Phantom Regiment is pleased to announce the addition of Marie Grana Czapinski as a consultant to the visual team.

She will work with a design team that includes drill designer Dwight Emmert and visual coordinator Tony Hall.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to have Marie working with us,” said program coordinator Dan Farrell. “Her record speaks for itself and we look forward to benefitting from her many years of experience.”

Czapinski is well-known to drum corps fans as a visual judge for Drum Corps International as well as Bands of America and Winter Guard International. She was on her first DCI World Championships judging panels in 1976 and had been a fixture during championships week until as recently as the 2015 season.

It was the Norwood Park Imperials where she began as a marching member. Later she taught the Finleyville Royal Crusaders, Seneca Optimists, Madison Scouts and Spirit of Atlanta.

As a judge, Czapinski was noted for her ability to communicate clearly and concisely, the instructor at heart always eager to give the competing corps constructive feedback to improve future performances. She is widely respected for her knowledge, enthusiasm and honesty in her interactions with every drum corps, regardless of their level of accomplishment.

In more than 40 years as part of the judging community, she has served on various committees to revise and improve the DCI, BOA and WGI judging systems, as well as educate new and current adjudicators.

“Marie has been integral in mentoring countless new judges and was continually on the lookout for emerging talent to join our ranks,” DCI Judge Administrator John Phillips said.

With a penchant for continually educating herself with the latest skills and proficiencies in an ever-changing activity, Czapinski is one of only a small handful of judges who are qualified to judge each of Drum Corps International’s visual captions.

Marie is a co-founder of Winter Guard International and the only person to be elected to the hall of fame of each of the three elite pageantry arts organizations: WGI, BOA and DCI.