Color Guard Program Leadership Changes
As the Band Program continues to prepare for the 2021 indoor season, we want to share an important update for our current staff and organization. Herman Rios, the Blue Radiance Color Guard Program’s director who joined the Band Program staff at the end of the 2014 winter guard season, has made the difficult decision to step down from his position to allow himself more time to focus on his full-time professional career.
Mr. Rios spent the majority of his spring and summer in his working on the front lines to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic as a nurse. Mr. Rios worked in several cities and hospitals, traveling to various hot spots to do his part and save lives of those most vulnerable and in need of critical care.
Band Program Director John Davis said, “Mr. Rios has been an integral part of the Band Program and his joining our family was certainly a catalyst for our success over the last several years. Mr. Rios will always be able to call Riverview home and we will forever be indebted to him and the work and service he put forth for our students and their successes.”
Mr. Rios’ time with the Band Program was a record-setting one. During his first full year in 2014–2015, he led the Blue Radiance Winter Guard to a first place win at the 2015 Florida Federation of Colorguards Circuit Premiere competition, where they were subsequently promoted to Class AA, and remained undefeated at every FFCC regional they attended. To end the year, Mr. Rios and the girls took home silver medals at the FFCC Championships for Class AA of the Knights Division, becoming the Band Program’s first indoor medalists in its history. Under Mr. Rios’ direction, the fall Blue Radiance Color Guard never earned anything less than Superior at the Florida Bandmasters Association Marching Music Performance Assessment for District 7.
Taking up overall leadership of the Color Guard Program will be current Sponsor Suzanne Mason, who will be upped to a dual role of Color Guard Program director and sponsor, giving her operational, creative and administrative oversight of the program and its ensembles. Mr. Davis said, “Mrs. Mason has proven herself as a great leader for our students and an incredible asset to the Band Program as a whole—she started with us as a parent volunteer hauling the water cart at football games and competitions! I have the utmost confidence she will continue the Color Guard Program’s upward trajectory and bring us to new successes.”
Joining Mrs. Mason will be a new addition to the Band Program, Nicholas DeBadts. Mr. DeBadts will be the Color Guard Program’s assistant director and designer, where he will choreograph and write work and drill for the shows and ensembles of the Color Guard Program, while also leading in the instruction and education of students with Mrs. Mason.
Mr. DeBadts began his color guard career in 2008 and brings a wealth of experience as both a participant in university color guards and drum corps, and as an instructor for high school teams. While attending the University of South Florida, Mr. DeBadts was a color guard member of the Herd of Thunder Marching Band from 2009–2012 and a member of the USF Winterguard from 2010–2014. Mr. DeBadts was also a member of the Boston Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps color guard from 2011–2013. Mr. DeBadts has had the honor of being a clinician at USF’s summer music camps for five years and has been teaching color guard for 11 years throughout the state of Florida, including his current role as an instructor with Tampa Independent, an Independent Open Class color guard based out of the Tampa Bay area. Mr. DeBadts holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology from USF and in his free time enjoys spending time with friends and his two dogs, Benny and Romeo.
The entire Band Program thanks Mr. Rios for all of his hard work and dedication these last six years and we wish Mrs. Mason and Mr. DeBadts the best of luck in their new positions!
