Alice Hays

Alice has participated in competitive music activities since 1987. She received the bulk of her experience with the Southern California Velvet Knights Drum and Bugle Corps in the late 80s-90s although she also had valuable experiences with The Musketeers and Anozira-both from Arizona. While she began her journey in the percussion section, she ultimately transitioned into winter guard and color guard. She was fortunate enough to teach a number of color guards in Arizona and was a founding instructor for eXaltation winterguard.

She also worked with the Colts color guard prior to having her daughters. As the founding president of the Winter Guard Assocation of Arizona, she saw a need for judges while the circuit was in its infant stages.  She, along with other founding board members, brought in multiple experts to train judges, and her own judging knowledge and experience grew along with the circuit.

2024 will be Alice’s eighth year of judging for WGI, and her 16th year judging pageantry. Alice was recently elected Department Chair of Teacher Education, and is currently an Associate Professor at California State University, Bakersfield. She is passionate about literacy and education and feels that the qualities forwarded by the marching arts positively contribute to these ideals.