Chico Portillo

Luis “Chico” Portillo is currently in his seventh year as the Director of Fine Arts for the Bastrop Independent School District. Prior to that appointment, he served eight years as the Coordinator of Fine Arts for the Pflugerville Independent School District. He is an active band and orchestra adjudicator and clinician and provides many professional development opportunities for school districts and universities across the state.

Prior to his administrative positions, he was a band director for twenty-one years. The students in his bands consistently maintained a high level of excellence as they received numerous U.I.L Sweepstakes and “Best in Class” awards for both marching and concert band performances. Under his leadership, the John B. Connally High School Marching Band earned the bronze medal in 2003 and the silver medal in 2007 in the biannual UIL 4A State Marching Contest. The John B. Connally Wind Ensemble was twice a state finalist in the 4A TMEA Honor Band Competition.
He has served on numerous UIL and TMEA committees and is currently serving on the State UIL Standing Committee on Music. He was an adjudicator at the 2021 UIL State Marching Contest for conferences 1A -4A. He has served on the Board of Directors for the Texas Bandmasters Association and served as president in 2018. He is currently serving on the city of Bastrop's Cultural Arts Commision. He is a member of the Texas Music Administrators Conference, Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, Texas Music Adjudicators Association and Phi Beta Mu, the International Bandmasters Fraternity.

Kenny Vise

Kenneth Vise is a retired music educator and fine arts administrator. His career spanned thirty-seven years, starting in Louisiana and moving to Texas in 1989. Bands under his direction have received consistent UIL Sweepstakes awards in marching, concert, and sight-reading. His marching bands have earned the honor of Area Finalist on numerous occasions and have appeared in the UIL State Marching Contest in the 4A and 5A divisions.

In his retirement Mr. Vise stays busy as a clinician and consultant throughout central Texas with marching, concert, and jazz programs. He enjoys his part-time job as brass instructor and jazz ensemble director at Sycamore Springs Middle School in Dripping Springs.

Christopher McCarthy

Originally from Binghamton, NY, Chris discovered his love for color guard and the marching activity at age 12. From 2001 to 2007, he attended Susquehanna Valley MS and HS performing with the marching band, color guard, concert band and spending his last two years serving as Drum Major. In 2006, Chris made the jump during his junior year to independent color guard. He spent several years performing with Spectrum Winterguard, primarily in the Independent Open class, as well as the A and World Class. He served as Guard Captain in ’09, ’10 and ’11. Chris has also marched with The DCA finalists Syracuse Brigadiers Drum and Bugle Corps from ’07 – ’08.

At the age of 16, Chris began to choreograph and stage for small programs throughout upstate New York. Following HS, he spent a short time studying at Mansfield University of Pennsylvania and then spent four years as an Operating Room assistant at a regional trauma center. During this time, he served as designer, choreographer and/or director for a number of programs. His experiences led him to transition to Texas in the summer of 2013. Some programs he has worked with include: University of Wisconsin - Whitewater (WI), Spectrum (NY), Greater Johnstown HS (NY), Round Rock HS (TX), Westwood HS (TX), New Braunfels HS (TX), Cedar Ridge HS (TX), North Shore HS (TX), Dripping Springs HS (TX) and Genesis Drum and Bugle Corps (TX).

Chris currently resides in Austin, TX, where he is spending his seventh year as Colorguard Director at McNeil HS and third year as Co Director of Origins Colorguard. Outside of McNeil and Origins, Chris also designs, stages and choreographs for numerous groups across the country both as a freelance artist as well as working for SperlingDesigns.

Kyle Friesenhahn

Kyle Friesenhahn was a Band Director in Texas public schools for 37 years. During her career, Ms. Friesenhahn’s bands were constant UIL Area marching contest participants with numerous Finals appearances as well as being selected State Marching Contest alternate and a 2 time State Marching Contest participant. Ms. Friesenhahn is a highly sought after clinician and adjudicator throughout Texas. After graduating from Pflugerville High School, Ms. Friesenhahn attended Southwest Texas State University receiving both her Bachelors, Masters as a music student. Additionally, Ms. Friesenhahn is an active member of TMEA, TBA, TMAA, and Phi Beta Mu. Currently she serves on the Board of Directors for Firstmark Credit Union.

Ms. Friesenhahn lives on the family farm with her husband and their rescue dogs.

Lance Brightwell

Lance Brightwell, a native of Beckville, TX, is a graduate of Northwestern State University, LA with a BA in Music Education and Music Theory. While in school he served as Section Leader multiple years for the Wind Ensemble, Orchestra, and Marching Drumline where he also acted as an arranger. After graduating NSU in 2005, he lived in Nashville, TN working as a freelance percussion instructor and private lesson teacher for Wilson Central High School, where he was involved with WGI and TCGC competing nationally.

In 2006 he began his full time Music Education career in Texas. Lance designed for, worked with and taught various successful PASIC competitors. These include High School Snare Championship solos for the 2009-2011 1st place award winners as well as the 2010 PASIC Multi-Percussion Champion and 1st Runner Up Compositions.

In 2008 Lance was hired as Assistant Director of Bands / Coordinator of Percussion for Lake Travis ISD in Austin, TX. Here he worked with all percussionists from 6th-12th grade including Lake Travis and Hudson Bend Middle Schools and also conducted the high school Symphonic Band. In his time in Austin, Lance has been part of the following accomplishments:

2011 Lake Travis HS – UIL 4A State Marching 5th Place in Finals
2012 Lake Travis HS – UIL 5A State Marching Contest
2014 Dripping Springs HS – BOA Atlanta Super Regional 5th Place
2015 Dripping Springs HS – UIL 5A State Marching 5th Place
2020 Lake Travis HS – 6A State Marching Contest
2021 Lake Travis HS – 6A State Marching Contest

While under Mr. Brightwell’s direction the Percussion section at Lake Travis also experienced many high achievements including 2012 PASIC Silver Medalists in the marching stand still division and winning “Best Snare Line” and “Best Cymbal Line”. In 2012, the LT Winter Drumline was the Scholastic Marching A Campion in the Texas Colorguard Circuit. In 2013 they were the WGI Houston Regional Champions and the Scholastic Marching Open Champions in TCGC. In 2014, the Winter Drumline finished 3rd place in the TCGC State Competition solidifying themselves as a consistent medalist in the circuit. Lance also served as Percussion Chair on the Executive Board for TCGC from 2017-2019.

Lance is an active adjudicator and clinician in Texas and Louisiana for UIL and Percussive Arts Society and is Educationally Endorsed by Innovative Percussion. He has been an instructor all over TX since 2010 for “RATAMACAMP”, a series of Summer Percussion camps, beginner level – 8th grade with founder, Paul Garretson. It is here that he continues his pursuit of teaching and developing the young percussionist, one of his greatest passions. Associations include PAS, TBA, TMEA, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. Lance lives in the hill country of Austin, TX with his wife Hannah and 3 year old daughter Stevie. He is grateful for the opportunity to adjudicate the 2023 Rattler Marching Classic.

About & Subscribe