussion duo composition contest. John resides in Parma Heights, a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio with his wife Sydney, his son Camden, his daughter Cadence, his 2 cats (Zoe and Minkah), his 2 greyhounds (Jason, and Lola), and Italian Greyhound (Sophia).
#discoverwhitesabers2020
The 2020 White Sabers season begins:
December 1st, 2019
9am-3pm
Arkport Central School
35 East Ave
Arkport, NY 14887
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