Luke Vogt

front ensemble Arranger

Luke Vogt is a percussionist and educator originally from Phoenix, Arizona, currently residing in Fort Worth, Texas. Combining a passion for music and people, alongside world-class education and performance experience, Luke strives to provide musicians, students, and educators the tools needed to make their goals a reality. Luke holds a bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Arizona State University and a master's degree in Percussion Performance from Texas Christian University. Luke currently works as the Director of Percussion for V.R. Eaton High School in Fort Worth, Texas.

In the area of marching percussion, Luke has performed with Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps, The Academy Drum and Bugle Corps, the Arizona State University Marching Band, ASU Indoor Percussion Ensemble, and the entertainment drum lines for both the Phoenix Suns and the Arizona Cardinals. As an independent instructor, Luke is currently on staff with Santa Clara Vanguard as the Sound Team Manager.

In addition to his current ensembles, Luke has worked with and designed for a variety of high school and independent percussion ensembles including Monarch Independent, Basha High School, and The Academy Drum and Bugle Corps.

Alison Brightwell-Balot

Front Ensemble Coordinator

Alison Brightwell-Balot holds a Bachelor of Music in percussion performance from Northern Arizona University and her Master’s in Education from Grand Canyon University. She is Director of Percussion at César Chávez High School in Laveen, Arizona where she teaches piano and serves as their percussion music arranger.

Since her move back down to the valley ten years ago, Alison has taught and arranged for various high schools in the state including Sandra Day O’Connor High School where she served as their caption head and co-percussion arranger for 9 years. She has also had the honor to be on staff for Phenom, Phoenix Union Indoor, and Dark Sky Percussion.

Alison has served as adjudicator and/or guest director for the Greater Phoenix Honor Ensembles, AZ Regionals, Solo & Ensemble, and AZPAS. In 2015, Alison was elected Vice President of the Arizona Chapter of the Percussive Arts Society and currently serves as an adjudicator for WGAZ.

Alison is sponsored by Innovative Percussion and is an active member of PAS, the Arizona Music Educators Association, WGAZ, and the National Association for Music Education. In her free time Alison enjoys spending time with her husband who is also a percussionist, his daughter, and their 5 dogs.

Travis Rowland

Front Ensemble

Travis resides in Phoenix, AZ where he has become a highly sought after percussion educator, performer, and clinician. Since starting his music degree at ASU, Travis has taught over 10 programs across the valley- including 5 State Championship ensembles within the ABODA, AZMBA, and WGAZ circuits.

Travis has also presented at AZPAS and AMEA conferences as a clinician, and adjudicated for the Arizona All-State Band/Orchestra Festival.

Travis graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Performance in 2020. An experienced performer, Travis has had the pleasure to work with The Phoenix Symphony, BOOM! Percussion Entertainment, The Academy Drum and Bugle Corps, Salt River Brass, Harrison Fjord, Grupo BombAZo, Pocket Publications, and many more.

Nichole Camacho

Front ensemble

Nichole is a graduate from Casa Grande Union High School and reside in Tempe, AZ. She is currently pursuing a degree in Percussion Performance and Sustainability. She has taught at Williams Field High School from 2018-2021.

Nichole has performed with multiple groups at ASU including Wind Ensemble, Wind Symphony, Philharmonia, and the Sun Devil marching band for the past 2 years. She has also performed with Breakthrough Percussion during the 2018 and 2019 season and performed with POW Percussion during the 2020 season.

In her spare time, Nichole likes to study astrophysics, read books, listen to true crime podcasts, and figure out how to live more sustainably, all while drinking coffee.

Jaelan Kim

Front ensemble

Jaelan is a front ensemble instructor living in Tempe. Since graduating from Perry High School, he has been teaching front ensemble for numerous programs. That would include Buckeye Union, Desert Mountain, Peoria, PUSD Indoor, Deer Valley, and Sandra Day O’Connor. He is currently with Campo Verde and Millennium High School.

Aside from teaching, he has performed with the Sun Devil Marching Band and is a 4 year Alumni of Breakthrough Indoor Percussion.

J.J. Mixdorf

Sound design

J.J. has been teaching the marching arts since 2001, when he started as a front ensemble writer and instructor. After graduating from Arizona State in 2009, he went on to direct his own high school programs. His most recent success was at Combs High School, where the marching band earned two state championships (ABODA and AZMBA 2017).

J.J. likes to be on the bleeding edge of technology, and tries to find ways to adapt them for any group he is involved with, making sure it enhances the performance of the ensemble.

J.J. is currently a music educator in the Mesa Public Schools system in Arizona. J.J. earned his Bachelors’ degree in Music Education from Arizona State (2009), and a Masters in Conducting from Colorado State (2016).