Fresh And Familiar Faces Make Up 2025 Colt Cadets Design Team

The Colt Cadets are proud to introduce their design team and caption heads for the 2025 season! The team brings with them experience spanning several decades across various fields in the arts including performance, adjudication, education, design and composition. The design team will work closely with, and be supported by, Colt Cadets Director Harlan Pfohl throughout the design process.

"After the success of the corps last season, it's great to have many of the same designers returning as well as adding some new voices to the room to create an even greater educational and entertaining product for our members and audience," said Colt Cadets Director Harlan Pfohl. "We are well on our way to finalizing the 2025 production, and I'm looking forward to sharing their exciting progress and ideas soon!"

Leading the design team will be Program Coordinator Andrew Eaton. Andrew is no stranger to the Colts and Colt Cadets as he will be starting his eighteenth year with the Colts organization, where he has taught mellophone for the Colts and instructed brass and visual for the Colt Cadets. He also led the Colt Cadets design team during the 2013-2015 seasons and is looking forward to returning to the role in 2025.

Kara Metzger returns to the Colt Cadets in the new role of visual designer. Kara has been a dynamic part of the Colt Cadets team since she first came on board in 2016 after performing with the Colts from 2011-2015. Kara currently serves as the director of bands at Central Methodist University in Fayette, Missouri, and holds a DMA from the University of Iowa in wind conducting. She was previously the Colt Cadets brass caption head and brass supervisor, and she also is a member of the Colts brass staff.

Brass Arranger Terry White returns to the Colt Cadets accompanied by new Brass Caption Head Alex Weinzierl. Terry has been the brass arranger for the Colt Cadets since 2012 and is excited to continue writing for the corps. He currently resides in Maine, where he is an active arranger, composer and performer. Alex Weinzierl joins the team as brass caption head. He is the director of bands at the Mount Vernon School District in southern Missouri. Alex holds a degree in music education from the University of Missouri. He performed with the Colts in 2021 as a featured flugelhorn soloist and returned to the organization in 2024 as a part of the Colts brass educational team.

Percussion Caption Head & Arranger Tim Berg joins the Colt Cadets design team in 2025. Tim is a graduate of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with a master’s degree in percussion performance and literature along with bachelor's degrees in music performance and instrumental music education. He is an active educator, arranger and performer throughout the Chicagoland area, currently working with the Lincoln-Way Marching Band, the Lincoln-Way Indoor Drumline, and the Naperville Central High School Drumshow and Steelband programs.

Color Guard Caption Head & Designer Riley Speer returns for her third season in her role. Riley performed as a member of the Colts color guard from 2012-2016, serving as a captain in 2015 and 2016. Most recently, Riley is performing with Juxtaposition Winter Guard for the 2025 season. Riley spent several years working with the Saydel High School color guard from 2015-2023. In 2024, Riley began working at Ankeny High School as their color guard director. During the day, Riley is an elementary school teacher in the Des Moines area.

You can read the full bios of the 2025 Colt Cadets design team here.

Colt Cadets 2025 Preseason Opportunities

Rehearsals for the 2025 Colt Cadets are underway! Our second Open House rehearsal is this Sunday, February 16, at the Iowa National Guard Armory in Dubuque. Check out our full preseason rehearsal schedule here. Students interested in being a part of the Colt Cadets should submit an interest form. Students with questions can also email Colt Cadets Director Harlan Pfohl at harlan@colts.org.