Bobby Ohtsuki

Bobby was born 1961 in Kyoto, Japan. His first experience in music was playing the violin as a child. As a high school student he enrolled at Otani High School and joined the concert band as a french horn player. After graduating high school, he entered Kinki University in Osaka and was a member of the wind ensemble which went to the All Japan Band Contest and won the gold medal two consecutive years.

After leaving Kinki University he returned to Otani High School as an alumnus to teach the marching band and began designing the visual program. At the same time, he attended the DCI World Championships for the first time and was heavily influenced by the Bridgemen Drum and Bugle Corps. Upon returning to Japan, he founded the Kyoto Jokers Drum and Bugle Corps where in three years, he took his corps to the All Japan Marching Band Association's National Contest. Later he was invited to become the director at Osaka's Meijo Gakuin High School to be recognized as one of the top high school bands in Japan. During his tenure at Meijo Gakuin High School, the band competed for five years at the national level in both the All Japan Band Association and All Japan Marching Band Association national competitions. In December 1994, Meijo Gakuin traveled to the United States to be Japan's representative in the 1995 Tournament of Roses Parade. During their visit they participate in the National Holiday Bowl Music Festival where they were honored as the festival's "Grand Champion."

In 1995 he left Meijo Gakuin and traveled to the United States to tour with the world-champion Concord Blue Devils where he became an apprentice to Mr. Todd Ryan to learn more about teaching and writing drill designs. In 1997 he co-founded Yamato Drum and Bugle Corps and became its program director and drill designer. In eight years of competing in DCI Division 3, Yamato has won the Silver Medal twice, the Bronze Metal twice, Finalist status six times and two Spirit of Disney Awards.

Since 1995, he has served as drill designer for many marching bands and drum corps that have competed at national competitions. In 1999, Field and Floor Magazine nominated his drill design as "Best Drill Design" when the Yokohama Scouts traveled to Madison, WI for the 1999 DCI World Championships.

Marching Band

  • Hamamatsu Commercial High School - Shizuoka, Japan
  • Hoshino Girls High School - Saitama, Japan
  • Kinki University - Osaka, Japan
  • Kobe Gakuin University - Osaka, Japan
  • Kosei High School - Shiga, Japan
  • Kyoto Meitoku High School - Kyoto, Japan
  • Levelland High School - Levelland, Texas
  • Lindbergh High School - St. Louis, Missouri
  • Meijo Gakuin High School - Osaka, Japan
  • Otani High School - Kyoto, Japan
  • Soka Shining Spirits - Tokyo, Japan

Drum & Bugle Corps

  • G-Pulsation - Ishikawa, Japan
  • Jokers - Kyoto, Japan
  • Sabre Dance - Hakodate, Japan
  • Soka Chubu First Stars - Nagoya, Japan
  • Soka Kagoshima Southern Blaze - Kagoshima, Japan
  • Soka Kansai Josho Sounds - Osaka, Japan
  • Soka Okayama Rainbow Sounds - Okayama, Japan
  • Yamato - Kyoto, Japan and Riverside, California
  • Yokohama Scouts - Yokohama, Japan

Today, he continues to design and write drill for many groups in America and Japan.