Percussion Palooza Judges

Genaro Cantu

Genaro is a retired band director and an active percussion performer, adjudicator and clinician based in central Illinois. He holds both a Bachelor's and a Master's degree in Music Education from Western Illinois University, where he studied percussion performance and pedagogy with Dr. Richard Cheadle and Dr. David Fodor, and instrumental music education with Dr. Jon Dugle and Dale Hopper. Over the course of more than 35 years in the field, he has taught, adjudicated and contributed to numerous clinics, performances and events, including marching band, and solo and ensemble contests, Illinois Music Education Association regional and statewide auditions, and presentations at the Illinois All-State Music Conference. He currently performs with the Prairie Wind Ensemble and the Brass Band of Central Illinois, and has appeared with the Peoria Symphony Orchestra, the Knox-Galesburg Symphony, and the wind ensemble and orchestra at Illinois Wesleyan University.

Matthew Eaton

Matt started his instrumental music teaching career in 1991 at Chadwick-Milledgeville School District #399 and held teaching positions at Meridian CUSD #223 and Freeport School District #145, all in Illinois. He retired after 34 years of teaching in 2025. Matt remains active as a private percussion teacher, performer, clinician and adjudicator around the northern Illinois area. He performs with the Crystal Lake Strikers Drumline, the Geneseo Knights Legacy Drumline, and the Phantom Regiment Alumni Corps for 2026. He also is principal percussionist for the Rock Valley College Concert Band and the Dixon Municipal Band. Matt is a graduate of Dixon High School, and holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Western Illinois University. He currently resides in Oregon, IL, with his wife Lisa, who is also a retired music educator.

Mr. Ryan Helenthal

Ryan Helenthal is a freelance percussionist in the Central Illinois area. He studied at Southern Illinois University- Edwardsville under Daniel Smithiger. Ryan served as principal percussionist for the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra in the 2014-2015 season. He was also principal percussionist for the St. Louis Brass Band. Other groups that Ryan has performed with include The Heartland Festival Orchestra in Washington, IL, The Agape Ringers in Chicago, IL and The Downtime Band in St. Louis, MO. Ryan has been active in musical theater, playing for The Clinton Area Showboat Theater, The City of Bloomington, Hard Road Productions, Looking Glass Playhouse Theatre, Community Players Theatre, St. Charles Community College, Illinois State University, and Southern Illinois University- Edwardsville. Ryan has also commissioned a work by Casey Cangelosi titled "Iktsuarpok."

Ryan also taught percussion and front ensemble at Alton High School in Alton, Illinois as well as front ensemble for Galesburg High School in Galesburg, IL. He was on faculty for the SIUE Percussion Institute for 2 years. Ryan has also participated in the accessories masterclass led by Phillip O'Banion of Temple University at PASIC. Over the years Ryan has studied with or taken lessons from Daniel Smithiger, Erick Saoud, Steven Hemphill, Ryan Lewis, Nancy Zeltsman, Mike Vercelli, Will James, Shannon Wood, Ryun Louie, Tom Marko, Amanda Legner, and Miles Vandiver.

Ryan is endorsed by Artifact Percussion and is a Beetle Percussion ambassador.

Mr. Gordon Warren

Mr. Gordon Warren is a retired music educator and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education from Illinois State University and an Master of Arts degree in Music Education from Vandercook College of Music in Chicago. He began his teaching career at Rock Falls High School in January of 1971 as the Assistant Band Director and Percussion Instructor under Mr. Richard C. Davis, and was also the Choral Director.

Mr. Warren thrived as the Assistant Marching Band Director. Mr. Davis imbued the Marching Rockets with the Blue Stars drum corps style, and Mr. Warren appreciated, respected and expected this in his teaching of the Marching Rockets. Furthermore, his drum lines featured more personnel and instrumentation than most marching bands, and they were the envy of many competitors. Two members of his percussion section marched in DCI finals: Tim Como (1974, Racine Kilties - 6th), and Ramiro Martinez (1975, Phantom Regiment - 10th). Ramiro Martinez succeeded Mr. Warren as Percussion Instructor at Rock Falls High School. The Davis and Warren era is considered by many the "Platinum Years" of The Rock Falls Marching Rockets: 1974 - Illini Marching Band Festival Governors' Trophy Champions; 1976 - Marching Bands of America Grand National Finalist. Mr. Warren also taught Music Theory, Music Appreciation, and directed the Jazz Ensemble at Rock Falls High School.

Mr. Warren later taught at Newton High School (Newton, Iowa); Jackson High School (Massillon, Ohio); and Bloomington High School (Bloomington, Illinois). He worked with many competitive high school drum lines and marching bands in Illinois and Iowa during his career: Rock Falls (Illinois); Dakota Marching Indians (Dakota, Illinois); Irving Crown Imperials (Dundee, Illinois); Newton (Iowa); Oskaloosa (Iowa), making them the dominant drum line in the state of Iowa; Brown County (Iowa); Webster City (Iowa), and Bloomington (Illinois).

Mr. Warren also was an adjunct faculty member for two colleges. He taught percussion lessons at William Penn College (now University) in Oskaloosa, Iowa, and percussion lessons and the percussion ensemble at Mt. Union College (now University of Mt. Union) in Alliance, Ohio.

Mr. Warren’s son, Mark, would grow up to march in the Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps snare drum line for two years. Mr. Warren currently resides in Bloomington, Illinois.