Madison scouts Hall of Fame

The Madison Scouts, Forward Performing Arts, and the Madison Scouts Alumni Association are pleased to announce the 2023 inductees to the Madison Scouts Hall of Fame, including Ray Baumgardt, Scott Boerma, James Elvord, E.J. Hess, Lewis Kessler, Don Marcouiller, Sal Salas, Christos Theo, and Nick Venden.

The induction ceremony will be a part of the 70th anniversary of the Scout's home show, “Drums on Parade,” held on Saturday, July 1, at Middleton High School in Middleton, WI. The induction will occur at the “Brass, Brews, & Brats” pre-show tailgate, with additional recognition at the drum corps competition before the encore.
‍

James ElvordJames Elvord taught some of the best horn lines in the drum corps activity while providing insights on improving brass judging that helped move the adjudication model from counting errors (ticks) to an evaluative system. He pioneered and developed the system of adjudication used in SoundSport competitions during DCI national championship events.

While he was brass caption head and program coordinator, Madison Scouts won the DCI World Championship in 1975 and won the high brass caption award three years in a row in 1973, 1974, and 1975. Madison Scouts were also US Open champions in 1970. Since 1974, he has been a brass consultant with a dozen well-known corps in the United States, Canada, and Japan.

Nick VendenWithin Madison Scouts circles from the 60’s Nick is best known as writing the first arrangement for Ballet in Brass when he was 18 years old and played as concert during the 1962 season. In 1963 he arranged the Stan Kenton version of Malaguena while still a teenager and we played as concert that year. He wrote most of the show music in ’62,’63, ’65, and ’66.

NIck has conducted multiple film scores at GlenGould Sound, Hollywood; Chicago International film Festival award for the film score, Red; Conducted orchestras all over the world and performed recitals in the USSR,Tokyo,Paris. Rome, Shanghai, and Baden-Baden.

In his words:

“Happily, my last professional gig was conducting the North American and Asian 7 year tour of the broadway show, Les Miserables… I’m currently feeding that new beast in the culture called, Virtual Reality.”

BA Music Composition, University of Wisconsin-Madison
MA Music Composition, Roosevelt University - Chicago
MA Music Composition with Interactive Digital Media, California State University at Long Beach.

Sal SalasSal came to the Madison Scouts in 1975. He previously was a percussionist with the DCI Finalist Stockton Commodores where he picked up his rifle skills by watching and interacting with the Commodores spectacular rifle line. Sal has been the only person to join the Scouts as a marching member and be instantly promoted to instructor as a marching member. The Scouts finished with an undefeated season in 1975 as DCI Champions.

Sal built a rifle dynasty with the Scouts. Most notable was the 1977 production of West Side Story, where the rifles were prominently featured on the PBS telecast during New York, New York, and Officer Krupke.

In 1978, Sal made his mark in the color guard world, where traditional uniforms and military bearing were the norm. Sal had a vision; he took the men from the Madison Scouts and the women from the Capitalaires to create a spectacle the color guard world was unprepared for. White painter paints, rainbow suspenders, striped socks, and t-shirts bearing the name of Madison’s most famous street - he brought us the disco storm of State Street Review. Sal brought the choreography from indoor to outdoor in the summer of 1978 with the Scouts. In the spring of 1978, Sal married LuAnn Russell and instantly had a family of rifle members from Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, and Pennsylvania living with them for the summer. Sal and LouAnn continued to open their home for members throughout the coming years.

Christos TheoChristos “Stos” Theo has been a part of the Madison Scouts for over thirty years. He joined the Madison Junior Scouts in 1965, then played snare with the “senior” corps from 1968-1975. Chris joined the percussion staff in 1976 and served as the principal percussion arranger from 1978-1983.

Chris was co-arranger and percussion consultant during the 1984 and 1985 seasons and was the principal percussion arranger for the 2006 Alumni Reunion Corps. In addition to his affiliation with the Scouts, Chris has been a percussion clinician, adjudicator, arranger, and consultant, for numerous drum corps and marching bands.

As a former designer with Wisconsin Public Television, Chris created the visual identity programs and animated title sequences for the 1979 and 1980 DCI Championship TV broadcasts. Chris has also designed several DCI yearbook and album covers, DCI’s 20th Anniversary logo, the Madison Scouts 50th Anniversary record album cover, and the Scouts’ 75th Anniversary logo, to name a few.

Chris is currently a Professor Emeritus and former Department Chair for the Department of Art & Design, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

Scott BoermaScott Boerma (b. 1964) played lead baritone as a member of the Madison Scouts in 1984 and 1985 and was the music arranger for the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps from 1989-2006 and 2015-2018, and now again in 2023. As an alumnus of the corps and long-time staff member and arranger, few have contributed to the Madison Scouts, the marching arts activity, concert band literature, and college band profession as much as Scott. He is an inspiring educator, prolific composer, and arranger, epitomizing someone who took the teachings of the Madison Scouts to heart.

Scott Boerma embodies what it means to be a Madison Scout. His work ethic in composing and arranging is recognized as one of the greatest in the activity. His music has inspired countless students as a conductor, composer, and arranger and wowed crowds for decades. His inspirational teaching style, care for the art, and tireless contributions to many aspects of music education are a model of excellence.

Ray BaumgardtRaymond J Baumgardt (1940-1998) is most remembered for his work with the Madison Scouts as the principal brass arranger from 1969-1978. Still, he was one of the drum corps activity’s most prolific music arrangers. At the head of early “concept shows,” Baumgardt arranged “Alice in Wonderland” for the Madison Scouts as well as the Cavaliers’ groundbreaking 1971 “Circus Show.”

Throughout his drum corps career, Baumgardt created some of the most memorable drum corps arrangements of all time, including “Slaughter on Tenth Avenue,” “McArthur Park,” “The Way We Were,” “Rhapsody in Blue,” “Ballet in Brass” and “Brian’s Song.” Ray was selected to the DCI Hall of Fame in 2010. Ray’s arrangement of “You’ll Never Walk Alone” is still played by the Madison Scouts today. He was a former member and executive director of the Central States Judges Association.

EJ HessEinar John (EJ) Hess (1893-1966) is one of the founding fathers of the Madison Scouts. In 1937, a group of Madison businessmen decided that Madison should have a drum and bugle corps. The men, E.J. Hess, Robert Gary, Tom Jones, and Bob Hess, wanted this corps to be composed of Boy Scouts. The first rehearsal was held on February 8, 1938 in the basement of the Christ Presbyterian Church with equipment borrowed from the Masons.

E.J. Hess was the first director and C.H. Beebe, Scoutmaster of Troop 20, was appointed quartermaster and became the Executive Director shortly thereafter.

Lewis KesslerLewis Hanford Kessler (1900-1974), former Navy Bugler and engineering faculty member at the University of Wisconsin, began his service to the Boy Scouts in 1920 and was soon promoted to Assistant Executive of the Four Lakes Council. On December 3, 1920, Kessler would form the original Boy Scout Drum and Bugle Corps of Madison, Wisconsin, and serve as its director through 1925, when the group discontinued operations.

Kessler would remain active within the Four Lakes Council and served on committees with E.J. Hess and C.H. Beebe starting in 1936. In the fall of 1937, Kessler served on the advisory committee that helped restart a Boy Scout Drum & Bugle Corps representing the Four Lakes Council. If CH Beebe is considered the “father” of the Madison Scouts, then Lewis Kessler is the “grandfather.”

Don MarcouillerDonald R Marcouiller (1925-2018) took over as musical director of the Madison Scouts in 1950 and began what was to become the University of Wisconsin "connection" and the "Madison Style." As a graduate assistant with the UW Badger Band, Marcoullier brought a keen sense of general effect, an understanding of what would please and entertain a crowd. Marcoullier is most responsible for putting the Madison Scouts on a course that would place it at the leading edge of the drum corps activity.

He led the Wisconsin Band in the 1953 Rose Bowl. Don was elected to the University of Wisconsin Marching Band Hall of Fame in 2014. Then, in 1956, Don was named Director of Bands at Drake University, where he served until 1987.  While at Drake, he authored the book, “Marching for Marching Bands,” introducing the unit system of marching, which was widely adopted by marching bands across the U.S. For 50 years, he served on the Executive Committee of the Drake Relays and was elected to its Hall of Fame. He is Professor Emeritus of Wind and Brass Instruments and Director of Bands at Drake. Don was a Board Member of the American Bandmasters Association and Past President of the College Band Directors National Association, Iowa Bandmasters Association, Iowa Music Educators Association, and Des Moines Civic Music Association.