Corps Director

David Warren

David Warren is a native of Carrollton, Georgia and serves as the Corps Director for the Phantom Regiment. David’s career with the organization began as a member of the Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps from 2012 to 2016 as a conductor. During his tenure as a member of the corps, David was awarded the Mark Glasscoe Member of the Year Award and the Drum Corps International Jim Jones Leadership Award.

David began his professional career as the Associate Director of Bands at Rome High School in Rome, GA for two years. In June of 2019, David joined the Phantom Regiment team as the Corps Director where he oversees all aspects of the world-renowned Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps. In addition to his work with the drum corps, David is the Assistant Director of Bands at Marian Catholic High School in Chicago Heights, Illinois. Outside of teaching and drum corps, David also serves as an adjudicator and clinician for marching and concert festivals throughout Georgia, Illinois, and Indiana.

David holds a degree in Music Education from Berry College (Rome, GA) where he studied trombone with Dr. Casey Thomas and conducting with Dr. Lauren Denney Wright. He also holds a masters degree in Music Education (M.M.Ed.) from the University of Georgia (Athens, GA). His professional affiliations are the National Association for Music Education, Illinois Music Educators Association, Kappa Delta Pi, Pi Kappa Lambda, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.

David has a deep appreciation for the impact that the Phantom Regiment has made on his life and loves being in a role where he can serve the organization that made him the person he is today. He currently resides in Rockford, Illinois with his fiancée, Allison, and their dog, Macie.

Operations Manager

Chris Drake

Chris Drake is honored to contribute to the storied success of Phantom Regiment. As a proud Midwesterner, Chris can be seen driving across the country “Committing to Band” in as many ways as he can figure out how to fit in his Google schedule. Chris particularly enjoys announcing and working event logistics with the Mid-East Performance Association, Indiana High School Color Guard Association, Indiana Percussion Association, Winter Guard International and Music for All. Chris is elated to bring his expertise to the Phantom Regiment Operations Team.

Chris’ drum corps experience began as a tour administration intern with Bluecoats in their championship-winning 2016 season. From there he rose to tour administrator, managing the 2-time WGI Independent World Class Finalist, Bluecoats Indoor, and then serving as Programs Manager for Bluecoats through their 2019 season.

Outside the pageantry world, Chris can be seen online shopping for new mustard-colored cardigans and trying as many Mexican restaurants as he can while quoting all 7 seasons of The West Wing ad nauseum. Chris is passionate about delivering an exceptional experience to all involved with Phantom Regiment and looks forward to seeing the organization continue to prosper.

Program Supervisor & Visual Director

Tony Hall

Tony Hall has been involved in the pageantry arts as an instructor, designer, consultant and adjudicator for over the last 35 years. He has written countless championship shows for high school marching bands & winter guards across the United States. Tony has designed visual programs for several drum & bugle corps including the Velvet Knights, Blue Knights, Sky Ryders and Garfield Cadets. He has been a member of Phantom Regiment’s visual team in many capacities including designer since 1993. Tony has judged all visual captions in the drum corps, marching band & winter guard arena.

He currently resides in Florida with his wife & two children.

Music Director, Brass Arranger & Caption Head

JD Shaw

JD Shaw is Associate Professor of Horn at University of South Carolina and was formerly the French hornist with the internationally acclaimed Boston Brass where he was creative director, music arranger and co-owner of the ensemble. JD is an international solo artist and travels extensively throughout the United States as well as many countries in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. He has performed as a guest artist with numerous orchestras, concert bands, and brass bands. Currently, he is a member of the Summit Brass, Cones & Tones, and is a resident artist with the Rafael Mendez Brass Institute. In addition, JD has also been a featured performer on National Public Radio’s Performance Today and the CBS Morning Show.

JD received his Masters of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music where he was awarded the Performer’s Certificate under the tutelage of horn pedagogue Verne Reynolds. Orchestral credits include associations with the Rochester Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Vienna Philharmonic, Wichita Symphony Orchestra, New Mexico Philharmonic, Missouri Symphony, and the Boston Pops. Prior to his position at University of South Carolina, Professor Shaw has held teaching posts at Boston College, University of New Mexico and University of Miami.

As an active performer and prolific arranger, JD has recorded over 15 albums encompassing diverse musical styles from the Classical, Jazz, and Latin genres. Such record labels include Loft Recordings, Mark Records, and Summit Records. His last album entitled “Tales of Imagination” features Professor Shaw showcasing new music for solo horn and wind band. This album, released on the Summit Records recording label is conducted by former CBDNA President Eric Rombach-Kendall and performed by the University of New Mexico Wind Symphony.

Professor Shaw writes music for many orchestras, bands, and chamber ensembles. His arrangements are featured with several publishers and can be heard on many recording labels and performance stages across the world. JD has written for many drum and bugle corps and is, currently, the arranger for the Phantom Regiement Drum and Bugle Corps from Rockford, IL. Many other drum and bugle corps have performed his arrangements such as the Santa Clara Vanguard, Boston Crusaders, Academy, East Coast Jazz, Sunrisers and Beatrix from Hilversum, Netherlands. 
JD Shaw is dedicated to promoting music education for young, aspiring musicians. With the help of Conn-Selmer, National M.E.N.C., and VH1’s Save the Music foundation, JD has taught master classes for young artists across the world spanning age-ranges from elementary to college. Also, JD has presented and performed clinics and workshops for music educators at events such as the Mid-Europe Music Educators Convention, World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles convention, National Musical Educators National Conference, and The Midwest Band & Orchestra Clinic.

Color Guard Designer & Caption Head

Stephanie Chavez

Stephanie Chavez began her color guard career as a member of the Cypress Falls High School Color Guard from 2003-2007. Upon graduating from high school, she continued to pursue her passion for color guard as a member of the Phantom Regiment Color Guard from 2007-2010. During her time with the Phantom Regiment, Ms. Chavez served as the Color Guard Co-Captain in 2009 and Color Guard Captain in 2010. After four years with the Phantom Regiment, Ms. Chavez decided to march her last summer of drum corps with the 2011 Carolina Crown. Aside from drum corps, Ms. Chavez, also performed during the winter guard season with Code Black in 2008 and continued her performance career as Captain of Cypress Independent Winter Guard in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2016.

After many years as a performer, Ms. Chavez continued her involvement in the color guard activity as an educator for several high school and independent color guard programs in Texas. From 2007-2013, Ms. Chavez was the Color Guard Director at Cypress Ridge High School. From 2010-2015 she was a tech/choreographer for the 2014 Scholastic Open champions, Spring High School and from 2013-2018 she was the Color Guard Director of the 2017 Winter Guard International Scholastic A champions, Klein Oak High School. During the summers of 2012- 2013, she taught the Blue Knights Color Guard, the Crossmen Color Guard in 2015- 2016 and the Boston Crusaders Color Guard in 2017. From 2013-2015 and 2017-2019 Chavez served as a tech/choreographer for Cypress Independent.

Chavez is currently the Color Guard Director of Friendswood High School and will be returning for her third summer with the Phantom Regiment as Color Guard Caption Head. Aside from her career in the color guard activity, she is also a graduate from the University of Houston with a Bachelor’s degree in Spanish and a minor in Education.

Percussion Arranger & Caption Head

Rob Ferguson

Rob Ferguson is currently the Percussion Arranger and Percussion Caption Coordinator for the Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps from Rockford, Illinois. In addition to his role with Phantom Regiment, Rob is also the Director of Matrix Performing Arts from Akron, Ohio which includes two WGI indoor percussion ensembles; Matrix World and matrix Open. Rob also serves as the Music Designer for Matrix Open and as the design Coordinator and Music Designer for Matrix World and has since its inception in1999. Rob served as the Percussion Coordinator and Percussion Arranger for the Glassman Drum and Bugle Corps from Toledo, Ohio, from 2008-2012 and as the percussion Arranger for the Hawthorne Caballeros Drum and Bugle corps from2012-2015. Rob previously served as a percussion representative for the MideastPerformance Association and currently serves as the Percussion Education Director for the Ohio Indoor Performance Association, as well as as a member of the WGIPercussion Advisory Board.

Rob holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Music in Music Performance from KentState University where he studied with Michael Burritt and Ted Rounds. He previously served as adjunct percussion faculty and assistant marching band director at Youngstown State University, and currently is the Design Coordinator for Firestone HighSchool and Norton High School bands in Northeast Ohio, as well as John Hersey HighSchool from Illinois, and Moon Area High School in Pennsylvania. Rob is an active clinician and adjudicator for both the indoor and outdoor marching activities. He has presented clinics on marching percussion, keyboard percussion, arranging, and amplification in the marching activity throughout the U.S. and in Europe including the2007 PAS convention, the 2008 Indoor Percussion Europe Championships, and as apart of the 2016 Chiayi City International Band Festival in Chiayi City, Taiwan. Ferguson has also performed as a marimba clinician and guest artist with numerous high schools and college percussion ensembles.

In addition to teaching, Rob works professionally as a designer, composer, program coordinator, and consultant for outdoor and indoor marching ensembles throughout theU.S. and abroad. He is the owner of Ferguson Design Solutions, a company providing custom arrangements, original compositions for both marching ensemble and concert percussion, consulting, and design resources for marching bands, drum corps, and indoor percussion ensembles in all major arenas of the pageantry arts. Rob is also a sales representative for Field & Floor FX. Currently residing in Cuyahoga Falls, OH, Rob is an endorser and clinician for Mapex & Majestic Percussion, InnovativePercussion, the Avedis Zildjian Co., Planet Waves, Pageantry Innovations, and RemoInc

Creative Visual Consultant & Lead Guard Designer

Adam Sage

Adam Sage is an active choreographer, designer, and adjudicator in the pageantry arts. Adam has worked with numerous programs in the southeast including Tarpon Springs High School, East Lake High School, Seminole High School (1993 WGI A class Bronze medalists), Clearwater High School, Kell High School and Pope High School in Marietta, Georgia. Pope High School was the 2000 WGI Open class Silver medalists and the 2002 WGI World class Bronze medalists. Kell High School was the 2005 WGI A class Silver medalist.

In addition, Adam also designed for Spanish River High School Winter Guard in Boca Raton, Florida (2009 Winter Guard International Scholastic A Silver medalists). Adam’s drum corps experience includes being a performing member of the Suncoast Sound from 1988 to 1989, and The Cadets of Bergen County from 1990 to 1991. He was the caption head for the Magic of Orlando from 1992 to 1993; caption head for the Crossmen from 1994 to 1995. Adam then spent 1996 through 2002 working with the Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps. Sage was also the caption head and designer for the Santa Clara Vanguard in 2003 and 2004. 2005 through 2008, he spent with the Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps as their caption head and designer. 2009-2011, he was the caption supervisor and designer with the Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps.

Adam was the color guard caption head and designer for the Madison Scouts from 2012-2014. Adam is also actively involved with Winter Guard International (WGI). He was the director of The Company Colour Guard from Tampa Bay, Florida from 1995 to 1999. The Company was a two time WGI World Champion in the A (1995) class and Open (1996) class. He was also the director of the Phantom Regiment Winter Guard in 2007 and 2008 and CrownGUARD in 2009 and 2010. Sage was also a member of the Emerald Marquis Winter Guard from 1990 to 1991.

Most recently, Adam Sage was the director and designer for the Kennesaw Mountain High School Color Guard in Kennesaw, Georgia 2003-2016 (2004 Winter Guard International Scholastic A World Champions, 2005 Winter Guard International Scholastic Open World Champions, 2006 Winter Guard International Scholastic World Class finalists, and the 2013 Winter Guard International Scholastic Open Bronze Medalists); and designer for the 2015 Boston Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps. Adam Sage was a choreographer and program consultant for Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps in 2017 and 2018, as well as The Cadets in 2019.

Adam Sage has been inducted in 2010 SAPA (Georgia) and 2014 FFCC (Florida) Hall of Fame.

Movement Designer

Michael James

“Michael James, born and raised in St. Petersburg, Florida, graduated from the University of South Florida, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Modern Dance Performance. After college, he performed in the American Stage Company’s “”Shakespeare in the Park”” Series for five seasons, as well as danced and choreographed for the Children’s Theater Tour.

Michael was a scholarship student at the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in Beckett, Massachusetts, where he studied under Linda Kent and Carolyn Adams. He also danced with The Men Dancers of Jacob’s Pillow International Touring Company, which allowed him to dance and teach in St. Petersburg, Russia. In addition, he was a member of The Repertory Dance Theatre of Utah.

As a color guard designer and choreographer, Michael has worked with Cypress Creek HS, Seminole HS, Tarpon Springs HS, Union HS (OK) Timber Creek HS, Freedom HS Orlando, Oracle Winter Guard (CO.) McNeil HS (TX), Park Vista HS, Father Ryan HS (TN), Dobyns Bennett HS (TN), John Overton HS (TN), The Company Winter Colour Guard, Woodlands College Park (TX), Spring HS (TX), Kennesaw Mountain HS (GA), Miamisburg HS (OH), Pope HS (GA), Center Grove HS (IN), U.S.F. Winter Guard, and Northmont HS (OH). He is also currently on staff with Oviedo HS, Sunlake HS (FL), and University HS (Orlando), He previously has worked with the Santa Clara Vanguard, The Cavaliers, Madison Scouts, and Mandarins.

Michael’s choreography has also been viewed at Pleasure Island with the Pleasure Island Explosion Dancers, University of Central Florida’s Starlet Knights Danceline, University of South Florida’s Herd of Thunder Marching Band and winter guard, 1999’s Orlando Fringe Festival, and numerous other high schools and colleges around the country.”

Assistant Color Guard Caption Head

Sheldon Apo

Sheldon Apo is originally from Bellevue, Nebraska and currently lives in Dayton, Ohio. Sheldon graduated from Bellevue East High School where he was involved in everything musical including playing the alto saxophone for seven years. He decided to start his colorguard career during his senior year of high school and has continued teaching ever since.

Sheldon’s performing career includes the 2001 and 2002 DCI World Champion, The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps. Sheldon continued to perform with the 2003, 2004, and 2005 Pride of Cincinnati Cast when they were named the 2005 WGI Independent World Class Champion.
Sheldon is the Guard Director for Bellbrook High School in Bellbrook, OH and currently has three competitive guard programs in the Bellbrook – Sugarcreek Local School District which include an Elementary and Middle School program. He has been with the program for 17 years and has been the director for 11 years. His accomplishments at Bellbrook include 2004 2A BOA Class Champion, 2013 1A BOA Class Champion and the 2013 WGI Scholastic A Class Champion. In 2015, Bellbrook HS was awarded the WGI Scholastic Open Class Silver medal. The Bellbrook World Guard was a 2016 and 2018 WGI Semi-Finalist and a 2017 and 2019 WGI World Class Finalist.

He was also the founder and co-director of the 2014 WGI Finalist Allegoria Winterguard from Dayton, OH. In 2015, their second year of existence, Allegoria Winterguard took the WGI Independent A Class Bronze medal. In 2016 and 2017, Allegoria Winterguard was an Independent Open Class Semi-Finalist.

Sheldon was part of the inaugural season for Zydeco in 2007 and was a choreographer for them from 2007-2014. From 2010-2014, Sheldon taught the 7-time DCI World Champion, The Cavaliers, where he served as a technician, equipment choreographer, and the 2011-2012 Color Guard Caption head. From 2015-2017, he taught and choreographed for perennial DCI Finalist, The Crossmen. Sheldon attended The University of Nebraska at Omaha and received his Bachelors in Mathematics with a concentration in Computer Engineering.

When he is not teaching color guard, he loves and cares for his beautiful dog, Josie!

Visual Coordinator

Bob Smith

Bob has spent 30 years as a marching instructor, visual caption head, consultant, and drill designer for drum corps and marching bands around the country. He aged out of Phantom Regiment in 1985. Bob was a marching instructor for the Visual Caption Head of Phantom Regiment (1987-1997, 2000-2004, 2015 and 2016), including caption head during the 1996 DCI World Championship.

He’s worked with some of the great pageantry masterminds of Drum Corps: DCI Hall of Fame members Michael Cesario, Dr. Dan Richardson, and John Brazale, as well as notable drill designers Greg Cesario, John Sanchez, Tony Hall, and Jeremy Hunt. Bob was also the visual caption head for the Tar Heel Sound Drum and Bugle Corps (1998), served as a visual consultant for the Colts Drum and Bugle Corps (2006-2009) and served as a visual consultant for the Spirit of Atlanta Drum and Bugle Corps (2011-2014).

Outside of the drum corps world, Bob recently retired as a math teacher from Leyden High School in the west suburb of Chicago. He was also the varsity tennis coach for the boys’ and girls’ teams. In 2011, he was inducted into the Illinois Tennis Coaches Hall of Fame.

Visual Caption Head

Jacob Taylor (He/him)

This is Jacob’s fifth year on the visual staff for the Phantom Regiment (2018-present) and first year as visual caption head. Currently residing in Richfield, Ohio, Jacob teaches and designs throughout Ohio primarily serving as a drill writer and staging designer. He aspires to invest in every area of the marching arts and values the individual’s growth in all areas of visual performance. His work includes indoor as well as outdoor, teaching and designing with both perennial class finalists Matrix and Matrix Open (2018 PIO class champion, 2019 PIO silver medalist) beginning in 2018, Rangerettes Winter Guard as lead designer in 2019, Revere High School marching band and Norton High School marching band, as well as other Ohio marching bands starting in 2012. Jacob began his marching arts career in high school eventually joining Capital Regiment in 2009 on baritone and the Glassmen in 2010 and 2011 on baritone and euphonium respectively.

Outside of the marching arts, Jacob enjoys hiking, camping, and gardening and recently because of quarantine relishes cooking and baking new recipes made with homegrown produce. He is excited for the 2021 season and the opportunity to keep the arts alive and growing.

Movement Caption Head

Courtney Allyson Mills (She/her)

Courtney Allyson Mills (she/her/hers) has over 25 years of dance education, freelance choreography and teaching experience in several facets of the performing arts. A graduate of Seminole High School in Seminole, Florida, Ms. Mills holds a Bachelor of Arts in Dance from Texas Woman’s University and a Master of Arts in Performance Psychology from National University. She also holds a specialization in Teaching Social-Emotional Learning from the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Courtney is the Modern/Contemporary Dance teacher at Arlington ISD’s Center for Visual and Performing Arts in Arlington, Texas. Her responsibilities include the creation of the modern/contemporary dance program, as well as a contemporary dance company that serves all high schools in the district. Previously, Ms. Mills was the dance teacher and Director of the Smoky Hill Dance Collective at Smoky Hill High School in Aurora, CO. She also served as the Director of Dance at Bowie High School in Austin, Texas, where she taught the Silver Stars Drill Team and a myriad of other dance classes.

In addition to teaching movement and dance-making in the public school sector, Ms. Mills is a Visual Caption Head of the Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps in Rockford, Illinois. A Carolina Crown alumni, Courtney is proud to have been on staff at Crown, Santa Clara Vanguard, Phantom Regiment, Madison Scouts, Crossmen, and Troopers. She attributes her growth into the human she is today, to her years marching and teaching drum corps and winter guard.

Ms. Mills owns ColorguardEDU, a comprehensive virtual platform to assist pageantry educators further their knowledge through webinars and other virtual content. She continues to clinic, adjudicate, and present at varying education conferences, virtually and in-person. A seasoned traveler, Courtney loves the mountains, hiking, golf, her numerous plants, and her animals, Olive and Betty.

Assistant Brass Caption Head

Ryan Adamsons

A native of Springfield, Virginia, Ryan Adamsons is based in Chicago where he is an active performer, composer, and educator. His drum corps career began as a marching member of the Bluecoats from 1998 to 2002, and he continued with the organization as a brass instructor from 2003 to 2008 and again in 2011. In 2012 he joined the brass staff of the Santa Clara Vanguard, helping to build the brass program to their first DCI World Championship in nearly 20 years and their first ever Jim Ott High Brass Award in 2018. In addition to his duties with the World Class A corps, he joined the Open Class Vanguard Cadets as Brass Caption Manager and Brass Arranger in 2018, and continued his arranging duties 2019 while taking over as Assistant Brass Caption Manager for the A corps.

Ryan is also an active instructor, adjudicator, and clinician, working with countless groups in the US, Canada, and Japan. In addition to writing for various marching ensembles, he has over 50 commissioned and performed works for jazz ensemble, with his educational charts published and available through Kendor. He currently works as an Artist Advisor at the Denis Wick/Vandoren Musician’s Advisory Studio in downtown Chicago, serves on the Board of Directors for the Chicago Jazz Orchestra developing their educational programs, is the Jazz Area Manager for The Midwest Clinic, and serves in several roles for the Jazz Education Network including as Conference Production Coordinator for their annual international conference. He plays Powell Custom trumpets and flugelhorns.

Battery Coordinator

James Sparling

James Sparling received his degree in Music Education with a minor in Architecture at Miami University.  He was heavily involved in the world music ensemble, Global Rhythms, where he served as Percussion Coordinator and Arranger (2004-2006).  This ensemble led him to perform across the globe and work with Grammy winners Glen Velez and Jamal Mohammed, Ghatam Khartick’s heARTbeat, Musafir, Jeff Queen, Michael Burritt, Anthony Cirone, A.R. Rahman, Nelly Furtado, and Lenny Kravitz.  He was a featured clinician at the 2012 North Alabama Day of Percussion, the 2016 Illinois PAS Day of Percussion, and the 2019 North Carolina Percussion Symposium.

James served as Director of Percussion at Bellbrook HS/MS (2007-2008), Assistant Band Director at Baker MS/Fairborn HS (2010-2011), Director of Percussion at Kettering Fairmont HS (2009-2013), Director of Percussion at Seminole HS (2013), Director of Percussion at Plymouth-Canton Educational Park (2014-2019) and currently serves as a Percussion Specialist in the Walled Lake Consolidated Schools District.  He is also the 2020-2021 Vice President of Percussion & Winds for the Michigan Color Guard Circuit.
He marched tenors with Trinity Indoor Percussion Ensemble (2000), Music City Mystique (2001, WGI World Champions), Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps (2001), Glassmen Drum and Bugle Corps (2002), and Rhythm X (2003-2004).

He served on the percussion staff for the Glassmen (2003), the Madison Scouts (2004-2006), the Carolina Crown (2007-2008), the Cadets (2009-2011), and RhythmX (2005-2013).  He served as the visual designer for Madison Independent (2011), Eastside Fury (2011-2013), as the Caption Head/Arranger for Infinity Percussion (2014-2018) and Redline Percussion (2015-2018), and Program Coordinator for Alchemy Independent (2019).  Most recently he worked with the Madison Scouts as the Caption Head/Arranger (2012-2014) and Percussion Director/Arranger (2015-2018).  

James currently works with Spirit Winter Percussion as the Visual Designer (2006-present), Cap City Percussion as a Designer/World Battery Co-Caption Head (2019-present), and is ecstatic to return to the Phantom Regiment as the Ensemble Specialist and Battery Caption Head.

James is proudly endorsed by:
Pearl Drums/Adams, REMO Drumheads, TreeWorks Chimes, Vic Firth Drumsticks and Mallets, Zildjian Cymbals

Front Ensemble Coordinator

Cory Doran

Cory Doran is currently Interim Director of Percussion at Texas A&M University- Commerce and Front Ensemble Coordinator for the Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps. Cory received his Masters degree (2011) in Music Performance from Texas A&M University Commerce under the instruction of Dr. Brian Zator and his Undergraduate degree (2009) in Music Performance from Youngstown State University under the instruction of Dr. Glenn Schaft.

Previously, Cory held the position as Interim Director of Percussion at Kent State University. He has instructed throughout the mid-west and Texas as a front ensemble specialist as well as concert percussion and drum set clinician. As a teacher, he has made a name for himself as a front ensemble instructor for Matrix Indoor Marching Percussion Ensemble (2009- present), the Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps (2015- present), and Glassmen Drum and Bugle Corps (2009-2011).

In addition to his involvement in education, Cory is also a multi-faceted, freelance percussionist and composer/arranger. He is currently a music designer for Ferguson Design Solutions and Integrated Effects and has written for high school, collegiate and independent groups in Milan, Italy, and throughout the United States. Performing groups include the Columbus top 40 band “The Popbillies,” Country band “, “Union Rose,” and “Tangent Impact Percussion Project.””
Cory is a proud endorser of Mapex Drums, Majestic Percussion, Innovative Percussion and Sabian Cymbals.

Education Coordinator

Dwight Emmert

Emmert first came to Phantom Regiment as a marching member in 1982-83 and 1988 and was visual caption head from 2005 to 2013. Since that time, he has served the corps in numerous support roles as was allowed by his year-round Fine Arts administrative position at the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation. He has been a music educator in Indiana and Florida since 1989 and has taught Glassmen and Madison Scouts in addition to Phantom Regiment.

“Arts education is so important for students and the marching arts leads the way in incorporating life skills to the mix,” Emmert said. “Being on the educational team that brings this to the 2020 members will be yet another opportunity I get to cherish with the Phantom Regiment.”

Sound and Audio Designer

Evan Brown

Evan Brown is currently a Sound Designer and/or audio systems consultant for many marching groups across the US, including Phantom Regiment (2015-Present) Matrix Performing Arts (2011-Present), Victor J. Andrew HS, Kiski Area HS, Norwin HS, and many more. He is also the staff sound designer for Ferguson Design Solutions, a collaborative providing arrangements, original compositions, consulting and design resources for marching bands, drum corps and indoor percussion ensembles in all major arenas of the pageantry arts. He has previously held similar positions with The Cadets, Oregon Crusaders, Dartmouth HS, Cap City Percussion, OCindoor, The Glassmen, and many others. He is also the Assistant Director Bands and Percussion Director at North Allegheny High School in Wexford, PA.

During the day, Evan is the Education Market Manager for PreSonus Audio Electronics where he continues to apply his passion for the marching arts and education within the music industry. Evan holds a Bachelor of the Arts Degree in Music from Slippery Rock University, where he performed and participated in a wide variety of ensembles, focusing most specifically on drum set, studying under Dr. David Glover. Evan currently resides in Pittsburgh, PA.

Movement Specialist

Kellie Simerly (She/her)

Percussion Instructor

Thomas Sparling

“Thomas Sparling is a full-time visual designer and percussion educator based out of Cincinnati, Ohio. He received degrees in Music Education, Music Performance, Music Composition and a minor in Arts Management from Miami University in 2009. Since graduating he has served as a percussion instructor at William Mason HS, Centerville HS, Bellbrook HS, Kettering Fairmont HS, and Percussion Director at Northmont HS, and La Salle HS. He currently teaches at Kings HS in Cincinnati.

He has worked on the instructional staff at the Glassmen Drum and Bugle Corps (2012), Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps (2015-2016), Cap City Percussion (2013-2014, 2019-present), Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps (2019-present) and Matrix Performing Arts (2013-present) where he currently serves as the Program Coordinator and Visual Designer for Matrix Open. Since pursuing full-time design in 2016, his influence has expanded to organizations in Idaho, Indiana, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia and Italy.

Thomas marched bass drum with the Glassmen Drum and Bugle Corps (2006), and Rhythm X (2006-2009). He has given clinics on show design and rehearsal techniques across the Midwest as well as Taiwan and Italy. Thomas is an endorser of Mapex & Majestic percussion, Remo drum heads, and Vic Firth sticks and mallets.”

Brass Instructor

Mason Daffinee

“Mason Daffinee is a former member and returning brass staff member of the Phantom Regiment. He is currently an Associate Director of Bands at Ronald Reagan High School in San Antonio and in his fifteenth year as a professional educator.

Mr. Daffinee is a native of Binghamton, New York, and a graduate of Ithaca College, where he earned a BM in Tuba Performance and Music Education. He was a four-year member of the Spectrum Drum and Bugle Corps from Owego, New York, and a four-year member and ten-year staff member of the Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps from Rockford, Illinois. As a marching member of the Phantom Regiment, Mason was the 2002 DCI Tuba Solo Contest Gold Medalist and named the Mark Glasscoe Memorial Member of the Year. His time on staff began in 2005 and continued on and off through the present day, including the 2008 season when the Phantom Regiment was named Drum Corps International World Champions. Upon graduation from college, Mr. Daffinee toured North America and Japan with the Tony Award-Winning Broadway show Blast! His passion for the marching arts continues today through his drill design for Reagan High School and other bands across the country. Mason is also an active clinician and leadership facilitator for the SASI leadership company.

Before moving to San Antonio, Mr. Daffinee was Assistant Director of Bands at Hebron High School in Carrollton, Texas, and a teacher Georgetown ISD, Irving ISD, and the Vestal Central School District.

Mason is an educator and military spouse. He happily supports his wife, Dr. TSGT Jennifer M. Daffinee, a Regional Bandsman in the Air Force Band of the West stationed at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland.”

Visual Instructor

Dan Fibus (He/him)

“Dan Fibus is from Oklahoma City, OK and began his drum corps career as a member of the Phantom Regiment euphonium section in 2011. He spent three years (2011-2013) with the corps and was nominated for the Mark Glasscoe Member of the Year Award his age-out season.

Dan holds two Bachelors degrees from the University of Central Oklahoma and is currently the Director of Bands for Cashion Public Schools in Cashion, OK. He has worked within the marching activity since 2011; serving as an instructor, designer, and consultant for a handful of bands in the Oklahoma City area. Dan was brought on to the Phantom Regiment visual staff in 2015 and returned in 2020. He was also a member of the tour staff in 2016.

Dan is thankful for his experiences within the Phantom Regiment. He believes drum corps has made an extremely positive impact on his life and looks forward to giving back to the future of the organization and activity as a whole.”

Color Guard Instructor

Juan Ventura (He/him)

“Juan Ventura was born in Santa Ana, CA and moved to Spring, TX at an early age. He began his color guard career at Spring High School where he was a featured performer and soloist. After graduation, Juan enrolled in a local ballet school and began his formal dance training under current and former Houston Ballet dancers, while also pursuing modern dance training at the University of Houston. He received dance training at the Ailey School before performing for two seasons with Open Dance Project, a dance theatre company based in Houston. Juan has also performed with The Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps in the summers of 2011 and 2013, as well as Cypress Independent Winter Guard in 2013 and 2015 as a featured performer and soloist. He most recently performed in the The Texas Latino/a/x Contemporary Dance Festival, Brazos Contemporary Dance Festival, Mind the Gap, Barn Storm Dance Fests, and was a member of the Cypress Alumni group which performed in the Pepsi Super Bowl LI Halftime Show.

Juan has been a colorguard instructor with a focus in movement training and choreography since 2011 and has worked with many local Houston area schools including Klein Oak and Friendswood High School, under the direction of Stephanie Chavez. He is currently a member of Encompass Dance Collective, based in Houston, TX, and a choreographer at Friendswood High School and Spirit Independent. Juan holds a Master’s of Science in Biology from the University of Houston and has a special interest in dance medicine and science. In addition to dancing and teaching, Juan is also a medical student at the University of Texas Medical Branch.”

Movement Specialist

Cameron Smith (She/her)

“Cameron, “Cam,” Smith is energized for the 2021 season as an instructor with the visual team after aging out in 2019 with the Phantom Regiment.

Prior to marching the Phantom Regiment in 2019, she performed on first mellophone with the 2017 and 2018 Blue Knights Hornline based out of Denver, Colorado. As a competitive dancer for over 14 years, she applied her love of dance and movement to her time in Drum Corps as the Blue Knights Dance Soloist in 2017.

For the past six years, Cameron has instructed movement in tap, ballet and jazz for musical theater and dance intensive workshops around the Kansas City area. In 2018, she taught as the Lead Visual Technician of the Blue Valley High School Visual Program in Overland Park, KS.

Presently, Cameron lives in Washington, DC where she works in the United States Senate on Judiciary, Rules, and voting security issues for a Senator from the west coast. She will also attend Georgetown this coming fall to acquire her Master’s in national security policy with the Walsh School of Foreign Service.

Cameron looks forward to contributing to the corps’ new era of Phantom Regiment and placing an immersive and memorable show on the field. “

Brass Instructor

Jennifer Hepp (She/her)

Jennifer Hepp currently serves as the Assistant Band Director at Klein Cain High School in Houston, Texas. Ms. Hepp serves as the head director for the Concert Band and Varsity Band, and assists with instruction for the Klein Cain Marching Band. She also helps lead training and guidance programs for the Klein Cain Student Leadership Team.

Ms. Hepp graduated from Northwestern University and holds Bachelor’s degrees in Music Education, Trumpet Performance and Journalism. During her time at Northwestern, she studied trumpet under Dave Bilger, Channing Philbrick, Tom Rolfs, Michael Sachs and Bob Sullivan. Ms. Hepp also performed for three years with the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, directed by Dr. Mallory Thompson. She was a part of SWE’s performance at the 2017 CBDNA National Conference in Kansas City, Missouri and can be heard on the group’s latest CD, “Reflections.” She also had the opportunity to tour China in 2018 with the Northwestern University Symphony Orchestra, performing Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 and Bernstein’s “Symphonic Dances from West Side Story.”

While attending school in Chicago, Ms. Hepp was recognized as a Theodore Presser Scholar and performed as an associate member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. Ms. Hepp marched with The Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps in 2016 as the featured trumpet soloist. This will be her third summer serving on the brass staff for the corps.

Brass Instructor

Dave Cooksey

Dave’s involvement in the pageantry arts began 46 years ago. He is an alumnus of The Racine Kilties and The Madison Scouts and remains active internationally as a music adjudicator and brass instructor. His combined skill sets have allowed to him to work in a variety of settings with groups around the world. He is currently entering into his fourth year as the brass program consultant for Jubal Drum Corps in Dordrecht, Netherlands.

Of those years he has spent many of them adjudicating for Drum Corps International, Bands of America, Drum Corps Japan, and Drum Corps Europe. As an adjudicator, he has served as Recruitment/Training Coordinator for new judges; the Judge Coordinator for Drum Corps Midwest Judges Guild and in 2016/17 as the Drum Corps Europe Judges Education Advisor – Music Caption.

Following his years of judging for DCI, Dave returned to the instructional ranks where he has spent the past 17 years as a low brass instructor for several of America’s top corps: The Madison Scouts, Crossmen, Cavaliers and The Phantom Regiment, including the 2008 World Championships. Dave’s return to the Phantom Regiment marks his 10th year working low brass with the corps.

Dave studied music at The University of Wisconsin, The Royal College of Music, London and Baylor University, majoring in brass performance on Tuba / Euphonium. He has had the privilege to have studied privately with some the world’s great brass teachers, Arnold Jacobs, and John Fletcher.

Dave is a graduate of Indiana University’s School of Medicine – School of Applied Health Sciences majoring in Respiratory Therapy. He currently works for AMBU, Inc as a Clinical Training Specialist.

Brass Instructor

Courtney Lawrence

Courtney Lawrence is the Operations Officer and Assistant Director for “”The Commandant’s Own,”” The United States Marine Drum & Bugle Corps, stationed in Washington, DC.

A native Texan, Courtney studied Music Education at the University of Houston prior to enlisting in the Marine Corps in 2008. While on Active Duty, she graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Music from George Mason University in Fairfax, VA.

Courtney marched in the World Champion Phantom Regiment Drum & Bugle Corps from 2004 – 2008 and the Colts Drum & Bugle Corps in 2003. She was an instructor with the Brass Staff of the World Champion Santa Clara Vanguard Drum & Bugle Corps from Santa Clara, CA from 2017 – 2019, winning the Jim Ott Best Brass Performance Award in 2018. She was also an instructor with the Regiment Brass Staff from 2010 – 2011, and is proud to be back with the Home Team since 2020.

Percussion Instructor

Casey O’Neal (He/him)

“Casey hast taught at Haltom High School in Haltom City, Texas since 2015 as the director of percussion. Prior to Haltom, Casey taught at Duncanville High School and Kennemer Middle school in Duncanville ISD. Casey has also taught at The Glassmen Drum and Bugle Corps and The Phantom Regiment. He attended Morehead State for his undergrad in Music Education.

Casey enjoys spending time with his family, reading books, and learning new things. He is very excited to be teaching with Phantom Regiment again this year!”

Guard Instructor

Carlos Bautista (He/him)

Carlos is from Orlando, FL and is excited to return for another year with Regiment! His journey with the corps began in 2018 as a member for his age-out year and returned in 2019 on staff and his been with the corps since. His colorguard journey started in Tampa, FL in 2010 and has been a member of U.S.F. Winterguard (2015-2017) and UCF Pegasus World (2018). Carlos is the current Colorguard Director at Freedom HS (Orlando) and staff member at Cypress Creek HS.

He has choreographed and taught various groups in Florida including UCF Pegasus World, Pegasus A Winterguard, Fleming Island HS, Timber Creek HS, Apopka HS and Lyman HS. He currently serves on the Access Committee for the Florida Federation of Colorguard Circuit (FFCC), which seeks to find opportunities for performers of color to be able to participate in the marching arts while alleviating some financial burden that they may be experiencing.

Percussion Instructor

Josh Nees (He/him)

Josh Nees has been with the Phantom Regiment since 2017 working as a quad tech. He is a current battery instructor for Matrix Performing Arts, and teaches percussion at various high schools around the Northeast Ohio area. Josh marched with The Glassmen Drum and Bugle Corps for 5 consecutive seasons from 2008 to 2012. During the same time, he was also marching Matrix Performing Arts on the quad line from 2010-2013.

Josh is a current performer with The Cleveland Browns Drumline, and a performer with the Cleveland Cavaliers 216Stix. Both groups perform at the teams home games as well as many other events around the Northeast Ohio area. He performed with the 216Stix at the 2016 NBA All Star game in Toronto, Canada.

Josh holds a Bachelors in Mathematics from Baldwin Wallace University. He currently resides in Akron, Ohio, where he works as a performer, teacher, and actor. This will be Josh’s fourth season with The Phantom Regiment.

Color Guard Instructor

Abdul Zamora (He/him)

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Brass Instructor

Clayton Wachholz

Mr. Wachholz currently serves as the proprietor of WachholzMusic L.L.C. after retiring from full time high school teaching in the spring of 2019. 2020 will be Clayton Wachholz’s sixth season with the Phantom Regiment brass staff. Prior to retirement Mr. Wachholz taught at Cedarburg High School for eight years. Before his position at Cedarburg Mr. Wachholz held positions at Plymouth-Canton Educational Park in Canton, Michigan and the International School of Belgium in Brussels, Belgium

Clayton Wachholz has degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (BA) and the University of Michigan (MM). An active guest conductor and educator, he has given clinics to varied groups in England, Holland, Belgium, Japan, Brazil and Argentina. He has been the featured brass clinician at the British Youth Band Association Annual Band Camp in London, England and has twice been a clinician at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Summer Music Clinic where he led concert and jazz bands. Clayton Wachholz has served as the music director for the Lakeshore Symphonic Band, a semi-professional wind ensemble based in southeastern Wisconsin and the Shorewood Summer Concert Band.

Mr. Wachholz has been involved in the drum and bugle corps activity as a performer and teacher since 1979. As a baritone player he marched with the Thunderbolts (1979), Pioneer (1980-1984), and Madison Scouts (1985-1989). He went on to teach the Madison Scouts for many years (1991-1997, 2001) and taught the Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps brass from 2005-2007 and 2016-2017. In 2018 and 2019 Mr. Wachholz served as an educator with the Santa Clara Vanguard brass teaching staff.

Clayton Wachholz has been an active performer on trombone and euphonium for over thirty-two years. In the drum and
bugle corps activity his awards include 1986 DCM I&E High Brass Score (scholarship), 1988 DCI Baritone Champion and 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988 DCI Brass Ensemble Champion. As a Euphonium player Mr. Wachholz was a member of the Wisconsin Tuba Quartet that was selected as the first group of its kind as a Semi-Finalist for the Fischoff International Chamber Music Competition. He was a Semi-Finalist for the Falcone International Euphonium competition and was 1st chair in the 1991 T.U.B.A International All-Star Tuba/Euphonium Ensemble. As a Trombonist Clayton Wachholz has performed with the American Wind Symphony, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Racine Symphony Orchestra, Kenosha Symphony Orchestra, Madison Brass, Madison Jazz Orchestra, Milwaukee Brass Band, Knightwind Ensemble, Kettle Morainne Symphony Orchestra and numerous freelance groups.

In leadership positions Mr. Wachholz has served on the board of directors for the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Youth Wind Ensembles, the National Band Association Northern Diversion and was an elected committee member representing all 3A marching bands for the Wisconsin School Music Association. For two summers Mr. Wachholz served as Brass Coach for the Wisconsin State Honors Orchestra. He was a 2011 Herb Kohl Educational Foundation Fellowship Award Recipient (Wisconsin Teacher of the Year Program).

Brass Instructor

Manuel Mendoza (He/him)

Manuel received his Bachelor of Music Education degree at San Jose State University. During his time at San Jose State, he was principal of the school’s Wind Ensemble Tuba section under Dr. David Vickerman. Manuel participated in many other performing ensembles including San Jose State’s University Symphony Orchestra, The Spartan Marching Band, Symphonic Band, Brass Ensemble, as well as the San Jose Wind Symphony. He is also the charter tuba player for ExNihilo Brass based in the Silicon Valley.

Manuel is the Visual Caption Head at Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill, California. He also teaches the local elementary schools in Sunnyvale, California for the program, Arts Initiative. While doing this, Manuel runs a low brass studio for the greater South Bay in Silicon Valley. He has also assisted many schools in the South Bay through master classes and clinics. Manuel has also been a tuba instructor for the Vanguard Cadets since 2019.

Manuel has performed with the Vanguard Cadets and the Santa Clara Vanguard from California for 6 years and has marched with The Bluecoats from Canton, Ohio for his age-out in 2018.

Color Guard Instructor

Christian Luke (He/him)

Christian is from Mililani, Hawaii and is a recent graduate of the University of Hawaii: West O’ahu where he earned his Bachelors in Secondary Education in Biology. Christian started his marching career in the Fall of 2010 as a trumpet, but would soon explore his interests in color guard with the Kaikalino Independent Winter Guard, Mililani HS Winter Guard, and Kamehameha Schools Guard.

After high school, Christian began his Drum Corps career with the Bluecoats in 2014 and the Blue Knights in 2015-2016, before aging out with the 2017 World Champions, the Blue Devils. During this time, Christian also went on to dance at multiple studios in Hawaii, including the Playground Dance Studio and 24-VII DanceForce. Most recently, Christian performed as a cast member in the 2021 Pride of Cincinnati Winter Guard.

Christian began teaching immediately following high school in the Fall of 2014 as an equipment and movement choreographer & technician at Mililani High School, Kamehameha High School and Kaikalino Independent Winter Guard from 2018-2019. He continues to work with the Mililani and Kamehameha programs and has been the Color Guard Director at Kamehameha for the past four years. Additionally, Christian has managed several independent performance opportunities for his students and others in the Hawaii color guard community, having collaborations done with 24-VII DanceForce in 2017 and a feature in the Hawaii International Film Festival in 2019.

Christian is deeply honored to be returning to the Phantom Regiment Color Guard staff in 2021 and is looking forward to an amazing season!

Brass Instructor

Richard Falls (He/him)

Richard Falls Jr is a Chicago native who has a background in music and dance. Richard attended Illinois State University where he majored in Music Education and Minored in Dance Education. After graduation, Richard went on to have a professional dance career dancing for Joel Hall Dancer, Inaside and Nomi Dance in Chicago and Dallas Black Dance Theatre Encore.

Richard has been a visual tech for Bloomington High School and Burleson Centennial High School for many year and after retiring from dance in 2017 he began teaching full-time in Texas. Richard is currently in his 3rd year as a band director at Burleson Centennial High School.

Richard is a proud alumnus of Phantom Regiment 07′ and 08′ and couldn’t be prouder to be teaching with the Phamily.

Visual Instructor

Chad Dempsey

Chad Dempsey, is the Head Band Director at Edinburg North HS in Edinburg, Texas, and has spent all 20 years of teaching in Edinburg CISD. The Edinburg North HS Band program is a consistent UIL Sweepstakes winner and 4 time TMEA Region XV Honor Band Winner. The ENHS Band program consists of 3 concert bands, a 3 time State Marching Band, nationally recognized Winter Guard program, indoor percussion, indoor winds, symphony orchestra, steel band & an internationally recognized mariachi. The Winds program participated in 2017 Shanghai Spring International Music Festival and were 2018 bronze medalist at WGI Championships in Scholastic Open class.

Chad holds his Bachelor’s in Music Education from the University of Kansas. He is currently the TMEA Region XV President and has previously held the TMEA Band Chair, Jazz Coordinator position & has organized many Region Band Clinics. He is the Winds Task Force Member for the Texas Color Guard Circuit & has spent several years involved with the Phantom Regiment & Colts Drum & Bugle Corps. Mr. Dempsey is a member of TMEA, TBA, TMAA, Phi Beta Mu, & Phi Mu Alpha. Mr. Dempsey is married to ECISD teacher, Sonia Dempsey and has two kids, Sophia & Oliver.

Operations Advisor

Allan Dekko

Movement Specialist

André Williams

André Williams is an artist based in Indianapolis, IN. Starting as a young percussionist at Clinton Young Elementary, André became fascinated with the world of performance. It wasn’t until he attended Warren Central High School and became heavily involved in the Warren Central Performing Arts Department (WPAC) that he saw his future as an artist. Shortly after arriving at the High School, he became intrigued by color guard. And while he served as the Drum Major for the Gold Brigade, and a percussionist for the Honors Band, Jazz Band, and Winter Percussion Ensemble, he devoted his extra time to developing his skills as a guard performer and dancer.

André was the first male member of Warren Central World Guard in 2010-2011 before graduating and attending DePauw University for Music Education. After coming to the realization that his true passion was in dance and color guard, he changed his focus to theatre and communications, heavily focusing his studies and work in understanding concert dance and tanztheater. Over the course of his four years at DePauw, André performed and was a part of the production team of multiple DePauw Theatre Productions. André was involved with multiple prominent dance groups on campus, and soon after became the founder and artistic director for the first Student-Led Dance Company on campus; conceptualizing, designing, and choreographing 3, main stage, full length dance productions. He also managed to march for the Madison Scouts for their 75th anniversary in 2013, while continuing to design, instruct, and choreograph for a number of schools in the Midwest, most notably returning to Instruct and Choreograph for the Warren Central World Guard from 2013-2015.

After Graduating with his BLA in Theatre from DePauw, André returned to Indianapolis where he began training for dance professionally with David Hochoy, and Justin David Sears-Watson. Shortly after beginning his training, he became and executive assistant at Phoenix Rising Dance Studios (2015-2018) and Dance Company (2015-2020), where he also danced as a company member. He went on to become the rehearsal director and a resident choreographer for the company starting in 2018. He’s also continued to stay active in the Marching Arts community with a number of programs surrounding the Indianapolis area. Currently, André is the Guard Director and Visual Coordinator for the Mt. Vernon Color Guard and Band of Marauders. And continues to design, teach, choreograph, and consult for a number of schools in Indiana. You can also find his work under Relevations, where he is the founder and lead artist where he seeks to continue to grow as an artists as well as help others find and expand their artistic range.

Visual Instructor

Jonathan Probst

Jonathan Probst is a freelance music educator and visual designer who currently lives in Riverside, California. Jonathan completed his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education at California Baptist University and is currently in pursuit of his Master’s degree in Education with a focus in critical thinking from National University.

Drum Corps International attracted his attention at a young age and he marched with Pacific Crest from 2009-2011 on trumpet and baritone. He then went on to play trumpet for the Madison Scouts in 2012 and finished his time marching with the Phantom Regiment from 2013-2015, serving the corps as the horn sergeant and trumpet section year during his age out season.

He has worked collaboratively with exceptional visual & music teams in Southern California with Chino High School, Upland High School, Ayala High School, Rowland High School, Alta Loma High School, and La Quinta High School (OC). He spent his last four Summers as a visual and brass instructor for Pacific Crest Drum & Bugle Corps and is currently a member of the visual staff at the Phantom Regiment, a position he has had since 2018. He is currently serving as the Wind Caption Head for Chino Hills High School & working with their visual team as well. 

Visual Instructor

Amy Fallon (She/ Her)

Amy is originally from Boston, MA and graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a degree in Journalism and a Bachelor of Arts in Music. Originally a clarinet player, Amy learned baritone in her college marching band and then went on to march with The Boston Crusaders in 2008. She aged out playing euphonium with The Phantom Regiment in 2009. Amy has been teaching high school marching band since 2010. She has experience teaching visual, choreography, and also writing drill for high school, college, and indoor percussion ensembles. Amy has been on the visual staff at Phantom Regiment since 2017 and loves being a part of an organization that has been such a positive influence in her life. Amy currently lives in Boulder, CO with her dog, Mousse, and works in the HR department at CU Boulder.  

Movement Specialist

Jen Barton

JEN BARTON, a native of Greenwood, IN,  is currently the color guard director at Rouse HS  in Leander, TX and was recently the color guard coordinator at James Bowie HS in Austin, TX. This follows a 15-year career in the Carolinas, working with numerous scholastic and independent performing ensembles, including Byrnes HS, The Cast Winter Guard, Etude Winter Guard and many more. In addition, Jen is a freelance choreographer and consultant throughout the country – working both in-person and virtually to provide choreography and other design services.As a performer, Jen has appeared with Santa Clara Vanguard and Northeast Independent (FL) Winter Guard. She has also performed with the Florida State University Marching Chiefs, ad astra per ASPERA Winter Guard, and CrownGUARD, as well as numerous band and orchestra ensembles in Indiana and Florida.Jen earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Instrumental Music Education from The Florida State University in 2004, where she studied flute with Stephanie Jutt and Eva Amsler. She participated in Marching Chiefs, Concert and Symphonic Bands, Harmonie Chamber Ensemble, Tau Beta Sigma, Golden Key and Phi Eta Sigma honor societies.Jen also serves nationally as a fall and winter adjudicator and serves on the Task Force, Classification and Education Committees for Texas Color Guard Circuit (TCGC). She lives in Cedar Park, TX and is the dog mom to a 6-year-old Shih Tzu, Beauregard and 1-year-old pit bull/cattle hound, Bridges.