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Testimonials

Testimonials From My Marching Band Drill Clients

Feel free to email the directors below with any questions you have about my services.

I was a little concerned trying a new writer and using someone out of state, but Robert delivered on time with high quality charts that were ready to print and teach. Throughout the entire process, Robert was always accessible and helped with any question that might come up. He took the time to get to know the goals of our marching program and tailored the drill to meet those needs, even adjusting as the season progresses. Working with Robert turned out to be a big time saver and 1 less thing to stress about during a busy season.

We were the only band in our class and site that earned the highest possible rating!

THANK YOU for the amazing custom drill design! I LOVED the show and you gave me exactly what I asked for! The placement of instrumentation highlighted the musical features perfectly and helped with overall balance. The velocity of the drill gave us lots of enjoyment throughout the season! Our show design was hands-down way better than any other group we competed against all season regardless of class size! Tons of compliments about the designs! The horn line visual package was great as well—you’ve teamed up with some amazing people! We placed 1st in 4 different competitions this year!

Robert has written for our small competitive band for years and is very responsive to our needs. He pays great attention to show plans and “vision” and accommodates the details. He is very personable in communication and promptly responds to questions, comments or concerns. The drill is dynamic and current. Over the years we have asked for retro work as well as contemporary and, either way, the work is consistent and reliable.

Our band has used RMS drill design for the past four years and are looking forward to many more. Robert is easy to work with and showcases the strengths of our small band. With his help, our band has earned back to back state grand champions in the small band division.

Robert is a true professional. The marching band drill we received from him was on-time, complete and without error. He incorporated every concept we requested and followed all of the guidelines that we set. In addition, the drill was very effective and went on the field quickly and easily. Robert clearly understands how to generate velocity in movement on the field and how to maximize the effectiveness of a band’s musical program.

Robert has written drill for my band for the last 12 years. Each drill has been a fantastic visual representation of the music that my kids were playing. The drill is very easy to teach and fits my students’ ability level perfectly. His directions on each chart are perfectly clear and aide in the quick learning of each drill. Robert has always provided my band with a great product for my students with incredibly professional and timely service. I can’t wait for my kids to learn another marching band drill by RMS Visual Designs.

Just wanted to say that Robert has written drill for our band for the past three seasons. We are a program that is building and growing after suffering years of inconsistency with regards to both staff and school policy. Robert has always done a great job writing drill for my students. He sends drill that works for us. We received great drill for small bands when we were small, and we received great drill for a growing but young band when we were growing and young. He is extremely knowledgeable and is very sensitive to the needs of the groups he writes for. Everything I have gotten has been teachable, cleanable, and effective. We always get at least one positive judge’s comment on our drill design.

As a director of a small school band, I appreciate the attention Robert gives to our special needs. His flexibility in operating within our time frame and his willingness to adjust his drill to accommodate for the problems inherent in small groups is why he gets our business. (customer for the past 12 yrs)

Mr. Strunks is exceptionally easy to work with, designing creative shows that work well for students. I have worked with him for 7 years and he has consistently provided marching band shows that are learnable while also being entertaining to the audience. He has perfected the level of challenge necessary to keep our students working hard while also allowing them to be successful. We consistently get positive reviews from visiting bands and have even had directors specifically request contact info for Mr. Strunks.

This is the first year we have used RMS visual design. I was VERY impressed by how effective the marching band drill was and how well it fit our music! We had our highest Visual Effect score in 5 years this year!

I have worked with Robert over the past 10 years and it has always been a pleasure. He is on time and trustworthy. His work ethic is amazing and results are outstanding. Robert always takes time to listen to your needs and makes them happen. He is creative and really understands correct placement of instrumentation on the field. After moving to the college level, I am still using him to write our winter percussion drill. We do not have a marching band at this point, but as soon as we do I will be having him design our marching band drill. While at the high school level my group won 4 Western Band Association Class 4A Championships within 6 years using his drill. I recommend Robert without hesitation.

Michael Tackett
College of the Sequoias, California
Former Director at EL Diamante HS (145+ marching)
559-730-3772
michaelt@cos.edu

After just one season of working with Robert Strunks, it is absolutely clear that he is everything that you want in a professional marching band drill designer. In addition to being organized and punctual, Robert’s attention to detail ensures that you get quality drill that is both legible and teachable. Robert also demonstrated tremendous flexibility in terms of making drill that is both musically and visually effective, yet very doable. We look forward to having Robert as a part of our team in the future.

Just a quick note of thanks for helping the Discoverer Marching Band achieve at a high level once again this year. We just completed our finals contest of the year scoring 81.6 points and earning our 6th consecutive superior rating.Your drill did more than provide a visual vehicle for “Chronometry” it put the right instruments in the right place for our musical performance to remain effective. The guard integration was an extremely strong point for us throughout the year as well.Thank you for your willingness to be a part of our team and for working so hard for us through the years. Have a great winter, we will be in touch once we start to plan for the 2020 season.

I have been using RMS Visual Designs for the past four years and I love the quality of the marching band drill I receive every year. Mr. Strunks works with me to make sure the band is doing exactly what I need them to throughout the show. His drill fits the phrasing and style of the music flawlessly. I also take advantage of the added horn line visuals. This takes the burden out of coming up with visuals on your own and takes you show to another level. I highly recommend RMS Visual Designs to any high school marching band director.

When I made the decision to give up writing drill Robert was the first person I called. As a former band director he understands the challenges teaching and cleaning drill can present and charts accordingly. He will customize the difficulty level of drill for your group without sacrificing visual effect. I have always found Robert to be very professional and my drill is always delivered on time. I highly recommend his services. ¬ You won’t be disappointed!

Jeff Bright, Ph.D.
Associate Director of Bands Western Kentucky University (198 marching)
jeff.bright@wku.edu

I cannot tell you how happy I was with the marching band show that you wrote for our band! We placed second overall and won the outstanding music and marching captions! The students loved marching the drill and it went on the field very quickly. We would never have been successful without your great visual designs!

Pocatello did very well last season. We won 4 out of the 5 contests we entered. We won outstanding music and percussion at every contest. You did a great job of staging the band for maximum musical effect. I have found working with you to be a very enjoyable experience. I hope that you will continue to write drill for us.Thanks!

The drill has been easy to teach and clean, and our marching scores have increased greatly in the 3 years that we have used his drill. We have had wonderful results in our competitive seasons and the drill has had a huge influence on that.

Our marching band experienced its first ever undefeated season this year. Over the course of three competition weekends in October, our 40 piece band (with 19 wind players) won against a total of 11 single A bands in addition to receiving recap scores higher than many AA, AAA, AAAA, and AAAAA groups (with over 100 winds and 200 performers). Much of this can be attributed to your well-written drill that was aesthetically pleasing while also being achievable for young students (we marched ten eighth graders- 10% of the band!). Thanks for your great work!

I have worked with Robert Strunks since 1989 and can attest to his competency in writing drill for marching band. He can do great work with just your audio and scores OR he can work closely with you to bring your specific vision and ideas to life. Either way Mr. Strunks is easy to work with and can write for ALL levels of ability and size of group. Consummate pro!!

Robert Strunks has written all our drill for the past two years, and it has been an excellent experience, as well as being a large factor in our competitive success in class 2A. I had written my own drill for the previous four years, and not only did I view it as mostly a chore, I also knew that a professional could write far better and more competitive drill. Robert was recommended to me, and after meeting him and discussing my program, we began to plan for the upcoming year’s show. He has created drill for my band that fits our needs, is visually exciting to our audience, and is challenging at just the right level. He has always met my deadline requirements, and made any adjustments in numbers I needed as well. Our contest judges have consistently said “love your drill”. Most importantly, our parents and football audiences have been impressed with the level of marching and showmanship that Robert’s writing has made possible.Thank you, Robert!

Having been removed from high school marching band for several years, I needed to find a drill designer that would be easy to work with and sympathetic to my needs as a “new” director with a newer program. Robert came highly recommended from several of my colleagues that have used his services in the past. Not only was Robert easy to work with, he delivered a fantastic show that was right in line with the ability and needs of my students. I was truly impressed by his willingness to listen and adjust the show design as needed. Robert was very sensitive to my time line and always delivered his product on-time. He never missed a deadline. It is without a doubt that I can recommend Robert Strunks for your visual needs. You will NOT be disappointed!

James O’Halloran, Director of Bands
Boulder Creek High School (87 Marching)
Anthem, AZ

“Kudos to Robert Strunks and RMS Visual Designs. Robert has been our drill designer for the last 8 years and has been an integral part of our success. His drill is always unique, innovative, and competitive, which sets us apart from other groups in any classification. He works well with specific aspects of the drill that we request, and has always been available to us if we need anything. It is indeed a pleasure to work with Robert.”

Robert Garza, Director of Bands
Rio Hondo ISD 2nd place Texas State Finals 3A (Customer for 9 Years)
Rio Hondo has been in State Finals for the past 4 state years. 2006, 2008 and 2010, 2012.

“The drill had the right people in the right place at the right time. Robert listened to all of our requests and the drill had great flow and was written at the correct difficulty level. The drill was very effective and easy to clean. As a result we had a VERY successful competitive season- the best year for the school yet!”

Joe Wesche
Turpin High School, Ohio (120+ Marching)

I cant begin to tell you how impressed I am with the quality of writing that Robert does for my marching band. Over the years, I have employed several different drill writers (including a Top 12 Drum & Bugle corps caption head) and have never been this satisfied with my visual presentation. His drill designs incorporate many original ideas and his visual presentations incorporate some of the best flow and transition I have ever seen. His shows clean very quickly and easily as a result. Robert’s shows have helped us to dramatically improve our marching execution during the past two years that he has written for us, culminating this year with an overall 3rd place finish in the Louisiana Showcase of Marching Bands, which is the premier marching band event in the state of Louisiana. You can rest assured we will continue to keep him busy writing for our band program. Thanks, Robert.

David Rosenthal
Hahnville High School, Louisiana

I have been using RMS Visual Design for the last 8 years and, without exception, Robert has given me drill that compliments the music extremely well and brings out the best in my students. They are challenged, but not overwhelmed, and always enjoy working through his drills. He has made my job a lot easier.

Martin Frye
Ralston High School, Nebraska

RMS Visual Designs gave us fantastic drill! The drill was WRITTEN EXACTLY to our specifications, and was delivered on time and on budget. I would highly refer RMS to any of my colleagues!

Gregory X. Whitmore
Cathedral City High School, California

The purpose of this letter is to thank you for writing our marching drill design. I appreciate your flexibility and professionalism. Throughout the years, our visual performance scores have greatly improved. Many have noted the creativity and thought that is put into the field design. Working with you has benefited my students greatly, as you have been willing to work with me in designing the drill to showcase their strengths. I look forward to working with you again next year.

Karl Smith
Vinton-Shellsburg HS, Iowa

Thanks Robert for the outstanding marching band drill design concepts that you have written for our band during the past 9 years. Our students have been very successful using Robert’s drill. Our band is a Tournament of Bands (TOB) member and competes in the 350 member TOB circuit in the mid-atlantic. Over the last 8 years, our band has qualified for the Atlantic Coast Championship five times and much of this success is due to Robert’s creative drill. Visual design has become a big part of our success. Visual judges have given our shows very positive comments and the readability of our visual program has been complemented frequently. I have also found Robert to be the consummate professional and very easy to work with. We plan to continue using Robert’s services for our visual program. It is with the highest regard that I recommend RMS Visual Design by Robert Strunks.

Jeff Caplinger
Elkins High School, West Virginia

I love working with RMS Visual Designs! With the help of RMS Visual Design our band has come from a “Good” band to a “Superior” band.

Gino Hernandez
Kingman High School, Arizona

Older Customer testimonials:

I was extremely satisfied with our marching band drill design this year. Our band won high music, high visual, high general effect, and 1st place at the Oklahoma Bandmaster’s State Marching Championships. They also won the Grand Championship at the Cotton Bowl. I feel that a large part of the credit goes to our drill designer, Robert Strunks. Robert was very interested in following every request made. Our show contained variety, continuity and energy. It was written at the specified level of difficulty and was very easy to teach. His prices are very reasonable, and most importantly, the drill was delivered on time! I also appreciated the genuine interest he took in our program and his desire to please. Any director would be pleased with Robert Strunks / RMS Visual Designs.

Martin King
Carl Albert High School
Midwest City, Oklahoma

I want to thank you for the outstanding marching band drill design that you produced for our band during the last two years. Our visual program has improved enormously since we turned to you for our drill design. Our seven first place finishes out of nine contests in the last two years can be directly attributed to your creativity of design and the beautiful way that you handle the transitional flow. Visual judges have given our program very positive and favorable critiques. They constantly site the drill design as on of the strengths of our foot and visual program. I am more than happy to give my highest recommendation and I am willing to talk to anybody that has any questions about RMS.

Steve Connell, Director
MOC-Floyd Valley HS Band (170+ marching)
Orange City, Iowa

I had been writing my own drill for 22yrs and I was a bit skeptical of anyone else writing for my band. Having a smaller band of around 50, horn and percussion placement is very important. This year was a great year not spending my summer charting and then we won 3 first places in class B at OMEA, qualified for state finals and then won the Massilon Regional Bands of America class A Championship. Robert’s charting was outstanding. He put our players where they needed to be when they needed to be there. Charting was concise so teaching the drill was easy. He also adjusted numbers of players with a one-day notice in an emergency for me. The service was great and I enjoyed working with Robert. I look forward to my show being charted by RMS till I retire. I would recommend his marching band drill design services to anyone.

Wes Henry, Director of Bands
Chippewa H.S., Doylestown OH

I have known Robert for several years. He is a very organized person with a very professional approach to his business as a marching band show designer. I have been recommending his marching band drill design services to many band directors throughout the country over the past few years. I have had nothing but positive feedback from his customers. They have told me he has designed the best shows they have ever done. Because of his knowledge of how to communicate drill movements through his drawings and directions his drills are easy to execute. He has experience with bands of every size and difficulty level. I highly recommend Robert to design a show for your band. His honesty, experience and creative ability represent his highest qualities.

Dan Ryder
Ryder Field Drills (celebrating 38 years in the drill design business)
Austin, TX

Thank you so much for doing our marching band drill design this past season. The band had its most successful marching season ever. The band finished 1st on the field at 4 of its 5 competitions. The band also earned the Grand Champion Award at 3 of the 5 competitions, as well as several awards for best general effect and best marching. These awards are a direct result of having a very good drill for the students to march, and having the right players where they should be for the audience to hear the most important parts. Our students enjoyed marching the drill much more than they have in the past. I enjoyed teaching the marching more than any time before. Our band has been solid in the past, but with your drill our band was able to achieve great performances all year long, not just at the last performance. Thank you for all of your time and effort helping our band!

Ken Hansen, Director of Bands
Odessa MO

Robert’s marching band drill design is high quality. I felt very comfortable communicating my ideas to him and working out visual concepts. He is dependable, highly professional and returns communications promptly. My staff and I were very satisfied with the product.

James McGarvey, Director of Bands
Susquehannock High School
Glen Rock, PA

I want to thank you for the outstanding marching band drill design concepts that you wrote for our band during the last two years. Our students found the drill much easier to learn since RMS took over our visual program. Our band is a Tournament of Bands (TOB) member and competes in the 450 member TOB circuitregard that I in the Mid-Atlantic. Over the last two years, our band has qualified for the Atlantic Coast Championship and this year scored all-time highs in most captions . Visual design was a big part of our success. Visual judges have given our show very positive comments and the readibility of our visual program has been complemented frequently. I have also found you to be the consumate professional and very easy to work with. We plan to continue using your services for our visual program. It is with the highest recommend RMS Visual Design.

Jeff Caplinger
Elkins West Virginia

Robert Strunks has designed my bands marching drill for the past 4 years. His work is of the highest quality and is delivered in a timely fashion. Since he has designed for my bands we have scored higher in visual and GE scores at the competitions we have attended. I feel very confident to recommend Robert to any one looking for a quality/reliable drill designer

Matt Caldwell
Beggs HS Band

I have utilized Robert as marching band drill designer for our band since 1994. During that time he has demonstrated the ability to construct marching drill that has spanned the spectrum from conservative without losing interest to highly complex and intricate. Robert has been highly effective in incorporating all aspects of our band’s program i.e. winds, percussion, guard, etc. I am very proud to say that through Roberts creative and imaginative drill our marching band received the high visual caption at the 2000 O.B.A. State Marching Championship. He has been invaluable as an advisor and will take every precaution to work out potential problems ahead of time and before you present the drill to your students. He is also very punctual in the manner in which the drill is delivered to you.

Ron Smith, Director
Muldrow High School Band (80 Marching)

For the past 9 years Robert has been the drill designer for my marching band. During that time the band has grown from about 40 members to a group of 80. My band represents a unique situation. It consists of members from grades 7-12. With that wide range of maturity and ability it is a big challenge for the drill designer to write a show that is both attainable to the youngest members and still challenging and exciting for the veterans. Robert has mastered this task. Through creative staging and careful attention to placement of individuals within the framework of the group, he is able to present a visual package that is exciting to march, entertaining to watch and attainable for everyone involved. During the last few years we have increased both the amount of movement in our shows and the difficulty. Robert has done a wonderful job of making sure that the band was always challenged, but never set up for failure. During the time he has been writing our shows, we have received First Division Superior Ratings from every judge at every contest we have performed in. I credit much of our success to his abilities. He is a vital part of our program and I highly recommend his services.

Chase Carter
Lavaca Arkansas

As a high school band director I have usually written my own drill (17 yrs), but have recently found the task to be losing its excitement for me. Consequently, the creative process of writing drill became more and more difficult. I want to credit Robert Strunks with allowing me to re-focus on my students by managing the drill writing task for band for the last 2 years.We have a smaller band (52 in 99 and 66 for 2000) which is in growth mode. Robert has succeeded in writing drill that is appealing, easy to teach and clean, and that is attractive to audiences and judges alike.I have no doubt that Robert will again put his considerable expertise to work in crafting another fine fall production for us in 2001. His flexibility in marching band drill design allows me to effectively incorporate students of many different levels of marching and playing ability. I strongly recommend his work to you as professionally done, prompt, and visually exciting. His visual design service has made fall marching band enjoyable for me again.

David L. Jones
Director- Johnson High School Band (66 marching)
Gainesville, GA

As a marching band director, I am very busy with all that is involved in creating, organizing, and implementing a competitive marching show. I am also very selective in every aspect of my program, so it is not easy for me to relinquish any responsibility. I custom arrange the music for my band and I expect the drill to fit my band as well as the music. Robert far exceeds that expectation. His drill fits not only the music, but also the band itself. He drills are very creative and effective. He is very successful at writing drill that looks difficult, but which is very obtainable by every member of the band. Robert takes special care to make sure that each member of the band is able to reach their destination without difficulty. Robert spends a great deal of time communicating with me during the drill writing process. He is always open to suggestions and he is willing to customize the drill in any way necessary. He gets a real feel for what I like and what works for my group. My band has been very successful with his drill. We were awarded Grand Champion at NSU Marching Festival this year, and would not have been able to do so without his exquisite drill. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to call.

Mark Poole
Jasper High School Band
Jasper, TX

The Coweta band has been using Robert Strunks for marching band drill design for the past two years with great success, both with the home football crowd as well as in competition. We have been a finalist at 4A-5A OBA contest the past two years finishing 1st runner-up in 5A this year and 3rd overall, as well as earning Superior ratings at OSSAA contest both years. Robert is very easy to work with and very conscientious about making sure we are happy with the finished product. He has been willing to work with us if changes in numbers are made on our part and works hard to stay on the cutting edge of his craft. Robert is also great at getting drill to us on schedule. This past year we requested to have our drill by July 1st and Robert was happy to accomodate. I plan on using Robert as our drill designer for many years to come.

Tim Brandt, Director of Bands
Coweta Schools

Robert – Just a quick note to thank you for our drill design. The drill was very well written, it was both easy to teach and to clean. Our group had half of the show on the field before we finished band camp. the drill was well received by our band parents and judges alike. We competed at five marching contests this fall including the UIL State contest in Texas and the Bands of America contest in San Antonio where we captured several marching captions as well as, the general effect captions. We received comments from adjudicators on both the movement and flow of the drill. Thank you again I can’t wait to see what our show looks like this fall.

Jim Cude, Director of Bands
Whitesboro High School
Whitesboro, Texas

Robert, Thanks for the outstanding work you did on our 2002 marching drill. You took the ideas I had and plugged them into your drill design. It wasseamless! The drill made sense, not only to the students learning and marching it, but also to the audiences that got to see it! You really helped us do the best job we could of putting our music in motion. It was very enjoyable to watch. Preparing for any fall marching season is a bear. With your help, this was as close to painless as it gets for a busy band director. Thanks again for helping us have such a successful year!

Mike Lewis
Burnet TX

Robert’s drill design was top notch..he gave us what we asked for and then some. The drill was flexible and easy to read, and most importantly, made musical sense. Robert was always available by phone or fax to answer any questions.

Joe Menchaca
Nikki Rowe HS, McAllen TX

Thank you for the outstanding drill that you designed for our competition show this past year. The drill flowed exceptionally well between sets which made teaching the drill much faster and easier. The students were able to commit the drill to memory very fast due to your skill and insight. You designed a drill that was exactly what I asked for and more. It was not only appealing to the judges but also to our typical home audience. The musical effect combined with the musical impact of our selections was outstanding. It is obvious that you stay on the cutting edge of drill design yet make your work extremely accessible to a high school program. I have and will continue to recommend your services to any high school that is or has aspirations of becoming a competitive marching unit.

BJ McCarter, Archbishop Rummel
New Orleans, Louisiana

Robert has been charting our shows for the past ten years. Our band size has been between 200 and 250 students split into 2 periods. These 2 groups must rehearse at different times during the day. We give Robert our instrumentation and show music by the end of May and request that he places the sections of our band in the right place at the right time. Every year by the first of August or sooner he has met our deadline. The drill is in order and everything is ready to be taught to the band. I highly recommend Robert because he stays on top of marching band trends, he is highly organized, he always works closely with us to customize the drill to our needs, he is highly dependable, he is a super musician and he understands the world of band and the needs of school teachers. Most importantly his service frees up our time so we can concentrate on teaching music to our students.

Travis Beard, Head Director
Russellville, AR