Stan Mauldin Joins Phantom Regiment While Rick Valenzuela Moves to System Blue

Photo of Rick and Lori Valenzuela.

Two long-time drum corps leaders have started in new positions with different organizations. Longtime Texas band director Stan Mauldin joins Phantom Regiment as the corps’ new executive director. He replaces Rick Valenzuela, who is now vice president of education and special projects at System Blue—part of BD Performing Arts.

Photo of Stan Mauldin.Mauldin, who previously worked with the Blue Knights and the Colts but most recently with Seguin (Texas) High School, started with Phantom Regiment when work on the 2020 season was already underway. “You feel like you’re getting on a rollercoaster in the middle of the ride,” Mauldin says.

Mauldin says that he is looking forward to charting a future for the organization in such quickly changing times and credits Valenzuela for leaving a great foundation of growth for the organization. “We want to use our expertise to help influence change in education,” he says.

Valenzuela says that he’s excited about similar elements in his new job as System Blue expands clinic offerings and builds partnerships with other artists and drum corps.

In addition, Valenzuela is director of the BD International Corps this year and plans to travel to Europe with 100 performers for almost six weeks during the summer. They will perform in five countries.

Valenzuela served as Phantom Regiment director since 2007 and says that he will miss the interactions. “Every member of the group I’ve ever had, I’ve always felt that they’re my own kids,” Valenzuela says. “I love watching their growth and success.”

Update from the Editor: Due to COVID-19, The Blue Devils canceled its 2020 European tour.

Photo of Rick and Lori Valenzuela courtesy of Liset Garcia.
Photo of Stan Mauldin courtesy of Jennifer Duenke.

About author

Kacie Brown

Kacie Brown was a member of the Pride of Broken Arrow from 2012 to 2016. She is now an associate instructor at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where she is pursuing a Master of Music degree in saxophone performance as a student of Dr. Otis Murphy. She completed a Bachelor of Music degree with a certificate in journalism at Indiana University in 2020. In 2019, she won the inaugural Elise Hall Competition for Emerging Saxophonists and has performed at the U.S. Navy Band International Saxophone Symposium, North American Saxophone Alliance Biennial Conference, and the Society of Composers, Inc., National Student Conference.