Who would have thought that the wee lad who started out banging on a drum in 1973 with the Sundowner Kadets in Eau Claire, Wisconsin would one day be in the DCI Hall of Fame? Patrick Seidling would finish his marching days with the Madison Scouts before embarking upon an instructional and corps management tenure that has spanned decades.
Seidling served as the percussion caption head for Pioneer from 1991 to 1995 and then moved on to the staff of the Madison Scouts. It was there that his skill set blossomed and his duties with corps administration expanded as tour manager. He helped launch the Capital Sound in Madison. Then came the Scouts new management relationship with Southwind in Alabama. “(Pat’s) service to the Madison organization included significant leadership positions with the Scouts and as director of Southwind, where he demonstrated a rare ability to build programs grounded in strong culture and student-centered values,” says Madison Scouts executive director Chris Komnick.
Seidling’s colleagues across the activity also took notice, electing him to the DCI board of directors from 1998 through 2006. Phantom Regiment came calling in 2001, naming Seidling tour director and then corps director. His impact with the Rockford, Illinois corps was immediately felt. In 2003 Seidling received the Dr. Bernard Baggs Leadership Award recognizing DCI’s director of the year. “Everywhere Pat has been, he has delivered what was needed at that place, at that time,” says Hall of Fame member and former Colts director Greg Orwoll. “At each stop, he created growth, stability and success. Each destination needed something different, and he had the ability to discover what it was, and had the knowledge and ability to provide it.”
Seidling moved to California in 2007. It didn’t take long for the Blue Devils to recognize his talent. He started out as a “roadie” with the corps. Tour director Pete Emmons knew he found his guy. “This is when I first had the opportunity to see that Pat was a special person and was a perfect fit for the Blue Devils culture,” Emmons said. “Observing his logistical contributions and his passion for the Blue Devils members and the participants in the System Blue (educational) events he managed, I knew he would be a perfect replacement for me when I decided to ‘age out.’”
Seidling served as the “A” corps manager for the Blue Devils until 2024, a role he took on in 2014 after serving as System Blue educational events manager starting in 2009. He now assists with the corps where needed and manages the organization’s international events. The Blue Devils have won six DCI World Championships during Seidling’s tenure.
David Gibbs, longtime executive director of the Blue Devils and DCI Hall of Fame member sums up Pat’s career this way: “Longevity in this activity is admirable, but longevity with standard-setting impact with your talent contribution, passion for the activity, and true love for the mission of making the performer experience positive and life changing is rare. And one of those rare souls is Pat Seidling.”