Tony Hall Joins Colts Design Team In 2027

Looking to build off a historical season — reaching DCI World Class Finals for the fifth straight season; a first for our organization — the Colts are thrilled to roll into 2027 with a number of returning staff as well as some personnel in new or expanded roles. In addition, we are excited to welcome Tony Hall to our team. For those that have been around the activity for some time, you would know Tony from the many years he worked with Phantom Regiment over the past three decades.

“Bringing Tony on to lead our established team of designers and educators feels like an inflection point for the Colts,” said Colts Executive Director Vicki MacFarlane. “Now, as a perennial finalist, I'm excited to see where this team can take the drum corps in 2027 and beyond.”

The design team will be led by Tony Hall who has worked with drum corps and marching bands in many capacities throughout his decades in the pageantry arts including many years with Phantom Regiment, Garfield Cadets, Blue Knights, Sky Ryders, Dutch Boy, and Velvet Knights.

“I’m very excited to join the Colts organization and work with this exceptional team of designers and educators,” said Tony. “I’m looking forward to building upon the corps’ success, long into the future.”

Brass Arranger Michael Miller returns to write his seventh brass book for the Colts. He is a full-time composer with several highly acclaimed works with the nation’s leading publishing houses. His music for collegiate marching bands has been showcased on some of the world’s largest stages, including the Super Bowl and numerous BCS bowl games. Before he started writing the brass book for the Red Team, Mike served on the brass staff for several years, and he continues to spend time on the road teaching each summer.

Battery Arranger Travis Peterman returns to the Colts design team for his second season as the battery arranger, along with serving as percussion caption head and ensemble coordinator. Travis is the program director of the George Mason University Indoor Drumline. GMUID has been a perennial Percussion Independent World finalist at the WGI Championships placing as high as sixth in 2025.

Front Ensemble Arranger & Sound Designer Andrew Monteiro is excited to return for another season working alongside Travis on the percussion score. Andrew (“Monty”) writes and designs shows for numerous high schools and independent percussion ensembles. He is also sound designer for many of the groups he works with.

Sara Even is an alumnus of the Colts and co-owner of an independent audio services firm with clients around the world. Her work has been heard on Broadway, Las Vegas, and in theaters around the country, as well as for prominent corporate clients including NBC, PBS, Salesforce, and Dell. Sara and her partner, Mark Boettcher, have been instrumental in creating a soundscape for Colts programs that is among the activity’s finest.

Visual Designer Richard Hinshaw has been charting drill for the Colts since 2018. He also writes drill for some of the top marching ensembles and several WGI groups, including the three-peat Bands of America Grand National Champions (2023-2025) Avon High School Marching Black & Gold.

Fernando Rodriguez takes on a new role in 2027 as Visual Coordinator overseeing all visual aspects of the Colts production. Fernando (“Fergie”) has been the Colts color guard caption head for the past five years and we're excited to use his talents to shape the entire visual program. He works with several high schools and independent winter guards in Texas.

Supporting the design team on many levels in consulting roles are Sean McElroy; Percussion Design Consultants James Ancona and Mark Eichenberger; and Visual Consultant Daniel Wiles.

The music team will be supported by Assistant Ensemble Coordinators Kara Metzger and Aaron Owens.

“The synergy within this group of talented and experienced individuals is exciting. The collective trust in one another will make the journey this season all the more rewarding,” said Colts Director Kathleen Ballard. “We’re excited to meet the next group of Colts members at our audition events, and I look forward to seeing their excitement about the production the design team crafting for 2027."

IF YOU ARE A PERFORMER who would like to learn from these great educators and perform the next memorable Colts Drum & Bugle Corps production, request information to receive our 2027 audition information coming soon!

Read more about each of our designers on the Colts staff page.

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