Band Faculty
Stephanie Ransome
Music Specialist
Stephanie Ransome, instrumental music teacher in the Richmond area, is a native of Harrisonbrug, VA where she received her B.M. at James Madison University. While at JMU, she studied oboe with Michele Kirkdorffer and conducting with J. Patrick Rooney and Robert McCashin. Mrs. Ransome maintains a private oboe studio, teaches strings and elementary music in Hanover County and is a music specialist with the Deep Run High School Band. She performs Oboe and English Horn regularly in the Shenandoah Symphony Orchestra, Richmond Pops Band and the Commonwealth Winds. She is an active clinician and adjudicator for marching and concert venues.
Mrs. Ransome is a member of the International Double Reed Society, Music Educators National Convention and Sigma Alpha Iota, International Music Fraternity. As Province officer for Sigma Alpha Iota, Stephanie works with college and alumnae chapters in Virginia to encourage, nurture and support the art of music.
Mike Goldberg
Music Specialist
MIKE GOLDBERG currently serves as the Chairman of the Broadcast Meteorology Committee for the National Weather Association. His daily forecasts can be heard during Kat's Cafe, middays on Lite 98 and his "Weekend Getaway" forecasts can be heard Thursday and Friday afternoons during the "Afternoons with Tony Booth" show on 107.3 WBBT in Richmond. Mike writes about the weather in central Virginia for examiner.com. He is also the Meteorological Consultant/Forecaster for the Gwinnett Braves, Triple-A baseball affiliate for the Atlanta Braves, and Staff Meteorologist for MyWeatherLive.com. He is a member of both the NWA and American Meteorological Society, and holds both organization's Television Seal of Approval. He has served as Chief Meteorologist for television stations in Richmond, VA, Rochester, NY and Binghamton, NY, and has appeared as a Guest Meteorologist on The Weather Channel for the show "Abrams & Bettes: Beyond the Forecast."
Mike received a 2001 Emmy nomination for Best Weathercasting in the Capital/Chesapeake Bay Region. Holding a Certificate in Broadcast Meteorology from Mississippi State University, he has completed additional studies in meteorology and climatology at Rutgers University and Portland State University.
Mike is always out in the community, promoting science education in the schools and presenting talks to various groups of all ages. He has served as a judge for the Virginia Science and Engineering Fair and the Metro Richmond Science Fair, and has been the Master of Ceremonies for various events held by the Multiple Sclerosis Society, Arthritis Foundation, American Diabetes Association, Commonwealth Catholic Charities, Richmond Vegetarian Society, Richmond SPCA, Richmond Animal League and Cat Adoption and Rescue Efforts.
Aside from weather, Mike holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Clarinet Performance from the world-renowned Eastman School of Music in Rochester, and remains active as a professional musician and teacher. Highlights of his musical career include performing with the original Broadway production of "Into the Woods" and touring the major concert halls of the Northeastern U.S. and Canada with trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and the Eastman Wind Ensemble. He has also recorded for CBS Masterworks. Here in Richmond, Mike is the Music Director of the Central Virginia Wind Symphony, a group of the most talented high school musicians in the region. He serves as Music Specialist with the Deep Run High School Band and Woodwind Instructor for the Lee Davis High School Band. He is also the founder and Artistic Director for Crescendo, a professional chamber music ensemble, and has performed with the Richmond Symphony, Richmond Philharmonic Orchestra, University of Richmond Orchestra, Richmond Symphonic Winds, Commonwealth Winds, and the Richmond Chamber Players.
An avid animal lover, Mike is dedicated to helping local animal adoption and welfare groups. He is on the Board of Directors for the Henrico Humane Society and has received a Guardian Angel Award from Save Our Shelters for outstanding contribution to animal welfare in Virginia.
Candace Kluesner
Music Specialist
Mike Neptune
Visual Coordinator/Music Specialist
Ryan Gillis
Front Ensemble Coordinator
Ryan Gillis is in his first year as percussion staff with the Deep Run Marching Wildcat Band from Glen Allen, Va. He is currently the Front Ensemble Instructor.
Mr. Gillis has been involved with percussion instruction since 2004 throughout the Central Virginia Area. He has worked in private percussion instruction as well as with Drumlines and Percussion Ensembles. Mr. Gillis worked most currently with Monacan High School in Chesterfield, Va.
He attended Monticello High School where he studied with Kevin Murphy. Mr. Gillis is currently a Music Education major at Virginia Commonwealth University and a student of Professor Kris Keeton.
Mr. Gillis has performed in many various concert settings within the Virginia Commonwealth University music department and most notably at the Kennedy Center with the VCU Wind Ensemble in 2006 under direction of Dr. Terry Austin.
His experiences outside his scholastic career include the Richmond Philharmonic Orchestra, the Richmond Pops Band, and the Carolina Gold Drum and Bugle Corps. He is currently in his third season with the Carolina Gold Drum and Bugle Corps.
Mr. Gillis resides in Richmond with his wife Tinisha and son Aidan.
Allen Kilgore
Percussion Coordinator
Mr. Allen Kilgore is in his third year on the Percussion Staff for the Deep Run Marching Wildcat Band from Glen Allen, VA.
Mr. Kilgore was a member of Carolina Gold Drum & Bugle Corps (Rocky Mount, NC) from the inaugural competitive season in 2002 and served as percussion captain from 2003 to 2006 as well as joining the instructional staff in 2005. Allen then stepped into the Percussion Caption Head role for the 2007 season. He has also performed with the Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps.
In recent years, Mr. Kilgore has arranged, taught, and coordinated percussion with many other high school programs throughout Virginia; including West Springfield High School from Springfield, Virginia; Ocean Lakes High School from Virginia Beach, Virginia; Alta Vista High School from Alta Vista, Virginia; William Campbell High School from Naruna, Virginia; and Brookville High School From Lynchburg, VA.
Allen is a sought-after adjudicator throughout the Mid-Atlantic, and is on staff as a Percussion judge with the Fall Classic series throughout Central and Southeastern Virginia. Mr. Kilgore is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University with Bachelor Degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Physics, and resides in Richmond, VA where he works in Project Management.
Tony McCain
Color Guard Coordinator
Tony "Baba D" McCain has over 20 years of experience in Marching Band and Pageantry of the Arts. His educational background includes study at the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) with a degree in Physical Education and a minor in Dance/Choreography. In addition to coordinating the visual ensemble at Deep Run High School, Mr. McCain is currently the Director of Ngoma African & Contemporary Dance Company at University of Richmond, Color Guard Instructor at Lee-Davis HS Mechanicsville, VA, and co-director of The Ezibu Muntu African Dance Theatre, Richmond, VA( which recently performed at the prestigious Brooklyn Academy of Music, NYC, has appeared in The Dave Mathews Band "STAY" Video, and The Sally Hemings Movie, CBS.
He is also currently a performer with Carolina Gold Drum and Bugle Corps, Rocky Mount, NC for 8 years. Since at Carolina Gold, he has received Most Outstanding Performer 2003 and has held the captain leadership position 06, 07, 08. Mr. McCain is a past member of The Light Brigade World Winterguard Philadelphia, PA for 3 years. He received Most Valuable Member 2006 and Co-Captain 2007.
Mr. McCain has adjudicated at numerous USSBA, Fiesta-Val, and local marching band/dance competitions. He also served on the Board of Directors of The Atlantic Indoor Association as the Dance Coordinator. He is a professional dancer, choreographer, and costume designer. Has worked closely with Baba Chuck Davis (Durham, NC) and danced with Baba Melvin Deals' African Dancers and Drummers (Washington, DC). He is also a member of The Dzifa Masquerade Fraternity. Among these many talents he has also had the opportunity to travel to Senegal, West Africa as a dance liaison.
Janell Levister
Color Guard Instructor
Marty McCartt
Music Arranger
Marty McCartt is a freelance composer and arranger for junior high, high school, and collegiate level concert, marching, and jazz bands, as well as percussion and other small ensembles. His music and conceptual design services are showcased at MarchingMonk.com, where he serves as Creative Director.
He has written for and instructed the Boston Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps, the Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps, the Western Carolina University "Marching Cats," the Tarpon Springs High School Outdoor Performance Ensemble, and many other outstanding national scholastic musical organizations.
Acclaimed for his fresh, creative, and unique compositional style, Marty is always at the forefront of cutting-edge musical design. Presently residing in Atlanta, Georgia, Marty maintains an active schedule as a clinician and adjudicator throughout the United States.
Ralph Stewart
Drill Designer
Ralph currently lives in Orlando and is a 1998 graduate of East Carolina University, where he received a Bachelor's degree in Music Education. He has been a visual clinician, designer, adjudicator and consultant for many championship organizations within DCI, WGI, and BOA for more than 15 years.
He marched in the brass section of the 11 time DCI finalist Carolina Crown Drum & Bugle Corps from 1991-1996, where he served as Drum Major for three years. He served as their tour manager in 1997, a role he reprised with Magic of Orlando in 1998.
In 1997, Ralph took a position as the visual designer of Carolina Thunder, an independent world class WGI percussion finalist. This was a position he held until the group chose to no longer compete.
Ralph then joined the visual staff of the Boston Crusaders in 2000 as a marching technician and was their visual designer in 2005. Ralph has been the visual caption supervisor for the Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps for the past 2 years.
Ralph is the co-founder of Wicked Liquid Productions; an Orlando based Music Production Company responsible for the soundtrack creation of many WGI open class and world class guards. To include: Braddock Independent World, Braddock Independent Open, Northeast Independent, Flanagan HS, and The Ventures.
Adam Nyreen
Percussion Arranger
Chanda Cross
Front Ensemble Instructor
