April is drum corps volunteer month on DCI.org. If you'd like to "nominate" a fabulous drum corps volunteer, send a writeup and a photo to content@dci.org. Pat Seidling, director of the Phantom Regiment, nominated John Baumgartner. Johnny, or JB as we call him here, began his drum corps career in the Madison Scouts, but in 1975 moved to Rockford to join the Phantom Regiment and be with his girlfriend Cyndi Anderson. They are now happily married, by the way!

John Baumgartner
JB played in the drum line in the Phantom Regiment, carrying the xylophone and even marching tympani! After aging out he stayed on as drum instructor, working for many years with acclaimed percussion instructors Marty Hurley, John Wooten and Jeff Prosperie. Over the past 25 years JB has held every role possible in the organization ... and all of it as a volunteer! He has been on the teaching staff, he has held board of directors positions and has chaired just about every committee in the organization. He is also active in the Phantom Regiment Alumni Association, an independent organization that creates social events for Regiment alums. JB spent many summers on tour as tour director, and was part of a successful four-man tour director rotation during the 1990s, including the 1996 Championship season. When the corps faced serious difficulties in the late 1990s, JB stepped up to the plate and took the role of corps director in 2000. His role was instrumental in the rebuilding of the organization to its current state of stability and success. JB currently serves on the corps' board of directors and is in his third year as chairman of our popular and successful DCI tour event, the "Shows Of Shows." he also helps coordinate the fall marching band festival and our newest event, "Drums Across The Tri-State," in West Virginia. JB and his wife, Cyndi, also regularly host staff and members at their beautiful country home whenever extended housing is needed. JB is not only a loyal and hard-working part of the Phantom Regiment organization, he is also one of the nicest guys you could meet, and has the unique skill of welcoming new people into the Regiment "phamily." JB is an employee of ADT Security Systems in lives in Stillman Valley, Ill., just outside of Rockford.