Join us for RCR’s 16th annual winter classic! We are thrilled to welcome the guest clinicians below who will be providing feedback to participating ensembles.
MICHAEL MCINTOSH is a graduate of Butler University earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music with an emphasis in Composition. In addition to designing, coordinating, consulting and composing for pageantry groups throughout the United States and Japan, Michael spent three decades designing and teaching in the DCI space. From 1997-2011, Mr. McIntosh was the percussion specialist at Carmel High School in Carmel, Indiana and an integral part of programs named the 2001, 2017 and 2018 AAA National Champion as well as the 2005, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2022 BOA Grand National Champions.
Michael has been a part of seven Highest Achievement in Music BOA Finals awards with two different performing groups. As a designer, McIntosh put teams together that won the Fred Sanford High Percussion Award in 2011 and 2023 and was part of The Cavaliers 3-peat winning DCI Championships in 2000, 01 and 02. Michael is an active clinician, giving clinics throughout the US, Europe, having also performed clinics in Japan and Beijing, China. He is currently an adjudicator for Winter Guard International and Bands of America and is the former WGI GE Judge representative.
Mr. McIntosh was the Program Coordinator/Designer for the WGI IW group Gateway Indoor from 2012-2016 and was part of a team that led Gateway to its best placement ever, finishing in 5th place in Independent World Class at the 2014 WGI Championships.
Michael has been a proud TapSpace contributor for over 20 years and has created content for commercial projects across different digital mediums including video games, startups and digital advertising. He has had works commissioned for the Midwest Band Directors Convention as well as the West Point HellCats and the US Army Old Guard and Fife and Drum Corps. In 2018, Michael was commissioned to write an original orchestral work for the Contemporary Youth Orchestra. Entitled “MESH”, this work premiered at the Cleveland Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. Currently, he has works published by SmartMusic, Row-Loff Publications, Yamaha Sounds of Summer, Key Poulan Music, Drop 6 Media, The Hal Leonard Corporation, Innovative Percussion, Marching Show Concepts, Alfred Music and JKS Music. Mr. McIntosh was named the percussion designer for the Music For All 2022 Rose Parade Honor Band.
Currently, Michael serves as the Head of Global Educational Growth for Hal Leonard/Muse Group. He is a Yamaha artist/clinician as well as a multiple signature drumstick artist with PROMARK. Mr. McIntosh also endorses EVANS drumheads, Zildjian cymbals and Daddario Accessories. Michael resides in Minneapolis with his wife Joy, their two daughters and their neurotic but loving Chocolate Lab Ellie, Scoot Finnegan the German Shepherd and Popcorn the Alpha Pomeranian.
TIM FAIRBANKS has taught at Centerville HS (OH) since 1997, and has been the visual Designer for the marching band, winter guard, and indoor drumline, which is a consistent Scholastic World Finalist at the WGI World Championships. Centerville Indoor Drumline is the 1999 Scholastic Open Champion and 2004 WGI Scholastic World Champion. Tim designed for Rhythm X, WGI Percussion Independent World Class Champion in 2008, 2009, 2013 and has been the Drill Designer for the Bluecoats (Canton, OH), the Blue Stars (Lacrosse, WI), and The Crossmen (San Antonio, TX). He proudly endorses the products of Pearl/Adams, Evans/D’addario, Sabian Inc., and is a signature artist with ProMark. Tim has been the Vice President for WGI Sport of the Arts, serving on the WGI Board of Director’s Executive Committee, in addition to membership on the WGI Percussion Advisory Board and Steering Committee. Tim is an internationally in-demand clinician, designer, arranger and adjudicator and lives in Centerville, OH with his wife Jodi, two kids, Logan and Carter, and their dog Archer.
SCOTT PALMER
ALEX HEITZKEY, a native from Green Bay, WI, started his pageantry career in high school with the West De Pere Marching Phantoms. Originally a clarinet player from middle school until his junior year of high school, Alex transitioned to color guard his senior year and hasn’t touched an instrument since.
After high school, Alex went on to march Drum Corps with the Madison Scouts from 2009 until his age out year in 2012. He also went to perform with multiple independent organizations: Velocity Winter guard (2009-2011), MBI Independent Open (2013), Lux Independent World (2015) and Bluecoats Indoor (2019).
Alex has served as a consultant, designer, director, choreographer and technician for several high school and independent organizations in the Midwest region, including West De Pere High School, Waukesha West High School, Shadow Armada Indoor, Knox High School, Chesterton High School, Northmont High School, John Glenn High School, Penn High School, Concord High School, Warren Central High School, Phoenix Independent Open Winter Guard and Lux IW.
Some of Alex’s fondest memories and accomplishments consist of: Concord being the IHSCGA’s bronze medalist in 2020 and being a part of the 2023 Penn High School winterguard that was the first group ever to compete at WGI in the school’s history.
Alex is elated to have this opportunity to work with River City Rhythm and being able to give back to the Midwest circuit.