2026 Instructional Staff

Dakota McConnell is a percussionist and educator from Casa Grande, Arizona. Dakota is an alumni of The Academy Drum and Bugle Corps where he marched from 2014-2017, leading the section in ‘15 and ‘17. Dakota also marched with Pulse Percussion in the 2017 and in 2018 led the group to a 4th place finish. Dakota has a Bachelor of Arts from ASU in interdisciplinary studies with concentrations in business and economics. Dakota has taught Casa Grande Percussion Ensemble since fall 2016 , taught with The Academy Drum and Bugle Corps in 2018 and 2023-2025 Blue Stars from 2019-2022. Dakota has learned from, but not limited to, Glen Crosby, Ike Jackson, John Mapes, Cisco Hance, Rick Barclay, Ryan Anderson, Ezekiel Lanser, Connor Yasuda, Drew Guy, Will Edmonds, Stevie Hagel, and John Sutton.

This is his 8th year with Flux.

Whitney Hansen is a music educator residing in Phoenix, AZ. She is an active teacher, percussion instructor, designer, and program consultant. She earned her Bachelor of Music Education from Northern Arizona University and currently teaches front ensembles across AZ as well as being a full time elementary band director. Whitney has enjoyed being involved in the marching arts as both performer and educator. She was a member of Dark Sky Percussion and continued on to instruct and direct various high school percussion programs and independent ensembles. She has worked with Breakthrough Indoor Percussion, Phenom Drum & Bugle Corps, and Blue Stars Drum & Bugle Corps.

This is her 8th year with Flux.

Benjamin Coody is a dedicated educator hailing from the south eastern part of Arizona. As an Arizona native he has found himself marching from a very young age with groups such as The Arizona State University Marching Band, The Academy Drum and Bugle Corps, as well as his last few years with The Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps. With an emphasis on visual and brass education he has taught across the valley with groups such as Campo Verde High School, Basha High School, and most recently with Casa Grande Union High School Marching Band. With a wide variety of experiences he is excited to be return to Flux visual staff for his sixth year with the ensemble.

Nic Herring-Harman is thrilled to work with Flux this season! Nic received his undergraduate degree in Dance Performance at Ball State University in Muncie, IN and his Master of Fine Arts degree in Dance at Arizona State University.

Nic began his dance training at Motivation 2 Dance in Indianapolis, IN and continued training and performing with the Anderson Young Ballet Theatre, Ball State Dance Theatre, iLuminate Dance Company (as seen on TV’s “America’s Got Talent”), Atlanta Jazz Theatre, and Phoenix Rising Dance Company while later obtaining a Teaching Artist Praxis Certificate in Dance Education.

Accolades include: choreography for numerous band/color guard programs in the Valley, FeniX Independent Winterguard, directing the Dance Programs at Lafayette Jefferson High School (Lafayette, IN) and Avon High School (Avon, IN), WGAZ/IHSCGA Clinic choreography, iLuminate Dance Company, Movement Source Dance Company, Ascend Dance Academy, NDEO Conference presentations (2019, 2020), Daniel Nagrin scholarship recipient (2020), and former adjunct faculty member at Arizona State University.

Nic currently serves as the Dance Director at Buckeye Union High School (Buckeye, AZ) while also freelance teaching and choreographing throughout the Valley.

Tyler James-Bridges’ performance experience includes SCV Cadets (2009, 2011), SCV (2010), Vanguard Winter Percussion (2011), Blue Stars (2013), and Pulse Percussion (2012-2014).

In his teaching career, Tyler has served as a snare tech, battery coordinator, and ensemble coordinator at POW Percussion from 2015 to 2022. He also worked with the Blue Stars from 2014 to 2018 and has taught at various high schools in Central and Southern California, such as Sanger, Madera, Beyer, Mater Dei, and University High Schools. Currently, he teaches at Highland High School in Gilbert, AZ.

Professionally, Tyler is a Senior Quality Engineer at a leading technology and software infrastructure company based in Irvine, CA. He resides in Gilbert, AZ, with his wife Samantha, their daughter Summer, their three dogs Maggie, Becca, and Thumper, and their cat Alley.

This is Tyler’s 2nd year with Flux.

Jacob Lugo is a percussionist and educator from Peoria, Arizona. His drum corps experience includes Impulse Drum and Bugle Corps (2018), Genesis Drum and Bugle Corps (2019), and the Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps (2021 and 2022).

For WGI, he has been involved with Flux Indoor Percussion since its inaugural season and marched from 2019 to 2023, leading the battery in his final season. He completed his Bachelor’s degree in Music Performance-Percussion at Arizona State University. At ASU, he stayed busy playing in the Sun Devil Marching Band, Basketball Band, Wind Symphony, Contemporary Percussion Ensemble, and Percussion Jazz Ensemble. As a member of the Sun Devil Marching Band from 2018-2021, he served as the percussion section leader for his final two years.

Jacob is currently on the percussion staff at Apollo High School and previously taught at Mountain Ridge High School from 2021 to 2024, helping lead the group to its first percussion caption award at ABODA state championships. Jacob teaches private lessons around the valley and is an active performer for BOOM! Percussion Entertainment.

This is his 8th year with Flux.

Josh Matarazzo is an Arizona percussionist who grew up in the East Valley. His drum corps experience includes The Academy Drum & Bugle Corps 2018-2019, and Blue Stars 2021-2022, leading the battery in the 2022.

Josh’s indoor percussion experience goes back to Flux’s first year as an organization, where he lead the group from 2019-2022, as well as performing with RCC for the 2023 season. He has also marched with the ASU Sun Devil Marching Band in 2018, 2020, and 2021.

He graduated from ASU in 2022 with a Bachelor’s in Film and Media Production and currently works full time as a Post-Production Specialist. Josh has been an educator in the valley since 2019, and has been working with Basha High School since the fall of 2021, helping to lead the Basha Indoor Percussion Ensemble to PSO Finals at WGI World Championships in 2025. He has had the opportunity to learn from many of the activity’s greatest educators, gaining knowledge of the art not only from the remarkable long time Flux staff members, but other renowned names in the activity including but not limited to Rick Barclay, Cisco Hance, Matt Regua, and Nick Arce.

This is his 8th year with Flux.

Alessandro is an energetic and passionate educator in the Arizona marching arts community. He has performed with organizations such as Impulse Drum and Bugle Corps, The Academy Drum and Bugle Corps, RCC Indoor Percussion, and Flux Indoor Percussion. He currently teaches at Campo Verde High School and Casa Grande Union High School, and also helps out at other schools across the state from time to time. Alessandro also has a B.S. in psychology from ASU and currently uses his degree in the field of social work. Outside of drumming, Alessandro also likes to go to metal concerts and spend time with his friends/family.

Tommy is an Alumnus of Arizona State and is a passionate educator in Arizona music. He believes music and the marching arts are art forms that allow people to express themselves while building foundational life skills like discipline, grit and perseverance.

Tommy has performing experience with The Academy Drum and Bugle Corps as well as Flux Indoor Percussion, where he now serves as educational staff.

During the day, Tommy is a financial advisor with 345 Wealth Management based in Scottsdale, AZ.

Outside of work and music, Tommy loves hiking, skiing and riding motorcycles.

Jadon Gomez is an Arizona educator and bass drum specialist. Spending many years as a performer in the Arizona community. Most of his career was geared toward gathering the most information to master his craft. Now he spends his time spreading bass drum education and culture across the state. His marching career involves time with The Academy Drum and Bugle Corps and many indoor ensembles. He helped lead The Academy battery in 2022, also earning the most outstanding percussion member award. His education highlights the importance of consistency and growth. His approach is the perfect mix of relaxation and aggressive attention to detail. In Jadon’s life, he spends most of his time with his wife and dog. He works for an employee benefits consulting firm and graduated from Arizona State University with a bachelor’s degree in digital audiences.

Davis Ong is an Arizona percussionist and visual tech originally from San Diego, CA. His experience includes 5 years with the Pride of Arizona cymbal line, as well as 2 years as a member of Flux (2021-2022) and aging out with Pulse Indoor Percussion (2023). He graduated with a BA in Sociology with a minor in music, and currently resides in Tucson. Davis has been an educator in the marching arts since 2020, teaching winter seasons at Rincon University High school (2023) and Sahuarita High School since 2020, being visual caption head for Sahuarita’s field program for two seasons. He has been educated by some of the best cymbal techs in the country including but not limited to Aurora Asher, Matt Warren, Pablo Rodriguez, Alfredo Scott, Albert Avelar Jr., Zach Freeman, and Derek Wu.

This is his 5th year with Flux

Trevor Litschauer is an Arizona educator and percussionist from Gilbert, AZ. He has been passionate for the growth and excellence of the cymbal community in the marching arts across Arizona. His experience includes 1 year as a member of LINEA (2020) and 2 years as a member of Flux (2021-2022). In his teaching career, Trevor has been the visual caption head for Eastmark High School's field program since 2021 and cymbal instructor for Casa Grande Indoor Percussion Ensemble while previously working with Breakthrough Indoor Percussion (2023-2024). He is currently studying at ASU for a Bachelor's in Computer Science and has received his Associate's in Computer Science from CGCC.

Dustin started his musical career as a trumpet player. His junior year of high school, he joined the drumline playing bass drum for a short time before moving to quads. After high school Dustin switched to front ensemble with Momentum Percussion Theater (2005-2006) and ASU Indoor (2007). He continued this path marching with The Cavaliers (2007-2008) and aging-out with Music City Mystique (2009-2010).

Dustin has worked with a handful of high schools in Arizona including: Chandler HS, Basha HS, Mesquite HS, Gilbert HS, Williams Field HS, and Desert Vista HS. Additionally, he has worked with several independent ensembles including: Dark Sky Percussion, ASU Indoor, Mosaic Percussion, Breakthrough, and now Flux.

He is honored to be working with the talented and passionate members and staff of this organization.

Dustin believes in the transformative power of music and the arts and emphasizes not only technical skill but also the joy of creative expression.

Beyond the world of percussion, Dustin is a creator with a love for artistry. Whether tufting rugs, crafting clothing and costumes, or exploring other artistic outlets, he brings a unique blend of creativity and precision to every project. 

Sammy Aguilar is a dedicated percussion educator from Gilbert, AZ, and a graduate of Campo Verde High School. He has worked with programs across the state of Arizona, including Casa Grande Union High School and Mountain Ridge High School, where he currently serves as the front ensemble assistant caption head. Sammy also recently finished his first season on staff with Flux Indoor Percussion, marking the beginning of his teaching career with the ensemble.

His marching experience includes one season with the Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps in 2023, two seasons with the ASU Sun Devil Marching Band in 2019 and 2023, and five seasons with Flux Indoor Percussion (2020–2024), where he led the front ensemble during his final two years.

Sammy holds a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy with a Minor in Applied Mathematics from Arizona State University.

Ethan Alcala is a music performance major at the University of Arizona.

Performing, writing, and teaching the percussion arts are his passion. He has marched cymbals for the Pride of Arizona, was Flux Indoor Percussion’s 2025 center marimba and section leader, served as Mountain View High School’s front ensemble instructor for marching band and indoor percussion, and is currently the front ensemble instructor for Walden Grove High School. After four seasons of competing and growing with Flux Indoor Percussion, Ethan is excited to join the Flux staff this season! 

Jeremy was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona where he attended Marcos De Niza High school. Jeremy went on to study music at Mesa Community College and Arizona Sate University - receiving his degree in music Performance. Jeremy has had the opportunity to study with Chris Reidy, Robby Carrillo, Dom Moio, Nick Manson, Lewis Nash, Michal Kocour, and J.B. Smith. Jeremy's marching experience includes ASU Sun Devil Marching Band, Breakthrough Indoor Percussion, and POW Percussion. Jeremy's teaching experience includes 7 years teaching at Marcos De Niza HS (Percussion Caption Head), Breakthrough Indoor Percussion (Quad Tech | 2018 - 2020), Linea Indoor Percussion (Quad Tech), and Carl Hayden High School (Front Ensemble). Jeremy also teaches private drum lessons at Scottsdale Music Academy and gigs regularly with a variety of groups and ensembles in Phoenix, Arizona. Some of these groups include: Dayweather, Benja Bloom Band, Jay Allan and the Uncommon Good, The Stakes, LuMar, Sunset Voodoo, Hyperbella, Rene Benton, The Getdown, and many more local artists. Jeremy is excited and honored to be a part of the Flux staff and enjoys drums/percussion of all skill levels and ages.

Jeremy will primarily be working with Drum Set and Front Ensemble for this upcoming year!

Neechelle is a movement specialist and designer from Phoenix, AZ. She is very active in the marching community, working with over a dozen ensembles each year. She has also worked with Pacific Crest Drum and Bugle Corps on their 2014 field show, the Arizona Academy Drum and Bugle Corps 2015-2019, and was on staff with Pulse Percussion for their 2016 season. She most recently worked with Linea 2024-2025. 

Neechelle’s performance experience includes 22 years of competitive dance and 12 years of music. She has been a part of many independent marching ensembles, including Mosaic Independent Percussion, Dark Sky Percussion, Arizona State University Indoor Percussion, Pacific Crest Drum and Bugle Corps, Breakthrough Indoor Percussion, and Pulse Percussion. She has also made a number of appearances in the Russian Nutcracker and the Snow Queen Ballet.

Bridget is a passionate percussionist and educator based in Gilbert, Arizona. Her journey in the marching arts began at Williams Field High School, where she studied under Dustin Roa for seven seasons. Following high school, Bridget went on to perform with The Academy Drum and Bugle Corps (2024), and Flux Indoor Percussion (2021-2025).

In 2020, Bridget transitioned to teaching, starting with the front ensemble at Casteel High School (2020-2022) and continuing at Dobson High School (2023-present).

Bridget’s passion for audio equipment and sound design blossomed during her first season playing synth for Flux in 2023. She went on to perform as a synth player for both Flux and The Academy in 2024, earning the Most Valuable Player award from Flux for her commitment to the electronic component of the show. Bridget is excited to continue growing in the world of audio and is thrilled to return to Flux for her sixth year as a staff member