David A. Parsons is a successful Marching Arts show designer. Though located in East Central Illinois, David has worked with ensembles and instructors all over the Eastern half of the United States, including ensembles in Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, South Carolina, and West Virginia.

Over the past 23 years, David has designed competitive shows for ensembles with a wide variety of proficiency levels; has instructed and designed for State Finalists in Illinois, Mississippi, New Jersey, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia including the regional circuits of MHSAA - MBA, MSBA, OMEA, SCBDA, TOB and USSBA.

He is nationally available for Show Design, Program Consultation & Development  as well as locally available for Drill Instruction, Marching Instruction and Adjudication. This local region would include the Midwest, Mideast and Midsouth areas, as available contracts permit.

Feel free to browse around this site. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact David via the E-mail link at the bottom of the page or through the Contact Information link.



 I am still accepting Drill Design commitments for the 2008 Marching Band season.  There are currently 2 contracts available as well as 1 or 2 special contract slots for Visual Caption Head.  These special slots will include not only Drill and initial Visual Design but also Camp Instruction (Marching and Drill) as well as regular competition season check-ups.  See the "Design Package" links for more details. 

I will work within most budgets so please don't hesitate to write or call !!!



2 New 2008 Indoor Animations can be seen through my YouTube site (listed to the left).

2007 Animations and a few Live performances have been posted. Follow the Samples link in the drop-down menu above or just visit my YouTube site (listed to the left).

Remembering Dale Hopper


The first time I had heard about Mr. Hopper was way back in 1982 when I attended my very first band camp at Western Illinois University. I remember him sitting in the room where there band was rehearsing. Dr. Jon Dugle (my HS Band Director) was rehearsing us then he introduced the band to him. Mr. Hopper joked that Dugle was HIS high school band director when he was in school. The band laughed knowing that Hopper was actually older than Dugle. Later that year, I played a marching band arrangement of his in the Danville High School Band Of Vikings.

I had a good musical education in high school and I knew about Hopper's great successes at Herscher High School, little did I know at the time he was making such a name for himself at WIU. I then went to college at WIU.

My first real playing experience there was taking the place of a Tubist who was unable to be at the concert. Mr. Hopper directed a piece called Laude by Howard Hanson. It was a wonderful experience, and to this day, because of that experience, it is my favorite concert band work.

My last experience with Mr. Hopper was my last Summer at WIU during Summer Music Camps. I was camp assistant director at the time. Somehow Mr. Hopper and I got into talking about Tennis. He challenged me to a game... we played and... he whipped my ass! That day he told me it was ok to call him Dale. I was honored to have ended my stay at WIU as the friend of such a great teacher and such a wonderful person.

You'll Never Walk Alone.