Colts Tap Current Instructional Staff To Lead Captions

The Colts Drum & Bugle Corps will be led by three new caption heads going into 2027. Taking advantage of the depth they have within the instructional team, the brass, visual, and color guard captions will all be headed by individuals currently on staff.

“The opportunity to promote from within is exciting and speaks to the strength and the investment of the individuals on our team,” said Colts Director Kathleen Ballard. “We look forward to providing a level of continuity for our members while continuing to build and grow across all sections of the drum corps.”

Aaron Owens takes over the brass section after having served as the Colts program facilitator in 2026. Aaron is associate director of bands at College Park High School in The Woodlands, Texas. He was a performer with the Bluecoats where he served as horn sergeant in his final two seasons. Prior to Colts, he was on the brass staff at Mandarins Drum & Bugle Corps. Aaron will be joined by Assistant Caption Head Justin Clarkson along with many familiar technicians.

Travis Peterman returns to lead the percussion section in 2027. He will be supported by two assistant caption heads — Charlie Gorham for the battery, and Megan Hobbs in the front ensemble. Travis and his team brought a new level of respect to the Colts percussion section last season with a fresh approach to writing and meticulous day-to-day instruction. We’re excited to see where they can take the percussion caption in Year 2.

Nancy Fleming takes over as caption head for the visual team after serving as assistant visual caption head last summer. She will be joined by Assistant Caption Head Diego Froget as they return with much of last year’s team as well as adding some new faces. Before coming to the Colts, Nancy was on the visual team at Carolina Crown where she aged out as a member of the tuba section.

Skylar Mackensen moves into the Colts color guard caption head role for 2027. Skylar joined the Colts guard staff in 2023 and has worked as a technician, designer, and choreographer. Eric Gonzalez will work with Skylar as assistant caption head. In 2027, former Color Guard Caption Head Fernando Rodriguez will take on the visual coordinator position for the drum corps.

“We’re fortunate to have a team that blends so well both strategically and philosophically,” said Colts Executive Director Vicki MacFarlane. “We’ve had conversations with some of our student leaders and the feedback has been very positive. They’re anxious to get rolling and build on what they’ve accomplished to this point."

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!

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