Key Staff Set For 2018

September 5, 2017

The Colts are proud to announce their brass, percussion, and color guard caption heads for the 2018 season. Returning to the Colts for their second season will be Chad Miller, brass caption head, and Ben Pyles, percussion caption head and battery arranger. New to the Colts this season is Jade Bouza, who will be stepping into the role of color guard caption head and designer.

Chad Miller is currently the brass instructor and wind caption head of the Tribe of Pride Marching Band at Lake Central High School in St. John, Indiana. He also teaches a full private studio and serves as a clinician for area middle and high school bands. Chad brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience from various areas of music, from the marching arts to New Orleans funk to symphonic bands. Read Chad's full bio here.

"Good things are happening right now out at the Colts," said Chad Miller. "The brass team and I couldn't be more excited for 2018 and another amazing year. We established a strong educational foundation with the brass program last year, and I know that has set us up for a lot of success this season."

"Chad Miller's passion and instructional ability are tremendous, yet that only represents a portion of why I am so excited about going into a second year of working with him," said Program Coordinator Howard Weinstein. "His care and devotion to his staff and each one of the brass members was relentless. He is a pleasure to have as a colleague, and a part of the Colts team."

Ben Pyles is currently the director of athletic percussion at the University of Texas at San Antonio. In addition to his writing and teaching with the Colts, Ben spends much of the winter season on staff with Monarch Independent Percussion. Along with teaching, Ben is also an active arranger and composer for multiple Indoor and outdoor ensembles across the country. Read Ben's full bio here.

"This is a special place and its easy to see why so many people call this corps their home," said Ben. "I cant express how excited I am to continue my own personal growth through working with this group of performers and staff. Looking forward to wearing a lot of red again in 2018!"

"When asked about what Ben Pyles brings to the Colts team, I will tell you exactly what I told him... he is a treasure... an absolute treasure," said Howard. "From his innovative writing, to his ability to assemble a master faculty for our percussion program, to his high level teaching, we could not be more fortunate to have his leadership in our world of Colts percussion. It's an honor to work with Ben."

Jade Bouza joins the Colts from Florida, bringing with her a wide range of experience within the color guard activity. She is currently the director of Newsome High School guard program, which includes a color guard, varsity winter guard, and junior varsity winter guard. Prior to Newsome, Jade was on staff with several programs around Florida, including University of South Florida Wintergaurd, Flanagan High School Colorguard, and the Disney Performing Arts program at Walt Disney World. Read Jade's full bio here.

"In my short time here, I can already tell there is something special about the Colts organization, and I'm truly humbled to come on board for the 2018 season," said Jade. "The color guard has been a constant strength for the Colts over the years, and I'm very excited for the opportunity to continue building the legacy alongside Vicki, Howard, and the rest of the Colts educational staff and design team."

"In the pursuit to find a leader to bring the Colts color guard to the next level of excellence, I made one telephone call, and that was to Jade Bouza," said Howard. "I have had the opportunity of working with Jade on other projects, and her level of expertise, professionalism, and talent is beyond reproach. I am so excited for the world to see where Jade takes the color guard program of the Colts."

Also returning for his third year as program coordinator with the Colts is Howard Weinstein. Howard has a long history in the drum corps activity, having experience as a program coordinator, corps director, and instructor, with his two most recent DCI stops being with the Boston Crusaders (1999-2007) and the Blue Stars (2009-2011). Additionally, he has been a music educator for the past 30 years. He works with many high school programs in Florida and Georgia, including Tarpon Springs and Timber Creek High School. Read Howard's full bio here.

"I am humbled and honored to be going into my third year as program coordinator with the Colts organization," said Howard. "The administration has given me a platform to build a program of excellence and culture, and I cherish the opportunity. The level of continuity among our admin team, our faculty, and our members speaks volumes. I look forward to a strong presence for our corps in the 2018 season."

"The team Howard has assembled is truly some of the best educators in the activity, and I'm very excited to be working with them," said Colts Director Vicki MacFarlane. "Last year, we saw incredible growth in the quality of the member experience and the trend will continue with this team. They care deeply about the success of the individual students, as well as the organization as a whole. I'm also looking forward to working with Howard again, now in our third season together. He has brought so much to the Colts, and I know we will continue growing exponentially because of his dedication to the organization."

2018 Audition Information
Audition information for the 2018 season will be out soon! Make plans to audition at a camp and become a member of the 2018 Colts. To be sure you learn about audition dates, locations, and materials as soon as they are available, fill out an Information Request to be added to the Colts mailing list.

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