WGI is mourning the recent passing of Cosmo “Gus” Barbaro, a member of the WGI Hall of Fame. He was a lifelong educator, adjudicator, and leader whose influence shaped the marching percussion and indoor percussion activities for decades. He was affiliated with many of the best-known drum corps in upstate New York and beyond, including the Geneva Appleknockers, Auburn Purple Lancers, Rochester Crusaders, Rochester Empire Statesmen, Erie Thunderbirds, Dutch Boy of Kitchener/Waterloo, Ontario, the Connecticut Hurricanes, and the Chicago Cavaliers.

Gus served as a judge for Drum Corps International (DCI), Drum Corps Associates (DCA), the All American Judges Association, the Pennsylvania Federation of Judges, and Central States Judges. He was a past president of the Percussive Arts Society, a clinician and endorser for Ludwig Drums, and a member of the DCI & World Drum Corps Hall of Fame.

In 1993, Gus became WGI’s first Percussion Educational Director and was a key member of the original percussion management team. At a time when WGI utilized a wide range of judging sheets from multiple competitive organizations, Gus was tasked with gathering, refining, and standardizing percussion criteria into a unified scoring system. His work established the foundation of the judging and educational modelstill used in WGI Percussion today. He later served as Percussion Coordinator beginning in 1996.

Gus was inducted into the WGI Hall of Fame in 2006 in recognition of his pivotal role in the development and growth of the activity. Known for his honesty, knowledge, and dedication to teaching, Gus was a mentor and advocate for countless students, instructors, and colleagues. He took great pride in the success of performers and was always willing to share his experience to help others grow.