Donald Hill (brass arranger), Lee Beddis (percussion arranger), Kirk Gay (front ensemble arranger) and Ron Hardin (drill arranger) will make up the Magic's design team in 2006. With a long and varied career in drum & bugle corps, Donald Hill traces his own "brass roots" to the 1971 Des Plaines Vanguard. He has taught the Blue Stars horn line and eventually assumed arranging duties. Don is a DCI adjudicator and has had the honor of judging finals three times. He held the position brass and music general effect caption head for DCI for seven years. He returned to drum corps as part of the Cadets design team, serving as the brass arranger for their 2002-2003 seasons. Last season Don served as a consultant to the Bluecoats. Hill is very excited about his new relationship with Magic. "I feel they have put together a quality staff and design team," Hill says, "some of whom I've worked with before. And I'm well aware of the proud tradition of this corps, and am looking forward to doing my part to bring them to prominence." A native of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Lee Beddis spent his youth with the Peterborough Krescendos, the Canadian Knights, and the Kitchener Dutch Boy drum corps. He would later move south to join the ranks of the World Champion Garfield Cadets, in order to become part of the now-legendary "perfect" percussion line of 1987. After winning his second title in 1990, he aged out and moved into the role of instructor. His instructing experience includes the Madison Scouts, Star of Indiana and the Phantom Regiment. It was there, in 1996, that Beddis helped capture the world championship title with his ambitious work for "The Defiant Heart," an all-Shostakovich program. In 1997, he turned his skills to the rebuilding of the Toledo, Ohio, Glassmen. Within the year, his expertise found immediate reward, moving that section into the forefront world-class recognition. After the successful 2000 season, he moved to the Crossmen, where he has remained until his recent appointment of percussion coordinator at the Madison Scouts in 2005. Kirk Gay returns to MAGIC for another season as front ensemble arranger. He marched with Star of Indiana from 1986 to 1989, where he was the 1989 DCI timpani individual champion and twice DCM timpani individual champion. He has taught and written for many drum corps, including the Crossmen, Phantom Regiment, Magic of Orlando and the Yokohama Inspires from Japan. Gay was head arranger and caption head with Phantom Regiment in 1996 when they were DCI champions. He has also written for many bands across the country. Ron Hardin has been a band director in California and Nebraska for 12 years, and brings a wealth of experience in design, adjudication and instruction. Ron's drum corps performance experience began with the Velvet Knights and later the world champion Star of Indiana. Hardin became a visual instructor with the Santa Clara Vanguard in 1993. He then moved on to the visual staff of the Blue Devils for eight seasons, as part of the instructional team that won four championships and multiple high visual titles. While with the Blue Devils, Hardin was the founder and principal conductor of the Diablo Wind Symphony. Hardin returned to Santa Clara in 2002 as the visual caption head. Magic executive director, Bruce Ziegler is pleased with this very creative design team, saying, "I believe this powerhouse team will 'conjure up' something truly Magic in 2006." Director Ed Argenziano added, "Instructional staff announcements will follow soon."