USBands Adds Dynamic New Team Members

USBands Adds Dynamic New Team Members

In preparation for the upcoming 2021 fall marching band season, along with a commitment to organizational excellence, improved customer experiences for educators and adjudicators, and expanding the reach of USBands to new and diverse audiences, USBands is profoundly excited to welcome four new members to the team in full-time and advisory roles. 

Hall of Fame instructor/designer, adjudicator, psychotherapist, and author Shirley Dorritie of Knightsen, CA joins the team as the first Director of Adjudication Philosophy for USBands. In this newly created role, she will be responsible for developing and implementing the adjudication philosophy and processes across USBands marching band, concert band, and jazz activities.  Shirley's main focus will be on elevating the ensemble’s overall experience by improving existing adjudication processes, clarifying standards, and providing education to both directors and adjudicators. 

After two years of working with the Big Brothers & Big Sisters organization,  Eric James of Allentown, PA returns to USBands as the Director of Event Operations, a role which he held from 2016-2019. Eric’s responsibilities will be wide-ranging with a concentration on establishing and maintaining a culture of organizational excellence throughout the annual schedule of events serving marching bands, the indoor activity, and future expansion in the concert and jazz genres.

Joining the team after more than 20 years as a music educator, David Marshall of Bristol, RI brings a wealth of practical experience and knowledge to join the USBands team in an Ensemble Relations role. David will serve as the main point of contact for music educators to USBands to serve their needs, answer their questions and provide access to educational and performance opportunities for student-performers throughout the nation. 

Errick Prince of San Antonio, TX has joined the USBands team as a Coordinator in developing a new series of Traditional Show-style band competitions in the Southeast and Texas regions, with two exciting events to debut in the fall of 2021. Errick’s extensive background in the marching arts as a performer, educator, and currently as the Fine Arts Department Chair at McCollum High School and Music Professor at Randolph/Lackland Air Force bases, will allow for USBands to broaden its commitment to the diversity of performers and program at events created specifically for the Traditional Show-style band community.

For more information on the USBands team and the program offerings for the 2021-2022 school year, please visit usbands.org.

Additional Biography Information

Shirley Dorritie

Shirley Dorritie specializes in training performers throughout the world for optimal achievement.  A licensed psychotherapist, with an MA in Body-Oriented Counseling Psychology and a Certificate in Sport Psychology, Shirley is the director of The Center for Performance and Achievement in the San Francisco bay area. She works with a broad spectrum of individuals and groups—including performers, athletes, educators, corporate executives, and first-
responders—who are required to manage their responses to the pressure of performance in order to deliver their best, regardless of the conditions.

Having served as an international adjudicator for the Marching Band, Winter Guard, and Drum Corps activities since 1983, Shirley is currently Judge Development Manager for Winter Guard International, Director of Education for the Winter Guard Association of Southern California (WGASC), and Director of Adjudication Philosophy for USBands.

A member of the Drum Corps International Hall of Fame, the World Drum Corps Hall of Fame, and the WGASC’s Order of Excellence, her credits include the Concord Blue Devils and Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps, as well as the Clovis West and James Logan High School Marching Band programs.

In addition to individual consultations, Shirley conducts seminars and workshops worldwide. Her book, PERFORMING AT THE TOP OF YOUR GAME: Practical Strategies for When It Really Counts, is available at www.PerformAndAchieve.com.

Errick Prince

Errick is an experienced music educator and instructor. He currently serves as the Fine Arts Department Chair at McCollum High School in addition to serving as the Choir Director and Music Theory Teacher. He works with the Choir, Band, Theater, Mariachi, Art, JROTC, and Dance Studio programs. Errick has worked as a Band Director in Texas and Georgia in addition to serving as a High School Marching/Concert/Symphonic Band Judge in Georgia, Alabama,
South Carolina, and Florida.

Errick also works as a music professor at both Randolph/Lackland Air Force Bases. Errick was awarded a trumpet assignment in the US Air Force Reserve Band prior to being selected to serve as a Commissioned Officer. He performed as a Ceremonial Trumpeter/Honor Guard Bugler at several assigned duty stations. Errick also worked as a Contractor for Air Force Entertainment primarily as a “Tops In Blue” Music Ensemble Specialist. He has experience as a Studio Musician for multiple recorded projects.

Errick was the Music Caption Head for the famous “Marching Southerners” of Jacksonville State University during his tenure as a Graduate Assistant under Dr. Ken Bodiford. He taught Jazz Band III and performed/assisted with Jazz I under Dr. Chip Crotts. For 2 years he was the Trumpet instructor for the US Army All-American Marching Band under Dr. Bodiford’s leadership.

He has taught multiple years on the Brass Staffs of the Bluecoats, Cadets, and the Spirit of Atlanta where he also served as the Brass Caption Head. He is an alumnus of the Bluecoats and the Spirit of Atlanta where he was Soloist/Section Leader for both corps.

Errick is a graduate of Valdosta State University in Valdosta, GA where he was a trumpet student under Dr. Kenneth Kirk. He is a Charter Member of the Zeta Gamma Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Music Sinfonia Fraternity. Errick currently resides in San Antonio, TX.

David Marshall

David M. Marshall, Sr. is a 1998 graduate of Berklee College of Music with a B.S. in Music Education and a 2010 graduate of American International College with a Master of Education, MEd, Educational Leadership and Administration.

For nine years he served as the Director of Music for the Swansea Public School System in Swansea, Massachusetts where he was the director of The Joseph Case High School “Cardinals” Marching Band, Concert Band, Jazz Ensemble, Chorus, and Show Choir. He served for the next fourteen years as the Director of Bands at Somerset Berkley Regional High School and starting in January of 2018, serving as the Coordinator of the Fine and Performing Arts for the Somerset Public School System and Somerset Berkley Regional School District. 

Mr. Marshall is also the President and Director of the East Bay Summer Wind Ensemble and East Bay Summer Youth Ensemble (East Bay Association for the Arts, Inc.) since 2006 (Member since 1990). Each summer, these ensembles perform throughout Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts providing concerts of high-quality wind ensemble literature of all genres under his direction.

Mr. Marshall also serves as a music minister for St. Mary's Church in Bristol, RI.