Jim Wunderlich

Music Advisor

Jim has been the music coordinator & brass arranger for the Blue Stars since 2018. Prior to his arrival at the Blue Stars, he held the position of Front Ensemble caption head & arranger for the Blue Devils from 2006-2017, where he helped attain 7 DCI Championships and 4 Fred Sanford High Percussion awards.

Jim is the owner and primary composer of Wunderpit Music (ASCAP), where his arrangements & compositions are performed worldwide by marching bands & percussion ensembles of all ages. His arrangements have been played throughout the years by several BOA Grand National finalists.

In the indoor arena, Jim was the front ensemble arranger/music coordinator for multi-time WGI PIW champion RCC Indoor Percussion from 2004-2020. He has achieved several WGI PSW Championships with Mission Viejo High School and Ayala High School since 2001. Jim has been traveling to Tokyo, Japan since 2007, where he has been the Front Ensemble arranger for the multi-time JMBA champion Soka Renaissance Vanguard.

Jim is a member of the WGI Hall of Fame, and is a founding member of the Southern California Percussion Alliance (SCPA). He resides in Southern California with his daughter Chloe.

Kris Galbreath

Choreographer, Movement Specialist

Kris Galbreath studied marketing at the University of North Texas and graduated with a Bachelor in Business Administration in May of 2017. He started his Drum Corps career in the summer of 2010, marching with the Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps. After graduating from Little Elm high school, he found a home with the Blue Devils during the summer of 2012 where he marched 4 years until his age out in 2015. 

 During the 2017 season, Kris worked with the color guard at the Academy Drum and Bugle Corps. In Texas, has taught and choreographed for various high schools in the DFW area including Wakeland high school and Coppell high school. During the winter season, Kris teaches on staff at CGT Dallas where he has helped choreograph since their first year in 2015. Kris has been a choreographer for Blue Stars since the 2018 Season.

Jorden Pugsley

Visual Instructor

With a passion for movement cultivated since childhood through dance, Jorden Charles embarked on her journey in the world of marching arts as a trumpet player at Oviedo High School in 2007. Following her graduation, Jorden's dedication led her to assume the role of visual technician at her alma mater, where she flourished from 2011 to 2018, ultimately serving as the visual caption head from 2015 to 2018.

Expanding her influence, Jorden extended her expertise to various institutions, including University High School, Olympia High School, Windermere High School, and Infinity Percussion I and II. Her commitment to excellence earned her a place in the prestigious Boston Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps in 2012, where she honed her skills as a trumpet player until 2015.

Jorden's journey as an educator and mentor continued to evolve as she joined the Infinity II visual staff in 2016, progressing to the visual staff of Infinity I in 2019. Her exceptional leadership qualities led her to assume the role of visual caption head at Infinity II for the 2020 season. Despite a brief hiatus to traverse the Atlantic, Jorden returned to Infinity I as the Visual Ensemble Coordinator, further enriching the program with her expertise.

Presently, Jorden's influence extends across multiple platforms, as she dedicates herself to nurturing talent at Infinity Percussion I, Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps, and Windermere High School. Through her unwavering dedication and passion for the arts, Jorden continues to inspire and shape the next generation of performers and educators alike.

Will Carroll

Visual Instructor

Will Carroll is a brass musician and educator hailing from Dallas, Texas, where he currently imparts his passion for music as a middle school band director in the Plano Independent School District. Prior to his tenure in Plano, Will served as a middle school band director in various schools within Dickinson ISD.

Will's journey in music began at Stephen F. Austin State University, where he pursued a degree in Music Education. There, he had the privilege of studying under the mentorship of Dr. Charles Gavin. During his time at Stephen F. Austin, Will actively contributed to several ensembles at the University, including the Wind Ensemble, Orchestra of the Pines, and Opera Orchestra.

Beyond the academic realm, Will Carroll extended his expertise as a music and visual technician to various schools in the Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth areas. His journey has been marked by excellent achievements as a performer. Before entering the Drum Corps scene, Will performed with the Hebron High School marching band and Wind Ensemble. After, he dedicated five summer tours to the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle corps, contributing to three top-three placements and a coveted World Championship title in 2016. His musical journey also took him across international boundaries when he performed with the Bluecoats international ensemble, embarking on an unforgettable experience in Hong Kong in 2017.

Ryan Stratford

Visual Instructor

Ryan lives in Southeast Michigan where he is an independent visual coordinator, choreographer and educator. Ryan marched trumpet with the Blue Stars from 2014 through 2018 and joined the visual staff after aging out through the 2023 season.

As a drum corps instructor, Ryan has also had a variety of responsibilities with the visual teams at Seattle Cascades and Genesis.

He is excited to rejoin the team for the 2025 season!

Jason Schmidt

Visual Instructor

Jason Schmidt is a native to Granger, IN, and currently resides in Indianapolis, IN. He is currently the assistant director and visual designer of the Plainfield, IN Marching Band where he has been teaching since 2014, and the visual designer for Perry Meridian HS, IN for the 2025 season. He has also been the visual designer for various other Indiana-based ensembles in both fall and winter seasons.

Jason began his music journey in the Penn-Harris-Madison schools where he was blessed with an immense amount of opportunities, namely performing in the Midwest Clinic in 2008. He then obtained his B.S. in Music Education from Ball State University, and has since remained involved in the performing arts in many capacities. 

Jason was a performing member of the Blue Stars from 2010-2012. Aside from being in the ensemble, he also competed in the I&E competitions and was runner-up in 2011 and champion in 2012 on solo trombone. He then joined the Blue Stars admin team in 2013. More recently he taught on the visual staff at The Academy in 2023, Music City in 2024, and the Blue Stars in 2025.

Outside of the marching arts, Jason has been a trombonist with the Indiana Wind Symphony since 2021. He has enjoyed his experiences with the ensemble and having the opportunity to perform in the beautiful venue of The Palladium in Carmel, IN for the regular concert season.

Jason is thrilled to be returning to the Blue Stars in 2026!

Yukari Nakazawa

Visual Instructor

Yukari began her marching career as a tuba player when she was High school Student at Shijonawate Gakuen High School Burning Bravers. Afterwards she joined the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps in 2010-2013.

After aging out, Yukari start to teaching Shijonawate Gakuen High School Burning Bravers(Osaka,Japan) as Brass and Visual Staff.she is also a choreographer, and drill writer. Yukari has been instrumental in continuing to compete in All Japan Marching Band National Championship for over 10 years.

Adam Germ

Visual Instructor

Adam Germ is a pageantry arts educator and designer from Allentown, Pennsylvania. He is an alumnus of the Quakertown Community High School Class of 2019.

Adam began his performing career with his high school marching band, and after graduating, went on to perform with other ensembles such as The Cadets2 (2018) and the Blue Stars (2019-2022) drum corps. Since aging out of DCI, Adam has worked with, and designed for, a handful of high school programs around the PA/NJ area, most notably as the Ensemble Coordinator at Central Bucks South High School until 2024. He also taught previously on the visual staffs at the Bushwackers (DCI All-Age), Genesis, and the Blue Stars.

Currently, Adam heads the Visual Caption at North Penn for both their fall marching band and  winter percussion groups, who are now USBands and WGI Finalists respectively. He also heads the visual program at United Percussion 2, a WGI Open Class Finalist, where trains members in preparation for the United Percussion World ensemble. He also acts as the group’s drill and visual designer.

Adam is excited to return to the Blue Stars for another incredible season!

Hannah Kirby

Brass Team

Hannah Kirby is an assistant Band Director at Irons Junior High School in Conroe, Texas where she teaches two concert bands and beginner classes.

Hannah graduated from Sam Houston State University with a Bachelors in Music with a Teaching Certification. During her undergraduate studies, Hannah served as a Drum Major for the Bearkat Marching Band. She also performed in the SHSU Wind Ensemble and Symphony Orchestra as principal French Horn during her time at Sam Houston.

Hannah marched with the Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps from 2022 to 2024, serving as the Horn Sergeant for her age out year. Throughout college, she had the privilege of teaching with the Tomball Memorial High School marching band where she was a visual technician. Hannah also taught at Pacific Crest Drum and Bugle Corps with the visual team during the 2025 season. Her love for the visual and performing arts has grown deeply and she is excited to give back to the activity and corps that helped shape her into who she is today.