Omi Batan

Snare Instructor

Omi comes from Connecticut where he began his marching percussion career as a sophomore in 2006 with Stamford High School. Since then, he has performed with ensembles such as the University of Connecticut Marching Band, the Connecticut Hurricanes, Jersey Surf, The Cadets, and United Percussion.

From 2013 to 2016, Omi was the Assistant Band Director at the University of New Haven where he arranged the battery music, taught the battery, and helped organize the band as a whole. During the same time, Omi was Co-caption head and battery arranger for Fusion Core, a Drum Corps Association Bugle Corps based in Jefferson, NJ.

As an instructor, Omi has refined his pedagogy as a battery and visual instructor by teaching at various high schools including Cranston East High School (RI), New London High School (CT), Stamford High School (CT), Norwalk High School (CT), Newtown High School (CT), and Egg Harbor Township High School (NJ).  Omi has also taught visual and snare drum at world class independent groups such as The Cadets (2023), Cadets Winter Percussion (2015 and 2016) and United Percussion (2017).

He looks forward to continuing to work with the Blue Stars snare line for the 2026 DCI season. 

Avery Melucci

Tenor Instructor

Avery Lane Melucci brings over a decade of experience in the marching arts as both a performer and educator. He performed with The Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps in 2013, and The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps from 2014 to 2017, serving as drum sergeant in his final 2 years. Since aging out, Avery has held battery technician roles with several DCI ensembles, including Spirit of Atlanta (2018–2019), Music City Drum Corps (2023), and a return to The Cavaliers in 2024 and 2025. He has also worked extensively with high school percussion programs across Florida’s Tampa Bay region, Winter Guard International percussion ensembles of all classes, and hundreds of private lessons students over the years.

Avery currently serves as a percussion specialist in Prosper ISD (Prosper, Texas) within the Rock Hill cluster of schools. Known for his clear instruction, approachable leadership style, and commitment to developing excellence, Avery is fired up to bring his experience, energy, and focus to The Blue Stars as they prepare for a championship-caliber season in 2026.

Avery proudly endorses Innovative Percussion. 

Mauricio González

Tenor Instructor

Mauricio Gonzalez started his DCI marching career as a tenor drummer with Crossmen 2019 at 16 years old. He then continued with the Boston Crusaders until 2024.

Since aging out he has taught at Crossmen 2025 and is excited to join the Blue Stars 2026 percussion team!

Joe Ciancimino

Tenor Instructor

Joe Ciancimino is a seasoned percussion educator originating from Norristown, PA. Joe has been an active member of the drum corps community for the last 15 years.

As a performer, Joe performed as a marching member with the Reading Buccaneers (2010-2011) and The Cadets (2012-2013). Upon his age out, he began working a member of the Cadets2 percussion staff, holding multiple positions including Battery Technician (2014-2015) and Battery Captain Manager (2016-2018). Joe was also a member of The Cadets battery staff from 2017-2021.

In the indoor percussion space, Joe has worked with several east coast percussion groups including both Upper Darby High School and United Percussion. Joe has also been a percussion and music adjudicator with numerous circuits since 2015.

Outside of drum corps, Joe is located in Lansdale, PA where he lives with his wife and daughter and maintains a career outside of the activity. Joe is a graduate of Temple University’s Fox School of Business. 

Patrick Horan

Tenor Instructor

Patrick Horan is a percussion educator from Philadelphia, PA. Patrick has marched with several drum corps and WGI ensembles in the east coast, including The Skyliners (2019), Imperial Dynasty (2022), The Bushwackers (2022), The Cadets (2023), The Reading Buccaneers (2024) and United Percussion (2023-2025). He also serves as the Battery Coordinator and arranger for Upper Darby High School, as well as a tenor instructor for The Bushwackers since 2025.

Patrick is excited to join the Blue Stars for his first season as a tenor instructor!

Wil Wright

Bass Instructor

Wil Wright is from Fort Payne, Alabama, and graduated from Jacksonville State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Secondary Education. 

Mr. Wright is an alumnus of the JSU Marching Southerners (‘18-’21), The Cavaliers (‘22), and Atlanta Quest (‘23). 

Mr. Wright’s teaching experience includes three years at The Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps, and currently teaches at Dobyns Bennett HS, Wakeland HS, Q2 Independent Open, and VIP Independent World.

Mr. Wright joins us as a first season bass tech with Blue Stars.  

Matthew Romero

Bass Instructor

Matthew Romero is a percussionist and educator from Houston, Texas, with a diverse background in the marching arts. He has performed with notable groups including Broken City Percussion, Carolina Crown, Monarch Independent, Sacramento Mandarins, and the Blue Knights. These experiences have molded his skills and fueled his passion for teaching.

Matthew has taught at many high schools in the greater Houston area, spending significant time with Bridgeland High School in Cypress, Texas. He has also served on the instructional staff for the Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps. Influenced by exceptional educators like Taha Ahmed, Aundray Edwards, Mike Jackson, Matt Gonzales, Veronica Wicks, and Chris Nguyen, he is thrilled to join the team at the Blue Stars.

Kobe Sanders

Bass Instructor

Kobe Sanders is returning for his second year on staff with the Blue Stars. A passionate percussionist and music educator from Coachella, CA, he is now based in San Luis Obispo, CA. Kobe recently graduated from the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music where he earned his B.A. in Music Education and completed his student teaching under the mentorship of acclaimed educator Angela Woo.

Kobe has served as Battery Coordinator at Palisades Charter High School, instructed at SoCal Bass Camp, and performed with world-class ensembles including POW Percussion, the UCLA Bruin Marching Band, Pulse Percussion, and The Blue Devils. In 2023, he also served as Bass Section Leader for the Blue Stars.

Now the Director of Music at Templeton High School, Kobe is dedicated to fostering inclusive, student-centered environments. He believes that meaningful music-making cultivates connection, community, empowerment, and self-expression in all young musicians.

Haruto Kitade

Bass Instructor

René Gonzalez

Latin Music Specialist

René Gonzalez is a Lecturer at Texas State University in the Latin Music Studies program, where he teaches Applied Latin Percussion, Salsa Rehearsal Techniques and Literature, Jazz and Latin Ensemble Techniques, and Afro-Cuban Percussion. He also serves as director of the Texas State Latin Ensemble.

René holds both a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education and a Master’s degree in Latin Music Performance/Percussion Performance from Texas State University. He has been fortunate to study with esteemed educators including John Mallon, Hector Gil, Alice Gomez, John Lopez, Bobby Lopez, and Genaro Gonzalez. He also served as a graduate teaching assistant for the Percussion Studio and Latin Music Studies program.

As a member of the university’s award-winning salsa band, Salsa del Río, René earned numerous accolades, including “Best Conguero” at the 50th Annual Notre Dame Collegiate Jazz Festival (2008) and a DownBeat Magazine award for “Best Blues, Pop, and Rock Recording” for the album Llorarás (2007). The ensemble also received three awards at Univision’s Premios a la Música Latina for Best Salsa Band of the Year and performed internationally at the Brienz Jazz Festival and Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland.

An active performer, René currently is the conguero with Cienfuegos/La Moña Loca (Austin), vibraphonist and music director for Terra Nova Latin Jazz (San Antonio), bongocero for Natiao (San Antonio), and conguero with Combo Chévere and conguero with Río Soul Orchestra (San Antonio). He is also the bandleader of his own project, Con Swing, and freelances throughout Central Texas.

René has performed at major events including the Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC), Jazz’SAlive in San Antonio, the NAMM Show in Anaheim, and the Taichung Jazz Festival in Taiwan. Throughout his career, he has shared the stage with renowned artists such as Poncho Sanchez, Luis Conte, Larry Harlow, Pete and Rita Rodriguez, Tito Puente Jr, Memo Acevedo, Victor Rendon, Eddie Palmieri, Brian Lynch, Luis Gasca, Georgie Padilla, Ed Calle, J.R. Robinson, Butch Miles, Danny Seraphine, Russ Miller, Herman Matthews, Bill Gibson, Gregg Bissonette, Victor Wooten, Lalo Davila, and many others. 

In addition to performing, René is an active clinician and educator across Central Texas. He regularly works with middle school and high school Jazz/band/percussion programs and serves on the instructional staff for summer programs including the UTSA Percussion Camp and Texas State Percussion Camp. 

In 2018, René joined the instructional staff of Rhythmic Force Independent Drumline in Austin, teaching front ensemble and Latin percussion. The group earned Top 10 finalist placements at the WGI World Championships in both 2018 and 2019.

Since 2012, René has taught percussion in Comal ISD in New Braunfels, Texas, where he leads beginner percussion classes and ensembles at Canyon Middle School and Church Hill Middle School. He founded both a middle school Brazilian Samba ensemble and a Latin Jazz Ensemble, and also assists with the marching percussion and percussion ensembles at Canyon High School. In 2020, the Church Hill Middle School Percussion Ensemble was selected to perform a showcase at the TMEA Convention in San Antonio, Texas.

Outside of his professional work, René enjoys spending time with his family and loves attending concerts with his wife and son.

Sophia Thomason

Front Ensemble Instructor

Sophia Thomason is a music educator and percussion instructor based in Austin, Texas. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Music from the University of Texas at Austin, where she studied privately with Ivan Treviño and Thomas Burritt.

Sophia currently serves as a battery instructor at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and as a front ensemble instructor at Anderson High School and Rhythmic Force Percussion. She has previously instructed at Cedar Park High School and with the Crossmen Drum & Bugle Corps.

As a performer, Sophia has been a member of several DCI and WGI ensembles, including Rhythmic Force Percussion, Monarch Independent Percussion, the Boston Crusaders, and the Bluecoats.

Brad Furlano

Chief Executive Officer

Brad Furlano joined the Blue Stars organization as a 10-year-old in 1982, marching until aging out in 1993. Prior to becoming the organizations’ CEO in 2006, Furlano held various positions with the corps, including: visual caption head, drill designer, interim corps director, and board member. 

Furlano has a degree in Mass Communications from the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, and managed communications teams at several Fortune 500 companies, including Best Buy, Ameriprise Financial, and Eddie Bauer. 

Brad lives in Onalaska, WI with his wife Niki and son Ethan. 

Brad Harris

Corps Director

Brad’s tenure with the Blue Stars started in 2011, serving as Equipment Manager and subsequently hired as the full time Director of Operations in 2012. He has been a member of the Blue Stars administrative team ever since, holding numerous leadership roles within the organization. Brad has dedicated countless hours touring, managing corps operations, and coordinating with members, staff, and volunteers to ensure a smooth, successful, and safe drum corps experience each season.

Harris holds Master of Music degrees in Trombone Performance and Instrumental Conducting from Illinois State University (Normal, IL), where he studied trombone with Dr. Stephen Parsons and wind conducting with Dr. Stephen Steele. Brad earned his Bachelor of Music degree from Luther College (Decorah, IA), where he studied trombone with Dr. Michael Smith and conducting with Dr. Daniel Baldwin.

Brad’s professional teaching experience includes serving as a band director in the Johnston Community School District in Johnston, IA from 2013 to 2020. Additionally, he has served as a clinician and adjudicator in numerous music contests and festivals in the Midwest. His additional ensemble direction experience includes serving as Assistant Director of the Cincinnati Brass Band, Director of the Central Illinois Youth Symphony Brass Ensemble, and as a Graduate Assistant at Illinois State University.

Harris maintains an active performance schedule and is currently principal trombone of the Cincinnati Brass Band. Additionally, he has performed in the Central Iowa Symphony, Central Iowa Wind Ensemble, the Des Moines Metro Brass Quintet, the Fifth of Brass Quintet, the Peoria Symphony Orchestra, the Illinois Symphony Orchestra, and Sinfonia da Camera in addition to many academic ensembles. Brad has traveled and performed internationally with concert bands in Japan, China, and Norway, and was honored to perform the Derek Bourgeois Trombone Concerto with the Illinois State University Wind Symphony during his graduate studies.

Brad is a native of Forest City, Iowa and currently resides in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Lizzie Miller

Assistant Director

Lizzie has been involved with the Blue Stars for over a decade, beginning her involvement with the corps as a trumpet player. Lizzie marched for four years, aging out in 2015 as drum major. Since aging out, she has been active on the administrative team, serving in various leadership capacities. 

Lizzie holds her Bachelors in Civil Engineering from University of Dayton, and Masters of Science specializing in Structural Engineering from Iowa State University. Outside of drum corps, Lizzie is a structural engineer in Cincinnati, OH.

Steve Stueck

Business Manager

Steve’s first Blue Stars experience was marching in the Oktoberfest Parade in 1977  after marching with the Royal Knights of Manitowoc WI. for three season. Steve marched three  seasons as a mellophone player in 1978, 79 aging out in 1980. In 1981 & 1982 he joined the  visual instructional staff and the administration team. 

In 1983 Steve helped launch the Blue Star Cadets as an instructional staff member and  continued to support the corps through out the 80’s as a roommate of the Corps Director Brian  Whitty. Brian finally convinced Steve to more actively work with the corps in 1997 as a bus  driver. From there it snow balled into bingo volunteer, brat stand volunteer/coordinator, home  show volunteer, board of director member & corps treasurer eventually taking on the position of  corps Business Manager. 

Steve has served as a DCI show volunteer working in various capacities since 1998. He  was named a DCI Volunteer of the year in 2010 and was inducted into the Blue Stars Hall of  Fame in 2013. Steve graduated from UW-La Crosse with a BS degree in business  administration in 1988. After taking an early pension from the city of La Crosse in 2017 after 24  years of service Steve has been a full time employee of Blue Stars Performing Arts for Youth.

Heather Tollers

Donor Relations, Events, & Merchandise Manager

Heather started volunteering with the Blue Stars in 2011 when her dad, Gary, asked if she’d like to help him with “a few projects” for the corps. Years later she’s still helping where there is a need - selling merchandise, driving vehicles, running shows and traveling the country. 

Heather has been going to drum corps shows since before she was born. Growing up DCI finals were part of summer vacation. This activity has always been a part of her life.

Heather holds a BFA in graphic design from Concordia University, Seward, NE. She has worked with several newspapers and owns a design company, HT Designs.

Heather lives in Rochester, MN.

Jack Pantaleo

Media Manager

Jack is a performing arts content creator and media professional based out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 

His past work has involved brands such as: DCI, WGI, UDB, TromboneTimo, Christopher Bill, Midwest Clinic, TMEA, TBA, Fem Forte, Meet The Bus, and The Breakdown Camp, amongst others. 

Jack has been involved with The Blue Stars since 2017- spending the first three years as a performer before transitioning to a staff role in 2021.

He also attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he participated in the marching band, varsity band, concert band, and university band.

Introduced to the video industry at a very young age through his late father’s family business, Jack spent many school nights and weekends learning the fundamentals of production while also being afforded opportunities such as operating a camera for concerts and gripping on small-scale shoots. 

Jack’s primary goal during the summer and throughout the year is to create something that inspires a sense of belonging, identity, and pride for any musician, artist, or performer. 

Mike Andrews

Transportation Manager

Mike started his drum corps career as a member of the Titans Drum & Bugle Corps from Elkhorn, WI in 1965 and marched through 1968. In the fall of 1969 he moved to La Crosse WI and joined the Blue Stars as part of the battery playing snare, aging out in 1972. Mike continued on the Blue Stars staff through the beginning of the 1975 tour season serving as Equipment Manager, Driver and Resident Director.

After leaving the corps, Mike obtained his degree in Mechanical Design Technology and worked for the Trane Company in La Crosse until 1977. He then moved to Milwaukee, WI where he enrolled in the Milwaukee School of Engineering, earning his bachelor degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1979 and starting his professional career with the Kohler Company as a Construction Project Manager and has held various managerial positions. Mike spent 35 years with the Kohler Company, retiring in 2015.

Following his retirement, Mike returned to the Blue Stars as a volunteer and quickly became active in the build out of their new equipment trailer and then, as an all around volunteer and box truck driver for the 2015 summer tour. In 2016 Mike obtained his CDL-A license to provide a wider range of service to the corps and accepted the position of Transportation Manager.

As Transportation Manager, he is responsible for sourcing of drivers, ensuring DOT compliance, securing rental vehicles for the corps’ summer tour and vehicle maintenance all as continuing to tour with the corps providing driver services as needed in addition to other volunteer activities throughout the year.

Mike and his wife Maria live in Sheboygan WI where they enjoy spending time with their 4 grandchildren .

Sue Wilson

Culinary Director

Sue became involved in the Blue Stars 10 years ago when her daughter Sarah auditioned for a trumpet position. She volunteered on the Cook Truck in that summer and became Assistant Head Cook for the 2013-14 seasons. Sue became the Culinary Manager in 2015 and has spearheaded the Blue Stars food program ever since.

After staying home with her children, she transitioned into a career in food service. Sue holds her ServSafe Manager and allergen certifications.

When she is not managing the Blue Stars food program, Sue works for Panera Bread. Working on Pro Teams and helping to train drive thru associates for new café openings is one of Sue’s favorite Panera activities.

Sue earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and currently resides in St. Louis with her husband Dan. They have 2 children, Ashton (son-in-law Colton) and Sarah Wilson. 

Abby Musick

Culinary Manager

Abby Musick joined the Blue Stars during their 50th Anniversary in 2014 as a rookie mellophone player, marching until her age-out in 2016. She returned to the organization as an Administrative Associate in 2017 and 2018, assisting in a variety of roles including managing day-to-day finances.

In 2019, Abby joined the United States Navy as a Hospital Corpsman and continued volunteering whenever possible at audition camps and on the road. Now entering her third year serving full-time as the Culinary Manager, Abby works alongside Sue Wilson to keep the Blue Stars fueled and fed with the “best food in DCI!”

Abby loves the Blue Stars for their strong sense of family, commitment to education, and the constant reminder that everything they do is for the members—living out the corps motto, Finis Coronat Opus.