Instructor of the Year Award

MPA's memorial Instructor of the Year Award is named after Dick Rausch, who made tremendous contributions to the Minnesota drumline community and beyond as a long-time instructor and mentor. 

Each director of an MPA member ensemble is able to submit nominations and vote for the recipient of the award each year, so it is an honor given by the winner's peers.

Here are the recent recipients: 

• 2024: Joe Jaeger — River Valley Percussion Theatre of Elk River High School
• 2023: Justin Foell — MBI Winds
• 2022: Devon Melillo — Brandon Valley High School
• 2021: Ellie Mehr — Irondale High School
• 2019: Michael Brown — Grove Area Percussion and Grove Area Percussion 2
• 2018: Brian Veith — Dassel-Cokato High School
• 2017: David Schumann — Brookings High School, Groove Pursuit
• 2016: Bojan Hoover — River City Rhythm
• 2015: TJ Larum — Baldwin-Woodville High School, Phoenix Drumline
• 2014: Joe Asleson — Eden Prairie High School, Minnesota Brass Indoor
• 2013: Scott Palmer — Eden Prairie High School
• 2012: Rebecca Compton-Allen — Eden Prairie High School, Forest Lake High School
• 2011: Lee Krueger — Rochester-Lourdes High School
• 2010: Jade Warpeha — Dassel-Cokato High School
• 2010: Jordan Wein — Burnsville High School
• 2009: Bojan Hoover — Anoka High School
• 2008: Paul Weber — Irondale High School
• 2007: Beau Hansen — Becker High School
• 2006: Tom Gallus — Monticello Percussion Theatre