2017 Education and Design Teams Announced
With our first Battalion Experience event of the 2017 season coming up in less than two weeks, we're thrilled to introduce you to our design team and the caption heads of our fantastic education team. Be sure to visit our staff page to see the entire 2017 instructional team.
Mark Hartman - Program Director, Design Consultant
Mark Hartman returns as Program Director, Brass Caption Head, and a Design Consultant. He has been involved in the marching arts for nearly 20 years as a performer, instructor, and designer. He began his drum corps career with the Blue Knights Drum & Bugle Corps from Denver, Colorado, as a member of the mellophone section in 2003. He has served as the brass caption head, visual caption head, and a member of the design team for the award-winning Westlake High School Marching Band from Saratoga Springs, Utah. During his tenure, Westlake was the Utah 4A State Champion in 2012 and 2013, was a five-time Bands of America Regional Finalist in Utah and California, and received numerous Outstanding Music and Visual awards.
Shilo Stroman - Front Ensemble Caption Head, Design Coordinator, Arranger
Mr. Stroman returns in 2017 as The Battalion's Design Coordinator, Front Ensemble Caption Head, and Arranger. He earned a B.M and a M.M. in Percussion Performance from Colorado State University where he studied with Dr. Eric Hollenbeck. He served as the Colorado Chapter President of the Percussive Arts Society for ten years. As an educator, Mr. Stroman is an adjunct instructor of percussion and jazz at Colorado State University where he teaches Jazz Combo I, Jazz Pedagogy, percussion ensemble, lessons, and oversees the drumline. He is the director of percussion at Fossil Ridge High School in Fort Collins, Colorado and Loveland High School in Loveland, Colorado. He also arranges and consults many groups across the nation. He is also involved in the WGI activity as an arranger, adjudicator, and teacher with Dakota Ridge High School in Denver, Colorado and formerly with the Blue Knights World Percussion Ensemble in Denver, Colorado and Longmont High School in Longmont, Colorado.
John Matthews - Assistant Brass Caption Head, Arranger
John A. Matthews, II returns as Assistant Brass Caption Head and Arranger. He graduated from New Mexico State University, where he received a bachelor's degree in music education and master's degree in conducting. John currently works and lives in Arkansas where he is the head band director of Mills University Studies High School. John was a member of the Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps from 2003-2007, performing for three years on trumpet and two years on mellophone. He was also a member of the brass staff during the 2009-2011 seasons.
Alex Entin - Battery Caption Head, Arranger
Alex Entin returns as Battery Caption Head and Arranger. He is a drum corps veteran who participated as a marching member as well as a staff member at both the Blue Knights and The Cavaliers drum and bugle corps. His extensive knowledge of the marching arts includes many years of experience on staff and as a member with multiple Colorado high school winter percussion ensembles as well as the Independent World Class Blue Knights Percussion Ensemble. Alex recieved his Bachelors in Music Education from the University or Northern Colorado under the instruction of Professor Gray Barrier. Mr. Entin currently holds the position of Assistant Band Director at Air Academy High School on the United States Air Force Base near Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Mariann Liddiard - Color Guard Caption Head, Guard Designer
Mariann Liddiard returns as Color Guard Caption Head and Guard Designer. She brings with her 15 years of color guard instructing experience and 24 years of teaching and leadership experience. She has worked with and built high school teams as a color guard director in Utah with American Fork High School, Payson High School, Mountain Crest High School, Lehi High School, and Westlake High School. She also worked as a staff member for the United Spirit Association during the 1990-1991 summer seasons.
Josh Jensen - Visual Caption Head, Design Consultant
Josh Jensen will serve as Visual Caption Head and Design Consultant in 2017, after serving as a brass and drum major instructor in 2016. Josh first came to the marching arts in 2007 with the Troopers Drum and Bugle Corps from Casper, Wyoming. He performed as a member of the Troopers for five years including the corps’ 2009 DCI finalist finish. During his time with the Troopers he served in various leadership positions including tuba co-section leader, horn sergeant, and aged out of the corps as head drum major in 2011.He is actively involved with marching ensembles across the Rocky Mountain region and is currently working for Troopercussion Indoor, Alta High School Marching Band, Idaho Falls Marching Band, and the American Fork Marching Band. Since 2010 he has worked in various position including tuba technician, drum major technician, drill writer, and visual caption head.
Joe Musick - Visual Designer
Joe Musick returns to The Battalion's design team as the Visual Designer. Joe Musick currently resides in Colorado Springs, CO with his lovely wife Hannah, and dogs Ruxin and Ranger. When Joe is not writing or teaching he enjoys hiking with his dogs, fishing, and snowboarding in the mountains of Colorado. During the academic year, Joe is the band director at Eagleview Middle School and designs/instructs at Air Academy High School in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He previously served as band director at Moore Middle School, and Pomona High School in Arvada, Colorado. Joe received his Bachelors of Music Education degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder where he studied with Dana Biggs, Matthew Roeder, Terry Sawchuk and Allan McMurray. Drum Corps has been an active part of Joe’s life for more than a decade. Joe was a marching member of the Blue Knights Drum & Bugle Corps in 2002, the Crossmen Drum & Bugle Corps in 2004, and finished his marching career with the Santa Clara Vanguard Drum & Bugle Corps from 2005-2007. His instructional career with drum corps started with the Spirit Drum & Bugle Corps where he was on staff for the 2008 and 2009 seasons. Joe was then fortunate to join the instructional staff of the Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps in 2010 and was on staff through the 2013 season. During the 2013 season Joe served the drum corps as Brass Caption Head. Some of Joe's current clients include Rise Percussion Ensemble, Air Academy High School and The Battalion Drum and Bugle Corps. As a designer and clinician Joe has been active working with bands of various sizes. Joe has been a successful visual designer for drum corps, high school marching bands, and indoor ensembles around the country. His passion for music education and visual design has turned into a stimulating, and fulfilling career, and he could not imagine doing anything else.
