JW has decades of experience as a drum corps percussionist, educator, consultant, adjudicator, and administrator. He was elected to the DCI Board of Directors in 2023. His Mandarins involvement extends back to when his daughter was in the guard. JW was appointed Mandarins Corps Director in 2015. Under his leadership, the Mandarins placed 13th at the 2017 DCI World Championships, and in 2018 placed 10th at Finals for the first time in the Mandarins’ then 55-year history. The corps repeated its 10th place Finalist finish in 2019 and 2022. When the drum corps activity emerged from the COVID pandemic in 2021, JW and his team led the Mandarins to the DCI Celebration Tour with a field production as entertaining and exciting as previous Mandarins shows.
J.W. Koester, a long-time educator, consultant, adjudicator, pageantry professional & percussionist since 1971, has many years of management experience behind him.
Koester has performed with such groups as the Santa Clara Vanguard Drum & Bugle Corps (during which time the Corps won 3 DCI World Championships & 5 Best Percussion Section Awards), the San Jose State University Marching Band, and the West Valley College Wind & Percussion Ensembles, as well a numerous Community Theater Musical Productions.
In his years as a designer, instructor & consultant he has worked with several top Drum & Bugle Corps, including Spirit of Atlanta, the Santa Clara Vanguard, the Glassmen, and the Vanguard Cadets, as well as numerous Marching Bands, Winter Guards & Winter Percussion Ensembles in California, Nevada & Hawaii. Koester has over 35 years experience as an adjudicator of Marching Band, Drum & Bugle Corps, Winter Guard and Winter Percussion Festivals & Competitions throughout the Western United States (including the State Championships for Arizona & Colorado).
He has also served in the capacity of Director or in management of such well-known pageantry organizations as the 6-time World Champion Santa Clara Vanguard Drum & Bugle Corps (including the 1999 DCI World Championship Corps), the Glassmen Drum and Bugle Corps, the multi-time DCI Division II Finalist Vanguard Cadets Drum & Bugle Corps, and the 6-time World Champion San Jose Raiders Winter Guards. Previously, he served as Drum Corps International Division II & III National Coordinator.