Professional Staff
Dr. Randal C. Dickerson, Director
Dr. Dickerson is Professor of Music at UW-Eau Claire, where he teaches courses in instrumental music education, marching band procedures, supervises student teachers, and directs the University Band, Blugold Marching Band, and Blugold Varsity Band. In his 20 years at UW-Eau Claire the Blugold Marching Band has been transformed from a 60-member ensemble that performed only on campus into a highly active 475 member marching band that travels and performs around the world.
A prolific arranger of marching band music, Dickerson maintains a busy travel schedule of adjudication and clinics in the U.S. and overseas. His arrangements are played by colleges and high schools around the country. He is an active consultant for high school band and orchestra educational travel and has guided countless educational groups on international experiences. Each year Dr. Dickerson conducts a number of clinics with bands and orchestras as a part of international cruise festivals, primarily in the Caribbean and in Europe. A strong advocate of the value of an international component in education Dickerson’s own travels have taken him to 78 countries. Since 2008 Dr. Dickerson has organized, guided, and conducted the BMB in seven International Performance Tours to 14 countries on four continents. The most recent tour to Australia and New Zealand took place in January 2020.
Before coming to UW-Eau Claire Dr. Dickerson was Asst Dean for Academic Affairs and Asst Professor of Music at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. During his seven years as a high school band director in Mississippi and Washington state his ensembles were consistently rated superior and amassed awards from many festivals in the US and Canada. He holds the Doctor of Education (EdD) degree from the University of Illinois and both M.M.E. and B.M.E. from the University of Southern Mississippi.
Prof. David Lofy, Assistant Director of Athletic Bands
David Lofy is a Lecturer and the Assistant Director of Athletic Bands in the UW-Eau Claire Department of Music & Theatre Arts. His teaching roles include Blugold Marching Band (BMB) and University Band. Administratively, David oversees the departmental instrument collection and and manages logistical operations of the BMB.
David has a wealth of experience in the Marching Arts, having had instructional and administrative roles in both collegiate bands and drum and bugle corps. His drum corps experience began as a performing member (first baritone, then drum major) of the Madison Scouts. After age-out he joined the brass staff of the Oregon Crusaders. He later returned to the Madison Scouts as Corps Director and Programs Director of its parent organization, Forward Performing Arts.
David holds the Master of Music Education (MME) degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he served as a Teaching Assistant with the University of Illinois Bands. During his time at Illinois he assisted with Marching Illini as well as the Fighting Illini Basketball Band. He obtained his Bachelor of Music Education (BME) degree from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.
Dr. Jeffery Crowell, Drum Line Instructor
Dr. Jeffery Crowell is an Emmy Award winning percussionist and Professor of Music at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire where he teaches applied percussion and percussion techniques, conducts the UW-Eau Claire Percussion Ensembles, instructs the Blugold Marching Band Drumline, and leads Jazz Ensemble III, part of the outstanding UW-Eau Claire award-winning jazz area. Before joining the faculty at UW-Eau Claire, Dr. Crowell taught on the faculties of several colleges, including Purdue University.
Dr. Crowell received his DMA in percussion performance (classical/contemporary) with minor fields in jazz performance and electro-acoustic media from the University of Southern California's Thornton School of Music. He is active throughout the United States as a performer, clinician, adjudicator, and educator with performances internationally and nationally including South Africa, Argentina, Uruguay, and at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C.
A versatile artist and a champion of diverse music of many genres, Dr. Crowell's performance and recording credits include such artists as Bobby Shew, Louie Bellson, David Samuels, Henry Mancini, Joan Rivers, Lou Harrison, Kent Nagano, David Garibaldi, Buddy Baker, Glen Velez, and John Bergamo. He has performed at the Los Angeles Philharmonic's Green Umbrella Series, presented and performed at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention several times, and is in the motion picture "The Majestic" starring Jim Carrey.
Dr. Crowell has over 32 years of experience in the marching arts, having taught numerous award-winning high school programs, marched with the Velvet Knights Drum and Bugle Corps, and has taught on the staffs of other groups including the Tournament of Roses Marching Honor Band. He has also been a consultant for the Open Class Drum and Bugle Corps River City Rhythm. He is currently the Front Ensemble Supervisor for the World Class Drum and Bugle Corps The Academy from Tempe, AZ.
He has been active member of the Percussive Arts Society, having served on many PAS Committees including the University Pedagogy Committee, Education Committee, and the Technology Committee. Dr. Crowell has also served as a member of the Wisconsin PAS Chapter Advisory Committee in addition to having been the Wisconsin Chapter President for several years.
Dr. Crowell is also active in the publishing realm. He has an arrangement, Nanafushi for percussion trio, published through Tapspace Publications, LLC and has had many articles in School Band and Orchestra magazine and Percussive Notes, the journal of the Percussive Arts Society. The most recent issue has his newest contribution.
Dr. Crowell is a performing artist/clinician for Tama/Bergerault Concert and Marching Percussion, Sabian Cymbals, Innovative Percussion Sticks and Mallets, Tycoon World Percussion, and REMO Drumheads. He is also an Ensemble Artist and Educator Network member for Black Swamp Percussion.
Ty Zastrow, Color Guard and Dancer Instructor
Ty Zastrow, a Wisconsin native, began teaching the Blugold Marching Band in 2014, where he serves as the Color Guard Instructor/Choreography and Dancer Coordinator.
He previously worked with many marching band programs in the southern Wisconsin area including Oak Creek High School, Shadow Armada, and the UW Whitewater Marching Band. Since moving to Indiana, he has continued to share his passion for the marching arts with local high schools as well his most recent involvement with Pattonville HS and Francis Howell HS in St. Louis, MO.
Ty is a proud alumnus of Shadow Armada (2011), Blue Devils B (2011), The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps (2012-2014), and The Pride of Cincinnati (2015-2016). He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management from UW Whitewater, and currently resides in Indianapolis, IN.
Dr. Ward Miller, Music/Leadership Consultant
Dr. Miller has served as the Musical Arranger, Drill Writer, and Assistant Director of the Macy’s Great American Marching Band in New York City since 2006. He was the director of the All-Star Band at the 100th annual Cherry Blossom Parade in Washington, D.C. He has appeared as a guest conductor and clinician and multiple concert honor bands throughout the United States. His marching band arrangements have been performed at competitions, including in Bands of America regionals, by high schools and colleges across the country. His arrangements have been performed at regular season and bowl games by the marching bands at Auburn University, The University of Hawaii, The University of Illinois, The University of Iowa, The University of Kentucky, The University of Louisville, The Ohio State University, and Youngstown State University. He has served as an adjudicator at marching and concert band assessment in Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Minnesota, and Mississippi.
From 2008 through 2013, Dr. Miller was the Associate Director of Bands and Director of Athletic Bands at the University of South Alabama, in Mobile. While at South Alabama, Dr. Miller founded to 230-member Jaguar Marching Band, overseeing all recruiting, teaching, and writing for the band. In addition, he directed the basketball pep bands. His teaching duties included Marching Band Techniques, Brass Methods, Trombone Quartet, Symphony Band (the second concert ensemble, auditioned and approximately 65% music majors), and undergraduate conducting. He also guest conducted the Wind Ensemble, the school’s top instrumental concert ensemble.
In 2014, Dr. Miller was appointed the Brass Caption Head for the Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps of La Crosse, WI. Under his leadership, the hornline has placed in the top 12 and made finals for three consecutive years. The Blue Stars, a World Class corps, have placed in the top ten in multiple finals. He oversees the brass ensemble and staff, recruits for the horn line, and administers the Blue Stars brass audition camps throughout the country. In addition, he travels with the corps for a significant portion of their tour. In addition to his work with the Blue Stars, Dr. Miller also serves as the Brass Arranger and an instructional consultant for Minnesota Brass, a distinguished and storied all-age drum and bugle corps based in Minneapolis, MN.
Scottie Krueger, Drum Line Coordinator
Scottie has been with the Blugold Marching Band since 2007. After marching in the Drumline for four years and then one year on undergraduate staff, he graduated from UW- Eau Claire with a Bachelors in Theater Arts. After graduation, in 2012, he joined the Blugold Marching Band as the Drumline Coordinator. Scottie works with the Drumline at performances and football games and also drives the BMB equipment truck.
Scottie recently earned his Masters in Higher Education Administration and Student Affairs from St. Cloud State University. When he is not with the band, he works a full time job and lives in Eau Claire with his wife, Carissa Krueger (whom he met in the band) and their two daughters, Olivia and Julia, also known as the BMBabies.
Guy Dee, Voice of the BMB (Announcer)
Guy has been part of the Blugold Marching Band for more than 20 years, starting as a marching member in the 2004 season at the age of 14. After ten seasons on the field he became the full-time Voice of the BMB in 2014, providing PA voiceover at every BMB performance ever since. In addition to announcing, Guy also assists with equipment and logistics, coordinates the BMB Alumni Band, and records performance videos.
In 2023 Guy celebrated his 20th season with the BMB, and marked the occasion by getting the old uniform and trombone out of mothballs and performing his trademark solo "Shout" at the band's fall concert at the Pablo Center in Eau Claire.
Guy lives in the Madison, Wisconsin area, and when not volunteering his time with the Blugold Marching Band works in the software industry as a corporate educator.