George Parks, Professor of Music at the University of Massachusetts/Amherst, has also been the director of the Minuteman Marching Band for over 30 years. He has been recipient of the University's Distinguished Teacher Award and the Chancellor's Medal for Distinguished Service. He has been named an Honorary Alumnus of the University of Massachusetts and been inducted into the Massachusetts Instrumental Conductor's Association Hall of Fame.

Professor Parks has conducted numerous district and regional bands in Massachusetts, Maine, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, as well as conducting the University Concert Band at UMass.

Over the years his involvement with Bowl Games of America has placed him at the helm of half-time productions for the National BCS Game, the Sugar, Orange, Carquest and Hall of Fame Bowl Games. In 2005 Professor Parks was Director of the Bands of America National Honor Band during their inaugural performance in the Tournament of Roses Parade. He will return as director in 2009 for the group’s second appearance.

Professor Parks has been featured in various instructional videos teaching drum majoring, leadership skills, and mace techniques, and has authored The Dynamic Drum Major, a text on the art of drum majoring. Mr. Parks was drum major of the West Chester University Golden Rams Marching Band, an 8 time recipient of the DCA World Championship Drum Major Award as drum major of the Reading Buccaneers Senior Drum and Bugle Corps and has been inducted into the Drum Corps Associates Hall of Fame.

Professor Parks is the nation's foremost authority on the art of drum majoring, and brings over 35 years of teaching and performing experience to the Drum Major Academy, instructing over 3000 drum major and band leadership students each year.