DCA WELCOMES NEW VP & TREASURER

Bill Flaker October 19, 2020February 10, 2021 news

Drum Corps Associates is excited and pleased to announce that Dick Fischette has been named Vice President and Scott Snell has accepted the position as Treasurer of DCA. Both Dick and Scott were unanimously voted in by the corps directors. It’s now time to meet Dick and Scott.

Dick Fischette began his drum corps career in the 1970’s while marching and playing timpani with Mighty St. Joe’s of Batavia, New York. During those years he also marched with the Rochester Crusaders and Phoenix from Rochester, New York. From 1978 to 1984, he taught percussion and visual for several upstate New York high school band programs. The East Ridge High School Marching Band had the honor of having Dick as their percussion and visual instructor from 1984 to 1990. Dick joined the visual staff of the Webster High School Marching Band in 1990, and became the Program Coordinator in 1995.

Dick served as a Visual Instructor for the Empire Statesmen in 1997 and 1998 and was a Ensemble Analysis Judge for DCA in 2000 and 2009. A huge honor for him was that he adjudicated the Fiesta Bowl National Band Championship and Parade in Phoenix, Arizona in 2007. Dick was named Director of the Webster High School Marching Band in 1999, remaining at the helm through 2008. During that time he also was the programs Visual Designer. He then moved over to the Gates Chili High School Marching Band in 2004 as their Visual Designer to the present day and in 2018 became their Assistant Director as well.

From 1998 to the present time he has been the NYFCJ Winter Guard Caption Chief overseeing all Winter Guard assignments for the NECG and Mid York circuits as well. He has judged Ensemble Analysis aka Design Analysis during his time there as well. Dick has been a member of the New York Federation of Contest Judges serving as a visual judge for ensemble analysis, field analysis, and design analysis for color guard. In 2017 was elected President of the New York Federation of Contest Judges and still serves in that capacity today.

Other accomplishments for Dick Fischette include a visual judge for U.S. BANDS from 2007 TO 2009, and a DCA Visual Analysis and Color Guard Judge from 2009 until 2014 to add to his credentials. In 2014, Dick was named the Chairperson and Coordinator for the DCA I&E/ Mini Corps Program as well as the Chairperson and Coordinator for the DCA Alumni Spectacular as well and still serves in that position this year.

In his spare time ( the little that he has ) and being a new retiree, Dick was hoping to grow his love of traveling, however the Covid-19 has put a damper on that for a while longer. When he is not doing something Marching Arts related, he enjoys reading a good book and listening to music. Since he has retired, Dick has begun exploring and enjoying walks in many of the parks near his home. Drum Corps Associates wishes Dick Fischette the best of luck in his new position as he is excited with his new responsibility and really looking forward to helping DCA President John Carr shape the future of DCA.

Newly elected DCA Treasurer Scott Snell, began his experience in the Marching Arts in elementary school where he started marching in color guard in his hometown of Norwich, New York. From there he went to college in Boston and marched with his college band and the Suburbanettes winter guard. After college he moved to Albany, New York to take over the directorship of the Shenendehowa Color Guard program where he is entering his twenty-fifth year as director !! Over the past twenty four years his program has grown from two competitive teams of eighteen students total to four competitive teams of over sixty performers. During his time at Shenendehowa, they have had great success not only at the state level but as well at Winter Guard International where they have been a finalist sixteen times, achieving three medals.

Outside of working with Shenendehowa, Scott has had the honor to work with the Webster High School Marching Band for nine years from 200-2008 as their color guard caption head overseeing costume and flag design as well as writing saber, rifle and flag. The band participated in the National Class in New York, and traveled to the Bands Of AMERICA Regionals and Grand Regionals as well as the Fiesta Bowl in Phoenix, Arizona.

Scott has had the great honor to serve as the Vice President of the Mid-York Color Guard Circuit for thirteen years ( 2004-2018 ) where his main duties included all aspects of the competitive schedule, such as creating the schedule, performance order, and managing show hosts. Since 2018 Scott has served as President of the Mid-York Circuit where he has been working daily to manage their organization during these unsettling times. In addition to serving on the Mid-York Board he has had the opportunity to be part of the WGI Advisory Board seven times over the past twenty-four years.

For the past twenty-one years, Scott has worked at The Edison Club, a privately owned country club in Rexford, New York. During his time there he has held three different positions. Director of Membership, Banquet Manager, and currently holds the position as Bookkeeper. His duties include management of the budget which encompasses eight departments, weekly payroll for approximately one hundred employees, banking, processing payables, reconciling their P&L on a monthly basis, cost analysis, as well as projection of revenue.

Scott will be overseeing Competition Suite next season for DCA as well. In his spare time Scott enjoys the theater, museums, cooking, and a good book. Drum Corps Associates wishes Scott the best of luck in his new role within DCA.

Bill Flaker

DCA Staff Writer