Colt Cadets Announce 2020 Design Team And Caption Heads

October 31, 2019

The Colt Cadets are excited to announce the return of their design team and caption heads for the 2020 season. This will be the second year the team will be working together, and they are all very excited to continue building on the successes of last season.

"I'm excited to work with this team and see what we can create together!" said Colt Cadets Director Rich Waddington. "We've had lots of great discussions about what we want the 2020 Colt Cadets to be and we're already working hard to build a show that everyone can be proud of."

Stepping into the role of assistant corps director and program manager will be Colt Cadets veteran staff member Alex Albertson. Alex is an alumnus of the Colts, having aged out in 2011 as a member of the front ensemble. Alex has been on Colt Cadets staff since 2012, and is currently a music teacher at Logan-Magnolia Community Schools in Logan, Iowa. Andrew Eaton will continue on as a senior designer with the team, providing guidance and support to the design process, while also teaching the brass line. Andrew has been involved with the Colt Cadets since the 2008 season in various capacities. Andrew is the head of brass repair in one of the nation's largest music shops and is an active marching band technician in the Chicago suburbs.

Brass Arranger Terry White is entering his ninth year with the Colt Cadets. A retired music educator, Terry currently resides in Maine, where he is an active arranger, composer, and performer for several groups in the area, including the Portland Jazz Orchestra. Many of his publications have been selected for J.W. Pepper’s Editor’s Choice list annually, and his music is published through Alfred (Belwin Jazz), Hal Leonard, Grand Mesa, Ludwig Masters, and Jalen/Matrix Music. Outside of composing, he is an active adjudicator and festival conductor. Brass Caption Head Kara Metzger is an alumna of the Colts, having spent five years with the group as both a baritone player and drum major, and is entering her fifth year on staff with Colt Cadets. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Kara is currently a graduate student at University of Minnesota Duluth pursuing a Master of Arts in music education degree. Percussion Arranger and Caption Head Jake Esterberg is also an alumnus of the Colts, having aged out as a snare player in 2016. Jake is a graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, holding a Bachelor of Arts in music education. He now serves as the band director at Unity Middle School in Balsam Lake, Wisconsin.

Visual Designer Steve Lyons has been involved with the drum corps activity as a performer, educator, and designer since 2001. He currently lives in Connecticut and works with several high school and indoor programs as a designer and brass and visual instructor. Color Guard Designer Samantha Adrales was a member of the Colts from 2012 to 2014, and is entering her fifth year on staff with the Colt Cadets. As an active dancer, performer, educator, and designer, Samantha brings with her a wide background in the performing arts. Stepping into the role of color guard caption head will be Jessica Coblentz. Jessica is also an alumna of the Colts, having been in the color guard from 2013 to 2016. Jessica has been on the color guard staff with Colt Cadets since 2017 and is an active educator and designer with several programs in Iowa.

You can view the full bios of the 2020 Colt Cadets design team and caption heads here.

Colt Cadets 2020 Membership Information

Information for the 2020 Colt Cadets season will be avilable soon! Rehearsals will start in mid-Febraury on Sunday afternoons in Dubuque. Students interested in being a part of the Colt Cadets should submit an Information Request. You can click here to learn more about the Colt Cadets program. Students with questions about Colt Cadets should email Colt Cadets Director Rich Waddington at rich@colts.org.

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