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• Mission Statement
• Hall of Fame
• Hall of Champions
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• Dick Rausch Instructor of the year

Hall of Fame

Dan Hostetler, inducted 2000
Dan has been active with several Drum and Bugle Corps, including the Star of Indiana, in
various capacities including performer, instructor, and arranger.

Highly sought after as a percussion educator, Dan was inducted into the Minnesota Percussion Association Hall of Fame in 2000. He founded the Minnesota Drumset Camps, a unique and acclaimed experience in drumset education that continues to expand dramatically each year. He has also been a member of the Minneapolis-based Blues/R&B band, The Butanes.

Dick Rausch, inducted 2000
Dick Rausch was one of the inaugural candidates into the Minnesota Percussion Association Hall of Fame. A graduate of Rocori High School in 1971, Dick has been a key element of the success of Rocori's marching band and drumline programs. After graduation, Dick spent two years with the Troopers Drum & Bugle Corp out of Casper, WY. After his drum corp stint, he spent time traveling as a set player for several jazz and rock bands.

Upon his return to Rocori, Dick traveled with the band on summer tours to many destinations around the country, with the drumline receiving numerous awards and championships. Dick instructed the concert, pep, and jazz band percussion sections, and formed the drumline unit in the early 1980s, which has performed at many basketball game halftime shows, and at State Basketball Championships, Gophers games, Timberwolves games, and Vikings games.

Dick was also vital in the creation of the Minnesota Percussion Association, with Rocori being a charter member of its first season in 1992. Under Dick's direction, the Rocori Drumline won many awards, including Best Overall Percussion in the Mid-American Competing Band Directors' Association circuit in 1993, an MPA State Championship in 1994, a tie for second place at the Bands of America Indoor Percussion Festival in 1994, and a Grand National Championship at the Bands of America Indoor Percussion Festival in 1995.

During Dick's tenure, at least 20 Rocori alums have gone on to successful careers with various drum corps, including the Blue Devils, Cadets, Phantom Regiment, Madison Scouts, and the Velvet Knights. Several of them went on to win DCI World Championships!

Tom Roe, inducted 2002
Tom has been involved in the world of marching band for over 30 years. In that time, he has accumulated quite an impressive résumé. He has judged for DCI, WGI, ISSMA, and of course, the MPA. He has written and taught for many National Championship units, he’s done clinics and workshops around the country, and over the past thirty years, he has judged every major contest in the United States!

Tom started teaching in Dassel, Minnesota in 1966 and moved to Rocori High School, Cold Spring, Minnesota in 1969. Working with the very famous Bob Harris, Tom was put in charge of Percussion, Color Guard, Marching Band, two concert Bands with lessons in Brass and Woodwinds, and all show concepts. Tom also taught at St. Cloud State University at the same time, traveling to many central Minnesota High Schools for music and color guard lessons. In 1975 through 1981, Tom taught at Vandercook School of Music in Chicago for a Summer School Masters program series. In 1979 Tom left Cold Spring and moved to Las Vegas, Nevada to be on the faculty at The University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV). Tom is also a writer/clinician for The Hal Leonard Publishing Company. Tom's latest project is "Uncle Harlow's Farm", a seminar on performance anxiety that is so desperately needed in our educational system.

Tom has been judging in the MPA for over ten years, and has helped influence many drumlines around the state. He continues to remain active as a judge and clinician in the MPA.

His web site is www.uncleharlowsfarm.com.

Barry Peterson, inducted 2003
Barry has been active as a performer, instructor, arranger and adjudicator since the early 1980's. After graduating from St. Cloud State University in 1980 with a BS in Business Management, he began playing and touring with a number of bands including regional favorites, Airtight and the Red Lesters. He currently plays with the HeBeGBs. Barry has also completed a Masters in Education from St. Mary's University. In 1993 he founded the Eagan High School Winter Percussion Ensemble and was the director through 2005. Under his direction, Eagan became one of the most successful winter drumlines in Minnesota. From 1991 - 1994, Barry was the caption head for Minnesota Brass Inc. Drum and Bugle Corps. He has written for, been a clinician, and instructed many top groups in the upper Midwest. Barry is presently an instrumental music teacher at Black Hawk Middle School in Eagan.

Rita Hennen, inducted 2004
Next to Dick Rausch, Rita Hennen has been the most important person in the Rocori High School drumline’s existence for the past 15 years. Beginning as a chaperone in 1990, she took over as lead chaperone and tour coordinator for the marching band in 1994. She coordinated the trips for every summer tour the band did through 1999, then continued to coordiante the trips when the band moved to the fall circuit, through 2002.

Rita has also been a member of the Rocori Band Board of Directors from 1990 through 2002, including serving as president from 1994-2000. She has also been responsible for coordinating Rocori’s winter host competition, “Drumfest”, since its inception in 1994.

Rita is very grateful for the many friends she’s made and the various instructors, parents, chaperones, and students she’s met over the years. She has fond memories of the trips taken and she considers herself fortunate to have the opportunity to watch the kids grow and mature, both as players and as individuals. Hearing the many “thank yous” from various people has all made it worth her while, and she would encourage parents to stay involved in whatever capactiy they are able, because everyone benefits, and it’s a great feeling!

Joel Matuzak, inducted 2006
No Bio Available.

Jay Coopersmith, inducted 2007
Jay Coopersmith has put in countless hours into this activity. He has poured his heart and soul into this organization, since the very first meetings of MPA. Many music programs have been touched by his top notch instruction. The list includes, but is not limited to Dassel-Cokato High School, Hastings High School, Irondale High School, South St. Paul High School, Simley High School, Henry Sibley High School, Buffalo Lake-Hector High School, Cadets of North Metro Independent, Twin Cites Explorers Drum &Bugle Corps, Racine Scouts Drum &Bugle Corps, Minnesota Brass Drum & Bugle Corps, and presently St. Cloud All-City Independent. Having held a position on MPA's Board of Directors since the first meeting in 1991, Jay has truly helped MPA become what it is today. His students still talk about the motivation and drive he instills into all of them.

Bob Johnson, inducted 2008
Bob Johnson has been active with various marching activities since he was a member of his high school marching band. Over the years Bob has been involved in many supportive roles of the marching activity. On an unexpected trip to Montreal for the DCI Championships in 1980, Bob met some of the boosters of the Rivermen Drum and Bugle Corps, from Stillwater, Minnesota. Through those contacts Bob became very involved with the Rivermen organization, serving on the Board of Directors, driving bus, and assisting with marching instruction.

Bob was heavily involved with the Park Center High School Marching Band parent booster organization from 1997 – 2007. During this time Bob served as the Vice President and President for the parent booster organization and numerous other supportive duties/activities for the band and booster organization.
Bob also had the opportunity to judge parades in the early 1990’s, judging General Effect. Since 2001 Bob has served as a Timing and Penalties judge for MPA and has loved every minute of it.

Bob is honored to be inducted into the MPA Hall of Fame.