Steve Vento

Mr. Steve Vento has been an educator in the pageantry arts for 30 years. His successful groups speak for themselves. Steve has 21 years of classroom experience, 12 of those in Broken Arrow, OK from 1994-2006 where he was on the design team and was the arranger for the ensemble.  In 2006 Mr. Vento took a position at Tulsa Community College where he built the band/jazz band program from scratch.  During that time, he also took a position at Union HS, OK as music arranger, designer and daily consultant to help bring Union back to the top of the band world.  In 2013 Steve left Oklahoma and moved to Lee Summit, MO as a full time arranger/composer.  Since his move in 2013 he began working with Blue Springs HS Golden Regiment marching band.  Blue Springs is now a consistent top 2 finalist in the Saint Louis BOA Super Regional and 4 time BOA National Finalist and was a top 6 finalist in the San Antonio, Texas BOA Super Regional in 2013.  Mr. Vento has composed 50 original compositions and arranged close to 800  shows for marching band and drum corps. His technique of arranging makes every group he writes for sound amazing at every grade level. He writes his music visually to maximize all effects. Steve not only arranges but also helps with the design from the ground up. The ending product is a phenomenal vehicle from start to finish.

Steve also is an active consultant around the country. He helps make the shows he writes come to life by traveling and working closely with the performance groups. Mr. Vento has his B.S. in Education with a performance minor from Missouri Western State University and a Masters of Music Education with conducting emphasis from the University of Tulsa.

His arrangements and compositions have won close to 70 state titles around the country and have also been very successful at the national level at Bands of America events. His awards and accolades include 34 time BOA Class Champion, 8 time BOA Regional Champion, 110 time BOA Regional Finalist, 23 time BOA National Semi-Finalist, and 12 time BOA National Finalist, 2 time BOA Grand National Class Champion.   In 2018, Mr. Vento’s arrangements and compositions helped elevate Blue Springs HS to capture the Bronze Medal at the Bands of America National Championship held in Indianapolis.  In 2019, Steve was hired at Coppell HS in Coppell TX and since that time they have been a consistent BOA STL finalist.  In 2021 Coppell HS received a top 5 placement at UIL state marching contest and finished in the top 8 at the BOA San Antonio competition.  In 2022 Steve’s arrangements helped elevate Celina HS, TX to their first UIL 4A State Championship.  Steve’s arrangements and compositions have also received hundreds of “I” divisional ratings at local, regional, and national level contests, including BOA and UIL. His work has been very successful all over the country including dozens of Texas area finalists and advancing groups.  Steve also has 20 years of drum corps experience.   Since 2011 Steve has been on The Blue Devils brass staff.  Beginning the Summer of 2017 has been the brass arranger for Legends drum and bugle corps and from 2019 to 2022 he was a member of the design team and brass arranger/music coordinator for The Academy drum and bugle corps.

Tim Darbonne

Tim Darbonne began his performing career as a baritone player in the Erath High School Band from Erath, Louisiana. After graduating he went on to march Lead Euphonium with the 18 time World Champion Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps and aged out in 2007 as a part of the corps’ 12th DCI Championship. In 2011 Tim returned to Concord to join “BD” as a member of the visual staff, a position he holds to this day. During his seven years on staff the corps has won four DCI World Championships, four Best Visual Performance Awards, and has placed no lower than second overall.

 Tim has designed for ensembles in 17 different states, Canada, and China. The bands he has designed for have earned numerous Superior ratings, Best in Class awards, State Champion awards, and BOA Regional Finalist awards. Tim made his drum corps design debut in 2011 with The Music City Drum and Bugle Corps from Nashville, Tennessee. He then went on to be the drill designer for Pacific Crest Drum and Bugle Corps from Diamond Bar, California in 2013 and 2014. Under Tim’s tenure, Pacific Crest received it’s highest placement and composite score in the corps’ 25 year history. Tim was a co-founder of the Louisiana Stars Drum and Bugle Corps where he was also the Visual Designer/Supervisor in 2014 – 2015. In 2017 he was the drill designer for the Long Island Sunrisers, a storied drum corps within the DCA Circuit.

 Aside from being purely a drill designer, Tim has also been a visual instructor/caption head for numerous nationally acclaimed high school bands including Flower Mound High School, Hebron High School, LD Bell High School, and the Blue Springs Golden Regiment. Prior to being asked to join The Blue Devils visual staff, Tim instructed the Academy, the Madison Scouts, and the Troopers Drum and Bugle Corps. He returned to the Academy in 2016 as a visual consultant and was part of the corps first appearance in DCI Finals competition, finishing 11th place overall. Tim is currently the visual coordinator/caption head for the Crossmen Winter Winds Ensemble from San Antonio, Texas.

 Tim lives in The Colony, Texas where he is a full time designer, clinician, technician, and adjudicator. He is an alumnus of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia and enjoys meeting up with fellow brothers to sing at any event possible. In a rare moment of free time you can catch Tim spending time with friends at live sporting events, musical concerts, and embarrassing himself at Topgolf.

 

Jarrod Huntley

Founder of Marching Network, Jarrod Huntley is backed by over 20 years performing, judging, teaching, and designing in the marching band, winterguard and winter drums activity.

Fourteen of Jarrods 20 plus year career has been spent working with two of the most premier groups in our activity: The Cadets and The Blue Devils drum corps. Jarrod served on the visual staff for the 18-time DCI champion Blue Devils from (2004-2010) and served as Visual Caption Head for the 10-time champion The Cadets from 2011 to 2013. “I’m proud to have helped lead the cadets to a visual title in 2011 and the corps 10th DCI victory; the first victory in over 5 years.” In 2014 Jarrod move back to the visual staff of the Blue Devils where he has worked continuously to this day.

Jarrod is a regular adjudicator for both fall and winter seasons having judged competitions around the world. Along with his teaching and judging accolades Jarrod’s drill writing has made it possible to work across the world and the country in places including: Europe, Japan, Indonesia, UK, Texas, Florida, California, Virginia, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Illinois, Arizona, Colorado, and Nevada.

Jarrod has worked with many nationally know groups including: The Company Drum Corps (UK), Marcus HS (Texas), Union HS (Oklahoma), Flower Mound HS (Texas), Etiwanda H.S. (California), Fountain Valley HS (California), Marching Band Bontang PKT (Indonesia), The Cadets, The Concord Blue Devils, The Crossmen, Momentum Winter Drumline, and more.

 

Brandon Wickham

Brandon Wickham is an international clinician, visual designer, and drill writer from California. Brandon began his marching career as a baritone player in 2004 with the Vanguard Cadet Drum and Bugle Corps from Santa Clara, California and went on to join the Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps in 2005.

Since aging out from the Blue Devils organization in 2008, Brandon has gone on to work with several award winning high school programs throughout California and the Mid-Western United States. From 2011-2015, Brandon worked as a designer and visual caption head of the 2011 and 2012 WBA Champion and 2013 BOA Grand National Finalist, Ayala High School Band and Color Guard, as well as the 2013 WBA Champion Upland High School Marching Band, and the 2014-2105 WBA class champion Cerritos High School. After the 2015 competitive season, Brandon moved to Indianapolis, Indiana where he has since joined the staff of several prestigious high school programs including the Avon Marching Black and Gold, Ben Davis Marching Giants, the Center Grove High School Marching Band. 

Outside of the competitive fall season, Brandon works with several different indoor percussion ensembles throughout the western and mid-western United States. Over the past several years Brandon has had the opportunity to work with the percussion programs at Ayala High School, Center Grove High School, Etiwanda High School, and Ben Davis High School, as well as a number of other scholastic open, and independent world groups across the country.

As the school year comes to an end, Brandon spends his time teaching throughout the summer with DCI. After being asked to join the visual staff of the Pacific Crest Drum and Bugle Corps in 2013, Brandon went on to become the visual caption head of the Academy Drum and Bugle in 2014 and 2015. After two successful seasons with the Arizona Academy, Brandon was asked to join the visual staff for the Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps in 2016.

When he is not teaching in the United States, or near home, Brandon works as a visual designer and clinician for several groups across the United States as well as international groups in China, Taiwan, South America, and England.

As a visual designer, Brandon has designed drill for several groups across the U.S. as well as marching ensembles in Taiwan and China. Brandon’s work has been performed and awarded at several local and state competitions around the United States and has also been performed at the Bands of America Grand National Championships in Indianapolis, IN, and the Winter Guard International World Championships in Dayton, Ohio. 

Brandon graduated with High Honors from California State University San Bernardino where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration with and emphasis in Marketing. Brandon is also a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma Honors Society for Business.

 

Benjamin Baker

Benji Baker is an active performer, educator, composer, and arranger in the percussive community.  He holds a Bachelors Degree in Music Education from the University of North Texas.  At UNT he had the opportunity to be in a number of world-renown ensembles and served as front ensemble arranger (2013-2015) and technician (2013) for UNT Green Brigade Drumline.  Benji has also been on the marching band and drumline staff for Hebron High School  and Flower Mound High School as well as various other programs across the Dallas-Ft. Worth area.  In 2016 he joined the staff of the Academy Drum and Bugle Corps as a Front Ensemble Technician.
 
Benji has been an active performer in recent years, playing at PASIC 2012 with the UNT Steel Band and the Santa Clara Vanguard Percussion Section; and at PASIC 2015 with the PAS All-Star International Percussion Ensemble and (again) the Santa Clara Vanguard Percussion Section.  He also competed in the 2014 Drumfest International Marimba Competition, held in Opole, Poland.
 
Benji’s marching experience in drum corps includes the Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps from Denver, Colorado (2009-11) and the Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps from Santa Clara, California (2012-15).  During his time with these groups he won the 2010 DCI I&E Percussion Ensemble category and achieved second place finishes in the solo marimba category in both 2011 and 2012.  He served as section leader for both groups; Blue Knights in 2011 and SCV in 2015.  In 2014 he was a member of the SCV Front Ensemble, winning the Fred Sanford Award for High Percussion at the DCI World Championship Finals.
 
In 2016 Benji joined the cast of the Tony and Emmy Award winning Broadway Show, “Blast!” where he participated in the production and development of a new iteration of the the show entitled “Blast! the Music of Disney.”  The production premiered in Tokyo, Japan in August 2016 to sold out crowds and continued touring in 2017 across all 47 Prefectures in Japan.
 

Benji had been fortunate enough to study with great percussionists such as Mark Ford, Paul Rennick, Sandi Rennick, Christopher Deane, Robert Schietroma, Eric Willie, Ed Smith, Ryan Kilgore, Jeff Ausdemore, Ralph Hardimon, and Gregory Lyons.  He is an active member of the Percussive Arts Society and the Texas Music Educators Association.  Benji currently resides in Greensboro, North Carolina where he is pursuing a Master’s Degree in Percussion Performance from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro.

 

Peter Beckhart

Peter Beckhart has performed, instructed, and designed many competitive shows in the marching arts. His performing experience includes six years of DCI, aging out with the Concord Blue Devils. Peter also performed with the Riverside Community College winter drum line in 2011 and 2012.

As a visual designer for fall marching bands and spring productions, Peter has had the opportunity to work with many ensembles since 2009. He currently designs drill for Ayala High School, Coronado High School (El Paso, TX), James Martin High School (Arlington, TX) and many other fall programs across the country. Peter is also a sought after choreographer for some of the most established marching bands and winter drumlines in the country including Leander High School (Austin, TX), North Shore H.S. (Houston, TX), Ayala H.S. (Chino Hills, CA), Mt. Carmel H.S. (San Diego, CA), RCC winter percussion, and Dark Sky Percussion. 

In the drum corps world, Peter taught the Blue Devils ‘B’ in 2012 and has been on visual staff of the 18-time World Champion Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps since 2013. He is also the visual designer for the Mandarins Drum and Bugle Corps from Sacramento, CA. 

Peter is humbled to have opportunities to work with some of the best programs and students in the world and is always striving to be a better instructor and designer. He lives in Anaheim, CA.

 

 

 

Lindsey Vento

 

Lindsey Vento has been an active educator, director, designer, adjudicator and choreographer for the last 15 years. She has worked with marching bands and color guards in Arkansas, Illinois, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri,  Oklahoma and Texas. Her designs and work have earned marching band state champion titles, BOA Regional finalists appearances, BOA Grand National finalists appearances, winter guard class state champion awards in Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas, and Winter Guard International (WGI) A Class and Open Class finalist appearances.  Lindsey was on Carolina Crown’s visual staff in 2017 and Beginning in the Summer of 2018; Lindsey will be the artistic director and program coordinator for The Academy Drum and Bugle Corps.

Lindsey has her bachelors of music education degree and in addition to her work in the pageantry world, she is an active vocal performer, and has been a performer with the Lyric Opera of Kansas City and has currently appeared as a featured soloist with high school and collegiate level jazz ensembles.

Whether you need a competitive show design from the ground up, a flow chart of planned staged ideas for winds, guard, and battery, guard choreography book, winds body visual book, video study of your weekly performances, or a hands on clinician at a rehearsal, Lindsey can assist you in making the upcoming season the best and smoothest process ever.

Dr. James Clanton

Dr. Clanton resides in Tulsa, Oklahoma and divides his time between his teaching duties as Associate Professor of Percussion at Pittsburg State University, regular performances throughout the greater Tulsa area, and working with numerous high schools all across the United States to arrange percussion music for competitive field shows.

A lifelong teacher, Dr. Clanton is passionate about the individual and group experience of each percussion participant, and his success in writing speaks to the power of the individual achievement disseminating to the success of the entire ensemble. His approach to percussion arrangements is unique in that he utilizes his 20 years of percussion education experience to craft music that is, from beginning to end, perfectly suited to each ensemble. He takes great care to ensure that the parts are idiomatic, powerful, and set at a level that not only is attainable for each group, but provides new and exciting goals to reach for every participant.

Trained as a classical percussionist at the UMKC Conservatory of Music, he appears regularly with numerous ensembles, including the Tulsa Signature Symphony, Tulsa Symphony Orchestra, Tulsa Ballet, Tulsa Opera, Kansas City Symphony, Springfield Symphony (MO), Kansas City Ballet Orchestra, Liberty Symphony, St. Joseph Symphony, Southeast Kansas Symphony, Kansas City Civic Orchestra, Kansas City Chamber Orchestra, and the Northland Symphony Orchestra of Kansas City, where he served as principal timpanist for seven seasons.

James received a Bachelor’s degree in music education from Oklahoma City University, and earned both Masters and Doctoral degrees in percussion performance from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music. Dr. Clanton is an educational endorser/clinician for Sabian Cymbals, Pearl/Adams Percussion, and Vater Sticks. He recently served as the President for the Kansas Chapter of the Percussive Arts Society from 2015-2017.

 

Ken Karlin

Kenneth J. Karlin holds a degree in music from Ball State University, and also spent a year of study at the Indiana University School of Music in Bloomington. He has studied saxophone with Eugene Rousseau, Frank Bongiorno and George Wolfe. His jazz studies were with David Baker and Larry McWilliams.

Mr. Karlin was an associate director of bands at James Logan High School in Union City, California from 1999-2012. James Logan is a comprehensive Bay Area high school with over 4,000 students enrolled.

Mr. Karlin’s responsibilities there included three jazz big bands, jazz combos, coordinating the 250+ member marching band and staging the indoor winter percussion ensemble. He was the primary conductor of the symphonic band, the second of four wind bands on campus. He was an associate conductor for the wind symphony and two concert bands.

During Mr. Karlin’s tenure at James Logan, the marching band won the Western Band Association championship eleven times. The marching band performed in the 1999 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, as well as the 2003 Tournament of Roses parade. The James Logan Jazz Ensemble A and combo appeared regularly at the Reno Jazz Festival and the Pacific Coast Collegiate Jazz Festival. The James Logan winter percussion ensemble was a Scholastic World Class finalist at the Winter Color Guard International World Championships in 2004 and 2007. The James Logan Wind Symphony performed at the 2001 Bands of America National Concert Band Festival, the 2003 Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, and appeared in 2006 at Carnegie Hall on a program with H. Robert Reynolds and the National Wind Ensemble. In 2009 the wind symphony appeared at the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles Conference at the Cincinnati Conservatory.

Mr. Karlin is in his sixth year as an associate director at Ben Davis. His duties there include primary conductor of the wind symphony, the top symphonic wind band on campus, co-visual designer (along with Greg Hagen) for the Marching Giants and winter percussion ensemble, and director of jazz ensembles. During his tenure, the Marching Giants have been ISSMA state marching band finalists three times, and Bands of America Grand National Semi-Finalists four times and the winter percussion ensemble has been Scholastic World Class Finalists at the Winter Guard International World Championships twice. The jazz ensembles have produced an Indiana All-State bassist and have developed a small group improvisation curriculum as the centerpiece of the program. The wind symphony has consistently earned superior and excellent ratings in Group I at ISSMA organizational contest and appeared at the 2015 Music for All National Festival.

Mr. Karlin is active as a movement coach and visual designer in the pageantry arts. Since 1995, he has been a member of the visual staff of the 18-time Drum Corps International World Champion Concord Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps, and since 1999 has been the visual designer for the five-time DCI Open Class Champion Blue Devils B Drum and Bugle Corps. He was the visual designer for the 2008 DCI finalist Madison Scouts and 2004 BOA Grand Nationals finalist Ayala High School marching band. He began his drum corps career as a marching member of Star of Indiana where he went on to teach the corps from 1989-1992. He is also a member of the staffs of the Blue Knights and Madison Scouts.

 

Angela Huntley

Angela Bokosky-Huntley is available for everything colorguard, and is backed by 15 years of performing, teaching and design at the highest level. She has performed with groups such as The Blue Devils A Colorguard, Fantasia Winterguard, Diamante Winterguard and has worked with groups including The Blue Devils B Colorguard, Pflugerville HS Colorguard, LD Bell HS  Colorguard and Southlake Carroll Winterguard. Angela has had groups in numerous  competitive circuits including UIL, WBA, USBands, BOA, WGASC, NTCA, TCGC and WGI.

 

David Gronneberg

David Gronneberg is the the Director of Percussion for the Grain Valley School District in Grain Valley, MO. During his tenure, Grain Valley has performed at the National Percussion Festival, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and multiple state conventions. Grain Valley has been three time BOA St. Louis Super Regional Finalists, two time BOA St. Louis Class Champions, and has won six BOA Super Regional caption awards.

David is an active arranger for marching percussion ensembles throughout the country. David’s percussion arrangements represent groups from Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Texas, and South Carolina.

David earned his Master of Arts in Music Education from the University of Central Missouri and his Bachelor of Music Education from Missouri State University. He was a member of the Madison Scouts during the summers of 2004 – 2006 and Gateway Indoor Drumline from 2005 – 2007. David went on to become a staff member of Gateway Indoor as a snare technician (2008-2010) and battery caption head (2011). David is an educational endorser for Innovative Percussion.

James Gow

James Gow is a Southern California native who began his marching career at Vista Murrieta HS before joining Pacific Crest Drum and Bugle Corps (2005-2006) and later going on to march with The Blue Devils (2007-2010)

As a drill designer, James has worked with Southwind Drum and Bugle Corps (2017-2018) and is the current visual designer for The Blue Knights (2018-present).  He has served as drill designer for multiple high school programs around the country, including Green Hope, Warren, Etiwanda, Foothill, Temecula Valley, and Great Oak HS.  James also designs visual programs for scholastic and independent winter drumlines and is currently a choreographer and visual instructor at Broken City Percussion as well as visual designer at Vessel Percussion.

As an instructor, James has taught highly competitive groups in the Southern California area including Vista Murrieta, Mission Viejo, Etiwanda, and Fountain Valley High School and serves as the current visual caption head and choreographer for BOA semi-finalist Vista Murrieta HS.  He has been a member of the visual staff for the Sacramento Mandarins (2011), The Cadets (2012), and The Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps (2013-2018).

Zachary Barber

 

Mr. Barber started his marching career with Avidity Independent of McKendree University where he discovered his love for the performing arts.   During his 5 years with the program, they changed from open class to world class. He marched 4 years with the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps and served on the leadership team for the color guard.  Zachary has also been a part of Lexis World winter guard during their first inaugural season in world class finals. 

Zachary has also been teaching color guard and winterguard for many years and has built his whole life around the activity.  He spends his seasons traveling across the Midwest choreographing for high school groups such as  Blue Springs, MO; North Hardin, KY;  and Kennesaw Mountain, GA just to name a few. When he’s not choreographing he can be found designing for groups of all different classifications and sizes during the fall and winter season. Mr. Barber is also a choreographer for The Academy Drum and Bugle Corps. 

 

Kaysey Leigh Thompson

Kaysey Leigh Thompson is an active choreographer and color guard instructor hailing originally from from Boston, MA. Clients have included The Crossmen, The Madison Scouts, The Blue Knights, McNeil High School, Claudia Taylor Johnson High School, Origins Winterguard, Eclipse Winterguard, Westlake High School , Lake Travis High School, and Cedar Ridge High School, among others.

Kaysey began her dance and color guard training at 5 years old, performing with a local winterguard directed by her parents. In the years since, she has performed with several WGI and DCI groups including St. Ann’s World, SCV Winterguard, The Cadets and The Crossmen.  Along with color guard, Kaysey has an extensive background in stage and film. Kaysey spent 15 years touring and performing with Blast!, Shockwave, and Blast: MIX, Blast: The Music of Disney and has appeared in projects with Walt Disney Studios, NBC, and Fox Television. 

Kaysey currently resides in Austin, TX.  Since transitioning from a stage performer role, she holds a position on the choreographic and instructional team for Blast: The Music of Disney, in addition to acting as the Visual Ensemble supervisor.