Testimonials

“Thank you so very much, Mike! This drill has been awesome, intuitive, and easily learnable so far and I truly appreciate it.  It has made this band camp smoother sailing than last year’s, and the forms and sets are looking great.  One thing I particularly appreciate is that your forms work well for our small numbers.  Some drill we’ve had in the past has been, perhaps, too elaborate or far reaching for us to pull off well AND is too difficult to see well with our small numbers. I love how effective your drill is.”

Dr. Alyssa Schwartz

Fairmont State University

 

“Working with Mike made my first year as a marching band director a great experience! He made the whole process very smooth and approachable with how knowledgeable and adaptable he was. Throughout the process of collaborating, he was great at talking through the creative process to realize the vision we had for our show. He was also VERY efficient when we had a delay in the last part of our music and got the drill out quickly, yet with quality and finesse. ”

Madeline Swartz,

Atholton HS, Maryland

“In an emergency situation where I needed drill for 160+ university marching band, I turned to Mike to write our first and second show of the season. Mike delivered professional level drill just a few days later that saved the start of our season. I really appreciated his level of communication throughout the process, including a 1-on-1 consultation with me on how to teach specific aspects of his drill.

If you are looking for someone to help your ensemble, you can’t find anyone better than Mike.”

Dr. Christopher Butler

Southern Illinois University

 “It has been a fantastic experience working with Mike this season. He is very responsive to my requests during this year of director transition and has gone out of his way to make the transition easier for my students.  He is an excellent communicator and an extremely knowledgeable writer–answering my questions and offering suggestions for music edits as well as staging and visuals.  We are a small, rural 2A school and Mike’s understanding of our needs and challenges have made teaching and learning drill much easier for my kids.”

Lori Jech

Windthorst HS, TX

“Mike wrote the drill for the US Army Field Band’s performances at the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo in 2022. His vision created an incredible product that was enjoyed by over 240,000 live audience members and millions more from the BBC broadcast of the show.  Mike was able to ingeniously marry the drill and body movements to the diverse music selections. He successfully highlighted the strengths of our ensemble full of professional musicians to the delight of 9,000 people each night. His drill was simple, yet effective, which ensured that we performed to the best of our ability every night, musically and visually.  The crowd pleasing result of his work represented not only the Army Field Band, but all of the United States at this international event. We couldn’t have asked for a better product than what Mike provided us.”

MSG Robert Marino, The US Army Field Band

Washington, D.C.

“Working with Mike this year has been phenomenal! When our original plan for drill didn’t work out, Mike was more than willing to step in last minute before our Band Camp to get us out on the field learning our show. Even with his busy schedule, Mike has continuously checked in to make sure everything is going well and offer any help or solutions he can. Mike is extremely knowledgeable, not just about drill writing but also what it takes to be a band director and the challenges we face. This is my band’s first year in our local competitive circuit and Mike has gone out of his way to ensure we have a successful season. I can’t recommend his services enough!”

Shauna Snyder,

Sterling HS, Colorado

 “It has been an absolute pleasure working with Mike. He is a great communicator and is incredibly knowledgeable. Even with instrumentation challenges in our program post-COVID and after a director transition, Mike went out of his way to make sure we would have a successful and challenging program that fit the needs of our students. He frequently checked in to make sure that we had everything we needed, and took the time to sit down for a design meeting once the drill was written. I appreciate the genuine concern he shows for the success of my band program. He’s everything you want in a drill writer!”

Cameron Garris,

Jordan HS, Durham NC

 “Mike works tirelessly to make sure you get a product that is cohesive to the overall design of the show. His drill is musical, logical, and effective. He sets performers up for success by ensuring the drill is tailored to your performers. I am thrilled my students get the opportunity to work with Mike.”

Brendan Vincent,

Prairie Central HS, IL

“It has been a pleasure working with Mike this season! He has been a wonderful collaborator. Mike did an excellent job taking the vision we had for our students and making it possible through the drill. He worked quickly and efficiently to make sure all of our needs were met. My students LOVE the drill! I highly recommend him for any band program! ”

Kayla Marshburn

Heide Trask HS, NC

“Our band experienced a very last-minute drill emergency and Mike was able to create a complete show in less than week’s time! He contributed greatly to our creative concept and helped build cohesion throughout our show.  Mike is responsive, professional, experienced and well worth the price! We can’t wait to employ his drill on the field in the coming weeks plan to utilize his gifted services next season”.

— Meara Mitchell

NKCSD Instrumental Music Coordinator

SHS Band Director

 David Seifert

Spring Valley HS, Las Vegas NV

“Thank you soooo much! This looks very nice and achievable. It was well received by our audience and the band made superior ratings in marching & maneuvering and general effect. We have had an excellent year in many ways and the group is gaining confidence and maturity. We participated in the Panama City Beach Music Festival and earned straight superior ratings.”

Stephen Herring, Director of Bands Pasco High School, Pasco Florida

“If you’re looking for drill that’s functional, artistic, and perfectly tailored for your band, look no further than Mike Gillespie. Mr. Gillespie is professional, extremely easy to work with, and will be helpful with and throughout every aspect of your show design process. He writes award-winning drill that will perfectly express your concept. I wouldn’t trust anyone else with my shows.”

– Christian McIvor, Southwest Guilford High School

“Mike, I love the drill! It supports the drama and depicts the drama! And still keeps our medium-sized band near the audience. I’m just now looking it over with the show in mind. I love this! This is going to be a wonderful musical and dramatic moment for us. Your drill here really serves the drama and I appreciate that immensely. I love it AS IS! Your staging here is perfect!”

– Robert Hunter, Enloe High School

“Enloe band is looking and sounding good for so early. Drill is excellent.”

– Tom Jenner, NC music educator

“Mike’s drill flows from impact to impact with precise attention to staging, visual clarity, integration and musical line. Paying attention to individual step-size and coordinates, Mike’s drill practically cleans itself.”

– Charles Patton, Corps Director, Carolina Gold/South Brunswick HS

“Mike Gillespie can fulfill your drill needs in any type of situation. In our experience we have asked much of him and also given him complete control over the drill formations. In both cases we been very pleased with the results. His timeliness and ability to be flexible during band camp makes him a great deal for the money! I definitely plan on using him as a drill/visual designer in the future.”

– Kenny Butler, Southwest Guilford HS