The Madison Scouts are pleased to announce the Visual Instructional Team for the 2020 season, including:

Tim Darbonne, Caption Head

Brandon Wickham, Consultant
Johnathon Bower, Instructor
Dan Hoffman, Instructor
Karl Koemmpel, Instructor
Arjuna Myles, Instructor
Sierra Rogers, Instructor
Miranda Stark, Instructor
Jeremy Turner, Instructor

Tim Darbonne, Caption Head

Tim, an alumnus of the Blue Devils, spent 7 years on their visual staff, earning 4 DCI World Championships and 4 Best Visual Awards. He has designed and taught for ensembles in 20 different states and three different countries, earning 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 Music City and then went on to be the drill designer for Pacific Crest. Tim was a co-founder of the Louisiana Stars where he was also the Visual Designer/Supervisor in 2014 - 2015. Tim was also the drill designer for The Guardians during the 2018 and 2019 seasons.

Tim has 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 joining the Blue Devils visual staff, Tim instructed the Academy, the Madison Scouts, and the Troopers. He returned to the Academy in 2016 as a visual consultant and was part of the corps' first appearance in DCI Finals, finishing 11th place overall. Tim was the Visual Coordinator for the WGI Independent World Silver Medalist Crossmen Winds in 2018.

Brandon Wickham, Consultant

Since starting his teaching career in 2009, Brandon has had the opportunity to work with multiple programs throughout the United States, as well as write, consult, and design for marching ensembles throughout the U.S., China, Taiwan, Malaysia, and England.

From 2009-2015, Brandon lived in Southern California and worked with several marching programs throughout the area including: Ayala High School, Upland High School, Etiwanda High School, Nogales High School, and Cerritos High School. After the 2015 competitive season, Brandon moved to Indianapolis, Indiana where he has since worked with several prestigious high school programs including the Avon Marching Black and Gold, Ben Davis Marching Giants, and the Center Grove High School Marching Band. Outside of the scholastic fall and winter seasons, Brandon spent his summers touring with the Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps as a member of the visual staff. In addition to teaching, Brandon works as a full-time visual designer and consultant for several groups across the U.S., as well as international groups throughout Asia and Europe.

Brandon graduated with high honors from California State University San Bernardino with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration and Marketing.

Johnathon Bower, Instructor

Johnathon Bower is a freelance trombone player from Troy, MI. He is a graduate of Athens High School and Eastern Michigan University. John studied trombone, earning a B.A. in instrumental music education. He recently began pursuit of his Master's Degree in music education at Eastern Michigan University.

John marched at the Glassmen from 2009-2012. In 2017, John performed with RhythmX Winds, winning a WGI World Championship. He has performed with the Wayne State Orchestra from 2017-2019.

John began his teaching career as a private lesson instructor in 2009. From 2012-2016, John taught marching band and brass choir at Athens High School. At Athens, John spent two years as Assistant Director working with the Concert and Jazz bands. He has also been the Band Director at Gabriel Richard Catholic High School and Romulus Middle School, before deciding to pursue a career as a professional trombonist. John spent time as a visual technician and choreographer at Clio High School, Southgate Anderson High School, L’anse Creuse North High School, South Lyon High School, LSM Winds, and Eclipse Percussion. John is in his second year as director of the Divergent Performing Arts Wind Ensemble. John currently enjoys teaching the Marching Band, Indoor Drumline, and teaching trombone lessons for Plymouth-Canton Community Schools

Dan Hoffman, Instructor

Dan Hoffman is a marching arts educator, choreographer, and designer based out of Mesa, AZ. Born and raised in Syracuse, NY, Dan graduated from the University of Rochester in 2015 with a Bachelor of Arts in Music and a Minor in Dance. His education is supplemented by ample performance experience, including three seasons as a contra player with the Boston Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps.

As an educator, Dan began his career as a marching band visual instructor with his alma mater West Genesee High School in Camillus, NY. He then served as the drill writer and visual caption head for the Medford High School Marching Band in Medford, MA, from 2016-2018. During that time period, he was also a visual instructor with the Oregon Crusaders.

Since moving to Arizona in 2018, Dan has assumed the roles of staff coordinator and visual instructor with Breakthrough Indoor Percussion, visual caption head with the Highland High School Marching Band, and visual instructor with the Casa Grande Union High School Marching Band and Indoor Percussion. Dan returns to the Madison Scouts for his second summer as a visual instructor.

Karl Koemmpel, Instructor

Karl was first introduced to Drum Corps in 2007 at the DCI World Championships in Pasadena, CA. He marched mellophone with the Cascades in 2009 and 2010, and then with the Blue Devils in 2012 and 2013. Karl has worked with many high schools in the Northwest, Southern California, and Texas. He studied at Central Washington University where he received his B.A. in Music and currently lives in Denton, Texas, where he is the Associate Director for Box 7 Ministries. Karl was part of the Crossmen visual program from 2014-2017, the Blue Stars visual programs in 2018 and 2019, Madison Scouts in 2019, and is excited to serve in the next chapter of the organization.

Arjuna Myles, Instructor

Arjuna Myles is a full-time drill designer from Gainesville, Florida writing award-winning shows for bands all around the country since 2004. He has written and designed competitive shows for over 100 schools across 20 states. He is an active member of his large community in Florida currently serving as visual caption head and program coordinator of the Gainesville HS marching band. On top of his drill expertise, Arjuna has been in a number of staff positions for schools in his area, including music or visual caption head roles, assistant band director, and associate band director. In 2013, Arjuna took his designs overseas as the drill designer for the MillenniuM Drum & Bugle Corps from Verdello, Italy.

In the winter season, Arjuna serves as the current visual coordinator for Unity Percussion, as well as drill designing for a slew of scholastic indoor groups. He was also the founder and director of the independent winds group, Project Arts.

Sierra Rogers, Instructor

Sierra Rogers is an active performer and instructor in Arizona’s marching arts scene, having served various music and visual roles at Highland High School, Campo Verde High School, Mesquite High School, Desert Mountain High School, and Casa Grande Union High School. In the winter season, Sierra serves as the visual caption head at Flux Indoor Percussion, a PIO group based out of Casa Grande, AZ. During her marching career, Sierra performed for eight seasons with The Academy, serving as a tuba player and drum major.

Miranda Stark, Instructor

Miranda currently resides in Boulder, Colorado where she is student teaching at Monarch High School and Superior Elementary School. She will graduate in December with a Bachelor of Music Education and Bachelor of Music-Woodwind Performance. Miranda marched with the Bluecoats in 2014 and 2015 and was on staff as a visual instructor with Spirit of Atlanta in 2019. She has taught marching band at Monarch High School since 2015 and currently serves as the visual caption head and brass instructor.

Jeremy Turner, Instructor

Jeremy Turner is an Indianapolis-based music educator, specializing in movement and woodwind performance. Jeremy is a 2009 graduate of Marian Catholic High School, from Chicago Heights, IL. After high school, he went on to study saxophone performance and music education at Marian University in Indianapolis, IN. While in college, he marched two summers (2010-11) on Contra with the Colts.

Jeremy currently teaches marching band, indoor winds, indoor percussion, winterguard, and private lessons at Greenfield Central High School in Greenfield, IN. In his eight years with Greenfield Central Bands, the program has been a Bands of America Grand National Semi Finalist, and an Indiana State Marching Band and Indiana Percussion Association silver medalist. In addition, his groups have earned the WGI Winds bronze and silver medals and have been regular WGI Percussion finalists.

In his time away from Greenfield, Jeremy has been fortunate to join The Academy for the 2017-2019 tours as a visual technician. Jeremy also serves as a visual designer, clinician, coordinator, and adjudicator for several marching bands, scholastic and independent indoor drumlines, indoor wind ensembles, and color guards throughout the Country.