2025 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, 2024, 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 7th year with Flux.

Sierra Rogers is a music educator residing in the greater Phoenix area. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Music in 2018 at Arizona State University. As an active performer and instructor in Arizona’s marching arts, Sierra has served various music and visual roles at Highland High School (Gilbert, AZ), Sandra Day O’Connor High School (Deer Valley, AZ), Desert Ridge High School (Gilbert, AZ) and Casa Grande Union High School (Casa Grande, AZ). She was involved with the ASU Sun Devil Marching Band as well as with The Arizona Academy Drum & Bugle Corps. Her experience as a drum corps member includes eight years with The Academy, from 2012-2019, and she is now on the visual caption head at Madison Scouts, based out of Madison, WI.

This is her 7th year with Flux.

Alex Barreras’ performance experience includes Breakthrough Indoor Percussion, POW Percussion, The Academy, Blue Stars, and Pulse Percussion. Alex has also performed with the Sun Devil Marching Band and PHX Percussion (Phoenix Suns Drumline). Alex has taught at several local high schools including Casa Grande Union High School and Mesa High School. Since the summer of 2017, Alex has flown out yearly to Quetzaltenango, Guatemala to work with Life Music Corps where he serves the position of Percussion Caption Head/Designer. In 2019, Life Music won the DCI Guatemala circuit as well as high percussion while competing in World Class. Alex has also previously taught at Pacific Crest and Breakthrough Indoor Percussion. Alex is a graduate from Arizona State University and currently holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Criminal Justice. Outside of drumming, Alex works in the behavioral health field with Banner Health. Alex is married and lives with his wife,Thanda, daughter, Ari and lovely dog, Coco.

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 7th year with Flux.

Ricky Barrera is an Arizona percussion educator with over 10 years of experience in marching percussion. He has marched snare with groups such as; Mesa high, Breakthrough indoor 2013-16, Arizona state marching band 2015-16 and POW Percussion 2017. 

 He has taught various ensembles around the state. Some of the groups and schools include: Westwood HS, Saguaro HS, Phenom sound sport, Hamilton HS and Mesa HS . Ricky also teaches lessons and gives clinics across the valley.

This is his 7th year with Flux.

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 1st year with Flux.

Jacob Lugo is a percussionist and educator from Glendale, 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 2019-2023, 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 2018-2022, he served as the percussion section leader for his final two years. Jacob has been an educator in the valley since the fall of 2019 and is currently on the percussion staff at Mountain Ridge High School. Jacob teaches private lessons around the valley and is an active performer for BOOM! Percussion Entertainment.

Josh Matarazzo is an Arizona percussionist from 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 season where the percussion section made history finishing the season with the highest percussion score the Blue Stars have received to date. 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 teaching at Basha High School since the fall of 2021. 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, Nick Arce, and Danny Pendergrass.

This is his 6th year with Flux

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.

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.

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 4th 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.

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 fifth year with the ensemble.

Sammy Aguilar is a dedicated percussion educator originally from Gilbert, AZ. He has had the pleasure of working with schools from across the state of Arizona such as Casa Grande Union High School and Mountain Ridge High School in Glendale, AZ where he is the current front ensemble assistant caption head. His indoor and outdoor marching experience includes one year with the Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps in 2023, two years with the ASU Sun Devil Marching Band in 2019 and 2023, and five years with Flux indoor Percussion from the 2020-2024 seasons where he marched his final two years leading the front ensemble in the seasons following their promotion into world class. He is currently finishing up his undergraduate program from Arizona State University where he will earn his Bachelor of Science in Accountancy and Minor in Applied Mathematics.

Kara Montoya is a front ensemble educator from Casa Grande, AZ. She has taught different programs across the state such as Villago indoor percussion, Mesquite High School and she is currently teaching at Casa Grande Union School.

Her marching experience includes one year with the Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corp (2022) and four years with Flux Indoor Percussion (2020-2023).

Outside of the marching arts Kara has received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from ASU and is currently working towards a graduate degree in occupational therapy. 

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!

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. 

Griffin Law is a percussionist, educator, composer, and audio specialist living and teaching in the Tucson, Arizona area. He serves as an adjunct faculty member at Paradise Valley Community College in Phoenix, Arizona teaching courses on Electronic Music and Sound Design. He has previously taught courses on electronic music at the University of Arizona, where he also directed CrossTalk, an electro-acoustic ensemble that focuses on creating new works for live electronic music performance.

Griffin also serves at the Audio Caption Manager for the Sacramento Mandarins. He began working with the Mandarins in the record-breaking Drum Corps International 2023 season, where the organization received an all-time high placement of 6 th place. He is also active in the Arizona pageantry arts judging community and adjudicates for the Arizona Marching Band Association, Arizona Band and Orchestra Directors Association, and Winter Guard Arizona.

While not with the Mandarins or Flux, he freelances as an audio and percussion consultant for high schools and independent marching organizations in Arizona, California, and Texas.

While not teaching or consulting, Griffin can be found performing solo and with other local acts in the Tucson area, most notably the Nico Barberan Band. He’s active in the electronic music community in Tucson and serves as founder and organizer of the Tucson Ableton Live User Group, a community focused on educating and fostering collaborations between electronic musicians in the area.

Griffin is a proud member of the Vic Firth and Zildjian educational teams.