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The Professional Team
Chris Rugila - Director of Bands
Chris Rugila has been the Director of Bands at South Mecklenburg High School since 2009. Prior to his arrival at South Meck Mr. Rugila was the Director of Bands at Decatur High School and Middle School, a position he held from 2006-2009.Chris graduated Cum Laude from Eastern Michigan University in 2006. He holds a B.A. in Music Education. While at EMU he performed in the Symphonic Band, Wind Symphony, Marching Band, Symphony Orchestra, Collegium Musicum, and the Huron River Brass Quintet.
In addition to his public school experience, Chris spent two years as a performer with the Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps during the 2003 and 2004 seasons. He began his drum corps instructional career as a brass instructor with the Memphis Sound Drum and Bugle Corps in 2005 and served on the brass staff at Phantom Regiment as a mellophone tech for the 2008 and 2009 seasons. In 2010 Chris joined the brass staff at Atlanta CorpsVets.
Remaining active as a performer, Chris played French horn in the Quintessential Winds woodwind quintet and also in various orchestras and bands. He holds professional affiliations with Music Educators National Conference, North Carolina Bandmasters Association and South Central District Bandmasters Association.
In those moments when he is not instructing bands or teaching drum corps, Chris enjoys golfing and spending time with his wife Anna and his two dogs Toby and Jack.
Anna Rugila - Assistant Director
Anna Rugila attended Lincolnton High School and continued her education at Western Carolina University, pursuing a degree in Instrumental Music Education. Anna is a horn player and she also played mellophone during the marching season. She was a member of The Pride of the Mountains Marching Band where she held various leadership roles. Anna is currently the Tour Director for Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps and has been involved with the drum corps since 2006. She is a sister of Sigma Alpha Iota, an international music fraternity for women, and was a North Carolina Teaching Fellow.Anna and her husband reside in Rock Hill, SC with their two dogs, Toby and Jack.
Travis Simpkins - Percussion Director
Travis Simpkins has been an avid percussionist throughout South Carolina and started by participating in high school music ensembles during his middle school years. While in high school, he took great interest and chose to pursue music as a career choice. While at Spring Valley High School, he studied under Dr. Chris Lee, Cliff Sutton and Billy Sekhan. These instructors inspired him to start writing arrangements as soon as his junior year. He picked up a full music scholarship at Claflin University, but chose to continue his education at Coastal Carolina University under big names such as Kurry Seymour and Josh Hinkel from 2004 to 2008. He participated in many ensembles at Coastal Carolina Univerisity and also marched as center snare for the CCU Chanticleers all 4 years.In 2006, he marched for the WGI Indoor group Epiphany and in 2007, Founded his own independent Indoor group called "Area Effect" in Myrtle Beach as director and battery coordinator. He's worked with several high schools in South Carolina, such as North Myrtle Beach, Carolina Forest, Conway, Aynor, and West Florence, while also arranging (currently) for several other high schools in the midlands. This is his first year at South Meck and is really looking forward to working with the students long term under Chris Rugila's philosophies and making a difference.
Steven Rainville - Woodwind Instructor
Steven Rainville currently serves as the Director of Bands at Collinswood Language Academy in Charlotte, NC. He is originally from Eastern North Carolina.During his first year as Director of Bands at Collinswood Language Academy, the band program experienced unprecedented growth and received an outstanding rating at the SCDBA Music Performance Adjudication. Also, Steven was awarded First Year Teacher of the Year at Collinswood for the 2010-2011 school year.
Steven graduated from East Carolina University in May 2010. He graduated from the A.J. Fletcher School of Music with a Bachelor of Music in Music Education. During his time at East Carolina, Steven was heavily involved with both the athletic bands and concert ensembles. He is proud to be a Brother of Kappa Kappa Psi, a National Honorary Band Service Fraternity. Steven also attended East Carolina as a North Carolina Teaching Fellow.
Steven has been involved with several high school marching and performing ensembles including those of Bands of America Regional Champion Croatan High School, Havelock High School, as well as the WGI Bronze Medalist group Craven Indoor Percussion.
When he's not teaching band, Steven enjoys spending time with family and friends and playing his saxophone with the orchestra at Calvary Church. He looks forward to working with the students at South Mecklenburg High School.
Tracy Mossholder - Color Guard Director
Tracy was the Color Guard Director at South Meck from 2004-2008 and returned in 2011. While in high school in Indiana, Tracy was a member of her school's Color Guard and Winter Guard for all four years as well as participating as a member of the school's dance team. After high school, Tracy began teaching local high schools as a guard tech while attending college at Indiana University as well as marching the Independent World Class Color Guard, Adagio. She marched Adagio for two years as a member of the rifle and flag lines as well as being a featured dancer and flag soloist. After moving to North Carolina, Tracy continued teaching color guard as well as becoming High School A – Intermediate and High School A class representative and the North Carolina State representative for the Carolina Indoor Performance Association. She is currently one of the assistant directors and choreographers for Reynolda Independent A Winter Guard based out of Wake Forest University. Reynolda placed 14th in the World in the IA class in 2010 and 7th in the World in the IA class in 2011.Tracy graduated from Indiana University in 2002 with a B.A in Criminal Justice. She currently works full time as a receptionist at Ebenezer Animal Hospital in Rock Hill, SC. In addition to her full time job, Tracy also does choreography for several local programs and performs movement clinics for guard programs throughout North and South Carolina.
In her free time, Tracy enjoys spending time with her husband Kyle and their 3 dogs (Roxy, DJ and Sweet Pea) and 3 cats (Gracie, Max and Fritz). She also enjoys working out, taking dance classes and spending as much time as possible outside.
Brooke Bickelhaupt - Color Guard Tech
Brooke worked with the South Meck color and winterguards as a tech from 2005-2008, and rejoined the team in 2011. Brooke marched both fall and winterguards while in high school in Spartanburg, SC, and continued to march with independent winterguards during college. She was a flag, rifle, and sabre with Millenia Independent A winterguard, based out of Rock Hill, SC, in 1998. She was also a member of the flagline with Infiniti Independent A Winterguard in 1999, in which they placed 5th in the world at Winterguard International Championships, and in 2000, when Brooke and the rest of the Infiniti unit won the Gold Medal at WGI Finals. Brooke also started and maintained the Carolina Indoor Performance Association (CIPA) website from 1999-2001.Brooke graduated from Winthrop University in 2000 and 2004 with B.S. in Integrated Marketing Communications and Biology, respectively. She works full time as a surgical veterinary technician supervisor at a local veterinary specialty hospital. Brooke also co-founded and co-runs an animal rescue group - Save Just One - which is a small, foster-based animal rescue based out of Charlotte, NC.
When not working, rescuing, or teaching, Brooke enjoys spending time outdoors, reading, swimming, and enjoying the company of family, friends, and her many pets!
April Splawn - Color Guard Tech
April worked as a choreographer and tech for the South Meck colorguard and winterguard from 2005 – 2008. While in high school in Spartanburg, SC, April began competing in both fall and winterguards. During college she began teaching guard at high schools in the Spartanburg area. In 1999 she became a member of Infiniti Winterguard, an independent guard based out of Greenville, SC. During her years with Infiniti, the guard made finals in both Independent A and Open classes at Winterguard International Championships. In 2000, April and the rest of Infiniti placed first in the world and brought home a gold medal from WGI finals.April graduated in 2001 from Winthrop University with a BA in Psychology. She then continued her education at the University of South Carolina School of Law, earning her Juris Doctor degree in 2004. She chose to follow her passion for animals and now works full time as a Hospital Administrator for a veterinary hospital in Rock Hill, SC. April co-founded and co-runs Save Just One, an animal rescue group based out of Charlotte.
In her free time, she enjoys playing sports, hiking, being outdoors, and spending time with her 4 dogs, 3 cats, and her ever-changing foster pets.