SFWGA

In the history of Winter Guard in South Florida, the activity has continuously grown and evolved. From our humble beginnings as an activity for the marching band auxiliaries of two high schools, we have grown into a performing arts activity for thousands of students each year, becoming one of the largest winter guard circuits in the country. What started as a military-style color guard activity, marching in formation with uniformed rifle tosses and drop spins, has been transformed into spectacular performances. Today, little resembles the Winter Guard of three decades ago. And, throughout the course of our history, there have been individuals who have dared to step outside the box, redefining the world as they knew it, introducing new and uncertain performance dynamics, and laying the foundation of our commitment to continually re-invent ourselves. The South Florida Winter Guard Association is proud to give tribute to those who have dared to step up and stand out, where they will once again be center stage in the SFWGA Hall of Fame.

Jon was one of the founding instructors of the SFWGA, as well as the Florida Federation of Color Guards Circuit, and remained an active color guard and percussion judge, not only throughout Florida, but across the United States. Jon was designer and producer of numerous collegiate bowl half-time shows. He was the chief designer for Music in Motion Productions and choreographed numerous television commercials and music videos. Despite his success in the business world, Jon never lost site of his roots, deeply imbedded in high school music and band programs. He is a former director of the Drum and Bugle Corps, and the designer and percussion instructor for the Florida Wave. He was a founder of the Florida Federation of Judges Association, which provides consistent judging and evaluation standards for winter guard and percussion contests across Florida. While Jon's first love was Cathy and their family, his second love had to be the Florida Marching Band Coalition, or as it affectionately known through high school band programs, the FMBC. The FMBC was Jon's culmination of his dream to create as standardized format for marching band festivals across the state. The judging criteria that Jon set, is in use throughout Florida, the mid-West, Louisiana, and other areas of the country. During each school year, the FMBC hosts over 30 marching festivals across the state, including locally, competitions at Flanagan, Lely, Park Vista, Hialeah, Palmetto Ridge, Boca Raton, and Santaluces. Throughout his lifetime, Jon is credited with the design of over 700 marching and indoor ensemble shows, achieving numerous national titles and awards in DCI, WGI, and BOA. His high school marching bands have been finalists over 50 times, in six states, and have accounted for 13 state championships.

Ralph arrived on the scene in 1984, and according to a fellow instructor, immediately started shaking things up. Within a few short years, he had implanted nationally competitive color guard programs at Plantation HS, Spanish River HS, and the World Class Dynasty at Coconut Creek HS which lasted until 1999. He was instrumental in the beginnings of the Alliance of Miami and the founder of Quintessence Independent. Ralph was, first and foremost, a creative artist known for calling his booster parents at 3:00 AM to come outside and paint his newest idea for a floor design or see his latest costume idea. Ralph was an integral activist in the movement from military drill to full blown dance maneuvers. When Ralph arrived in South Florida, winter guard performed in military-style band uniforms, but Ralph saw the potential of costuming to go with the new types of body movement. And then, he introduced spandex, and the activity hasn't been the same since. Ralph was one of the first to make use of props to enhance the theatrical aspects of the performance, including a 12 foot waterfall, 14 foot trees, and a complete set change on rolling wheels. He pioneered the then-controversial use of floor tarps, painted with scenes of lakes and foliage, to enhance the design elements of a show. Above all, Ralph loved the activity, and he loved the performers as his own kids. In 1986 a Sun-Sentinel reporter asked Ralph what he thought drove his success. He said, "I ask the kids what they want to do, where they want go with it, and what they are comfortable with. This is their activity. And then I put together a show that is a combination of their personalities."