Halftime Magazine®, which premiered in July 2007, is the only lifestyle publication that presents the sights, sounds, and spirit of the marching arts in a highly visual format. Our mission involves education, entertainment, and inspiration for our readers—marching instructors, students, parents, alumni, and fans. This bimonthly magazine showcases marching participants’ shared experiences about competitions, school spirit, and band traditions with profiles, first-person accounts, and thought-provoking feature stories. The publication also provides tips to enhance students’ musical and marching skills as well as connects the band community through news, events calendars, and product reviews. Covers high school marching band, college marching band, drum corps, winter guard, indoor drumline, indoor winds, and all-age ensembles.
About the Founder
Christine Ngeo Katzman, CEO and Publisher
Christine Ngeo Katzman is founder and chief executive officer of Muse Media, LLC, creator of books, magazines, and additional content highlighting performing arts and youth activities. Magazine assets include Halftime Magazine for marching arts participants and fans as well as Yamaha SupportED Magazine for K through 12 music educators. In 2020, she was a founding partner of the College Band Directors National Association Intercollegiate Marching Band, featuring nearly 1,500 college participants in a virtual performance. Previously, she was a writer and editor at Crain Communications and Imagination Publishing and a marketing manager at Chatsworth Products, Inc. Christine also worked for Yamaha Band and Orchestral Division. As a child, Christine learned five instruments, with flute being primary. She marched in the Northwestern University Marching Band, including the 1996 Rose Bowl and 1997 Citrus Bowl. Christine graduated cum laude from Northwestern University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism in 1997 and earned an MBA with honors from the University of Southern California in 2007.
About the Art Editor
Jana Rade
Jana Rade is an art director and layout specialist. She runs her own business, specializing in book, magazine, and publication layout. The only marching experience Jana has is hiking with her dogs. She does have some musical background, singing with a local soft rock band..
About the Writers
Lane Armey
Lane Armey is the battery percussion coordinator for Homestead High School in Cupertino, Calif. In the past, he has worked with various groups including Northwestern University and the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps.
Amy Brown
Amy Brown is the author of “Tales From Band Camp,” a webcomic featuring marching band and music in general. She lives in Simpsonville, South Carolina, with her husband, two cats, and two daughters, one who plays flute and the other who plays tuba! Amy plays bassoon, is still active in the University of Georgia Redcoat Band Alumni Association, and serves as co-president of the Hillcrest High School Band Booster Club. She also considers herself a “professional” Girl Scout volunteer.
Kacie Brown
Kacie Brown was a member of the Pride of Broken Arrow from 2012 to 2016. She is now an associate instructor at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where she is pursuing a Master of Music degree in saxophone performance as a student of Dr. Otis Murphy. She completed a Bachelor of Music degree with a certificate in journalism at Indiana University in 2020. In 2019, she won the inaugural Elise Hall Competition for Emerging Saxophonists and has performed at the U.S. Navy Band International Saxophone Symposium, North American Saxophone Alliance Biennial Conference, and the Society of Composers, Inc., National Student Conference.
Mary Karen Clardy
Mary Karen Clardy, professor of flute at the University of North Texas in Denton, appears as a soloist, chamber artist and teacher throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, Asia and South America. A renowned author, she has published more than 10 books from European American Music, Leduc, Schott and Universal Edition. Her students are consistent prizewinners in international competitions and occupy prominent orchestral and faculty positions throughout the world. Visit www.mkclardy.com.
Jeff Coffin
Jeff Coffin is a three-time Grammy Award winning saxophonist, composer, educator, and author. He has been a band member of Dave Matthews Band since 2008. Jeff also teaches at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. Jeff has published “The Saxophone Book,” co-wrote “The Articulate Jazz Musician” with Caleb Chapman, and released “The Road Book” in late 2019. Jeff is a Yamaha and D’Addario Performing Artist and Clinician. Visit jeffcoffin.com and earuprecords.com for more information.
Jeff Conner
Jeff Conner is the only original member of Boston Brass. He has more than 30 years of experience building and branding the Boston Brass name in the world of chamber music. As a Yamaha Performing Group, Boston Brass has performed in 49 states and 30 countries, is a featured participant in conferences and conventions, and leads master classes and artist residencies around the world.
DJ Corchin
DJ Corchin, otherwise known in the band world as The 13th Chair, has been involved in music education since learning to play the viola in third grade. And by learning, he means immediately forgetting how to play it the following year when he started on trombone. Growing up in the band world, DJ graduated from DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois, with a degree in music education and immediately did not use it. Instead he became a featured performer riding a unicycle and playing the trombone in the Tony and Emmy award-winning Broadway show, “BLAST!,” as one does. Shortly after, he became a high school band director developing BAND NERDS for future world domination. When a
takeover didn’t materialize, he started a career as a children’s author, writing books about kindness and communication. As one does.
Jamie Lee Cortese
Jamie Lee Cortese graduated from Northwestern University with a double major in Radio/TV/Film and political science. Jamie also writes scripts and is an actor, singer, and director who hosts a weekly radio show, Jammin’ with Jamie. Visit her website and read her blog at JamieLeeCortese.com.
Elaine Morgan Cutting
Elaine Morgan Cutting is a recent alumnus from the University of California, Irvine (UCI), where she received a double degree in literary journalism and English. Starting flute in 7th grade, Elaine was involved in an award-winning high school wind symphony and played with the UCI Pep Band. Elaine interned in wind instrument marketing at Yamaha Corporation of America. She is now freelancing and happily mixing two of her favorite passions: writing and music.
Chris Dillon
Chris Dillon has been involved in marching arts activity since 1981 as a performer, instructor, designer and adjudicator. Currently, she is an adjudicator for Drum Corps International, WGI Sports of the Arts, Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association, Winter Guard Association of Southern California (WGASC), Florida Federation of Colorguards Circuit, Indiana High School Color Guard Association, Texas Color Guard Circuit, and several others. She held the position of education coordinator for the WGASC for the past eight years.
Frank DiMaria
Frank DiMaria is a middle school computer teacher and a freelance writer currently residing in Fort Mill, South Carolina. On weekends he plays guitar for a progressive funk band called McGroover. His daughter, Briana, marched clarinet for the Fort Mill High School band, winning two state championships and a Bands of America regional. Frank worked pit crew for four seasons with Fort Mill.
Justin Eberly
Justin Eberly is a volunteer firefighter and active emergency medical technician in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. He presents emergency services educational and training programs locally and nationally. Eberly has played trumpet for 15 years, previously performing with Cumberland Valley High School in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and Shippensburg (Pennsylvania) University. He also serves as a marching band instructor.
Lisa Fields
Lisa Fields is a full-time freelance writer based in New Jersey. She writes frequently about psychology and health as well as profiles of interesting people and musicians. She’s written for Reader’s Digest, Good Housekeeping, Family Circle, The New York Times, and many other publications. Lisa started playing the flute in elementary school and continued throughout middle school, marching at least once in her town’s Memorial Day parade. Today, her daughter is a middle school student who plays the flute. Visit Lisa’s website at writtenbylisafields.com.
Elizabeth Geli
Elizabeth Geli was the assistant editor of Halftime Magazine and a journalist/communications professional in Southern California. Her 11 years at the University of Southern California (USC) Trojan Marching Band included time as a flute player, graduate teaching assistant, and student advocate. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Print Journalism and master’s degree in Specialized Journalism (The Arts) from USC.
Haley Greenwald-Gonella
Haley Greenwald-Gonella is a certified registered yoga teacher (200 RYT) with Yoga Alliance. She began dancing at the age of 3 and played flute and bassoon while growing up. She graduated from the University of California, Irvine, with degrees in dance and English. She has her master’s degree in Specialized Journalism (The Arts) from the University of Southern California. In addition, Haley is a director focusing on technology and innovation in the beauty sector.
Stacy Hackett
Stacy N. Hackett is an award-winning freelance writer and technical editor based in Southern California. She writes frequently about software, marching bands, and the pet industry. Stacy is the proud mom of a sousaphone player in the Oregon State University Marching Band, and she has experience on the field as a former bells player with the Los Alamitos (California) High School marching band.
Matt Jones
Matt Jones is a 1998 graduate of Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, where he majored in music education. Since 1994, he has also written crosswords for venues such as The New York Times, Games Magazine and Stagebill. He currently writes a syndicated weekly puzzle for more than 50 alternative newspapers across the country.
Savy Leiser
Savy Leiser is a Chicago-based author, journalist, and freelance editor. In addition to writing for Halftime Magazine, she is the author of the “Furever Home Friends” children’s book series. Savy graduated in 2015 from Northwestern University, where she was a member of the Wildcat Marching Band. She received her Master’s in Writing and Publishing at DePaul University in 2019.
Sarah Lindenfeld Hall
Sarah Lindenfeld Hall is a North Carolina-based journalist and freelance writer who regularly writes about education, parenting, and entrepreneurship topics. Her byline has appeared in EatingWell, Parents.com, FastCompany.com, Business Insider Prime, Mashable, PBS Next Avenue, and other publications. Sarah started playing piano and flute at a young age, holds a bachelor’s degree in music from the University of Virginia, and is the parent of a young percussionist.
Ken Martinson
Ken Martinson is a lifelong advocate of marching bands and is founder of the popular website Marching.com. He has brought a passionate and positive voice to his roles as journalist, instructor, event coordinator, and judge.
Karen McDonough
Karen McDonough is a freelance writer based in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina. Her work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Fox News, and Vanity Fair, among many other publications. She is the founder of World Arts Today, an online magazine dedicated to the performing arts.
Emily Moneymaker
Emily Moneymaker is a graduate from the University of Southern California (USC) where she received a Bachelor of Science in Policy, Planning and Development and a minor in marketing. She has played trumpet for more than 12 years. She marched in the USC Trojan Marching Band and served as the organization’s recruitment manager.
Mckenzie Moore
Mckenzie Moore is a journalist and independently published author based in Grand Junction, Colorado. She currently attends Colorado Mesa University (CMU), pursuing her undergraduate degree in media strategies and applications. She plays flute with the CMU Maverick Stampede marching band.
Liz Neidich
Liz Neidich is a freelance writer for Halftime Magazine. She graduated from the University of Cincinnati (UC) in 2015 with a B.A. in creative writing, a B.A. in communications, and a certificate in journalism. She marched trumpet for five years in the Kenston High School Marching Band in Bainbridge, Ohio, and for three years in the UC Bearcat Marching Band. Liz currently serves as an Americorps VISTA on the communications and events team at CityLink Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Nicole Pasia
Nicole Pasia is a journalism student at the University of Washington and is currently the photo editor of “The Daily” school newspaper. She is also a proud member of the Husky Marching Band and will be the alto saxophone section leader for the upcoming year. Nicole also recently served as the publications committee head for the Gamma Chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi, a national band service fraternity.
Katie Rose Quandt
Katie Rose Quandt is a freelance reporter in Brooklyn, New York. She has written for Slate, Mother Jones, Brooklyn Magazine, and the Village Voice, among others. She played saxophone in the University of Notre Dame Marching Band, where she was section leader.
Jeff Queen
Jeff Queen has been involved in drum corps since 1989 as a member, technician, caption head, and now judge. Jeff is an original cast member of the award-winning Broadway Show “BLAST!” and is currently the percussion coordinator for Carmel (Indiana) High School, the five-time Bands of America champion. He is also the author of “The Next Level: Rudimental Drum Techniques” and the “Playing with Sticks” instructional DVD.
Nicole Roberts
Nicole Roberts is the city hall reporter for the News Tribune in Jefferson City, Missouri. She graduated from Missouri State University with a degree in print/internet journalism and a minor in psychology. She played clarinet in the Missouri State Pride Band and in her high school’s marching band.
Chase Sanborn
Jazz trumpeter Chase Sanborn is a Yamaha Artist and an assistant professor of jazz at the University of Toronto. Chase is the author of a series of educational books and videos on playing music. His most recent is “The Brass Tactics 6/60 Routine”. Visit Chase on the web at chasesanborn.com. Also visit uoftjazz.ca.
Jim Snyder
Jim Snyder is a clarinetist from Orlando, Fla. Though primarily known as a jazz musician, his extensive career has put him in every musical place you’d expect to hear a clarinet—and in some you wouldn’t! Jim played for many years in New Orleans with trumpet virtuoso Al Hirt and is currently a staff musician at Walt Disney World. A Yamaha Performing Artist, he travels the United States as a soloist and clinician. Visit his website at www.theclarinetguy.com.
Killian Weston
Killian Weston is a color guard instructor and designer in southeast Michigan. She began performing with her high school marching band in 2002 and continued with college marching band and collegiate winter guard. She has taught several guard units and is a prospective judge in the Michigan Color Guard Circuit.
Adam Wiencken
Adam Wiencken is the percussion specialist for Broken Arrow (Oklahoma) Public Schools and the battery arranger for the Spirit of Atlanta Drum and Bugle Corps. He is an alumnus of the Madison Scouts and The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps. He is a Yamaha Performing Artist and an educational artist for Innovative Percussion Inc., Remo drumheads, Zildjian cymbals, and MEINL Percussion.
Jack Williams
Jack Williams is an editorial intern for Halftime Magazine. He is a junior at Ball State University, studying journalism. Jack is the sports editor at The Ball State Daily News and has worked with the Oregon Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps and WGI Sport of the Arts. Jack has played the saxophone for 10 years, marching for Buffalo Grove (Illinois) High School and Ball State.