Director

Chloe Meisch is a dedicated marching arts educator with 9 years of experience in the activity. She served as a brass and visual instructor for several high school band programs, including Plainwell High School, Lake Orion High School, and Reeths-Puffer High School, among others. Beyond her work with high school ensembles, Chloe served as the Executive Director of Cyclone Winds, leading the organization from 2023 to 2025.

Assistant Director

Garret Klauss is a passionate saxophonist who performs & teaches in southeast Michigan.

An enthusiastic educator, Klauss maintains a private lesson studio hosted at Dakota High School, where he provides instruction to students from several band programs in the area.

In addition to this, Klauss also serves as instructional staff with multiple groups in the competitive marching arts. Currently, he is the Woodwind Caption Head at the Lake Orion High School Marching Band and is a saxophone instructor for both L’Anse Creuse High School and Dakota High School.

Collaborating with the non-profit organization, Ignite Performing Arts, Klauss is the director for the Ignite Saxophone Ensemble, a group that provides chamber music opportunities to the local community.

As an avid performer, Klauss has performed with regular frequency both locally and abroad. Most recently, he was invited to perform as a member of the Taiwan based saxophone ensemble, Xavier, and performed alongside the Japan based saxophone quartet, Ensemble Maroooon, for a series of collaboration concerts in Ichinomiya, Aichi in Japan. Klauss has also  previously performed at the United States Navy Band’s International Saxophone Symposium, the BGSU New Music Festival, and at the North American Saxophone Alliance’s biennial conferences.

He holds a Master’s degree in Music Performance from Bowling Green State University as well as Bachelor’s degrees in Music Performance and Music Technology from Oakland University.

Music Designer

Alex Thode (he/him) is a composer and arranger based in Waukesha, WI most known for his design work in the pageantry arts. An alumnus of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Alex composes and arranges for marching bands and indoor ensembles across the continental United States.

Alex's clientele have been Bands of America (BOA) Regional Champions and Finalists, UIL State Finalists and Area Champions, and WGI Winds World Champions, including Finalists in every classification. He has also had the privilege of having his arrangements performed in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Tournament of Roses Bandfest.

In addition to his compositions and arrangements for the pageantry arts, Alex also composes symphonic band and chamber percussion works.

In his free time, Alex enjoys watching movies and believing he’s a professional film critic, hiking and pretending that he’s athletic, traveling to National Parks — of which he’d eventually like to visit all — and acting like he’s Marco Polo, playing piano, guitar and a variety of kalimbas, and being with good company.

Visual Designer
Originally from Owensboro, Kentucky, Blake Patton has been deeply immersed in the marching arts since 2008. He began his performance career with Music City Drum and Bugle Corps (Nashville, TN) in 2013, later performing with Spirit of Atlanta in 2014 and 2015, where he served as section leader during his final season.

Beyond performing, Blake has built a career as a designer, educator, and clinician for both indoor and outdoor ensembles across the country. His clients have earned numerous accolades, including State Championships, BOA Regional and Super Regional Class Championships, Grand National Finals, and WGI Regional and World Championship Finals appearances.

Blake has collaborated with programs such as Vista Ridge High School, Round Rock High School, McNeil High School, Murray High School, Reeths-Puffer High School, Westwood High School, Rhythmic Force Percussion, and many more. His instructional experience also includes serving on the visual staff for Pacific Crest Drum and Bugle Corps (2016), Music City Drum and Bugle Corps (2017–2018), and Spirit of Atlanta (2019).

He attended Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky, where he studied Graphic Design and Advertising. Blake currently resides in Leander, Texas, with his dog, Nia, and teaches at Vista Ridge High School and Rhythmic Force Percussion.

Sound Designer

Specializing in Sound Design for the marching arts, Tim brings a wealth of experience from many genres of storytelling to create powerful, dynamic, and engaging productions.

Tim began working in radio broadcasting at KCWU-FM, where he produced nationally-awarded promos and podcasts recognized by College Broadcasters Incorporated and the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System. 

Fusing radio production techniques with theatrical sound composition, Tim has produced sound design for numerous marching band, winter percussion, and drum corps shows. Well-versed in the marching arts as a performer and educator, he studied Music at Central Washington University and performed with the Oregon Crusaders Drum & Bugle Corps and indoor percussion.

Valuing both the fine details and the big picture, Tim has worked in electronics design and management with top ensembles in the Pacific Northwest, including Columbians Drum & Bugle Corps (DCI Open), IMPACT Percussion (WGI PIO), OC Indoor (WGI PIW), Oregon Crusaders Drum & Bugle Corps (DCI World), and Seattle Cascades Drum & Bugle Corps (DCI World).

As a freelancer in the Media industry, Tim interned at REX Production & Post in Portland, OR, where he worked on recording broadcasts for symphony orchestra, sound design for film, and audio post-production for commercials and corporate projects. His most recent work includes the production of Discovery Channel’s “Amanda to the Rescue” TV series on the Animal Planet. He has also assisted in script editing, video editing, field audio, and production for several feature-length documentary films.

Music Consultant

Dylan Hyman brings over 15 years of experience in the marching arts as an educator, performer, and clinician. He currently serves as Assistant Marching Band Director and Brass Caption Head at Lake Orion High School (MI). Dylan was on the brass staff at Legends Drum and Bugle Corps from 2014–2019, serving as Assistant Brass Caption Head for his final three seasons, and later held the role of Brass Caption Head at the Madison Scouts from 2021–2023. As a performer, he marched baritone with the Blue Stars in 2010 and with Carolina Crown from 2011–2013. He also performed with NorthCoast Academy (2011–2014) and returned as a visual staff member in 2015 and 2016. Outside of teaching, Dylan works as a general contractor in Metro Detroit and enjoys skiing, live music, hiking, and spending time with his dog, Olive.

Audio Engineer

Jake Brown has been involved in performing arts education for the last 7 years. Jake has performed with Farmington United Percussion Ensemble, Motor City Percussion and Redline. In his role as an educator Jake has taught at Farmington United Percussion Ensemble, Holly High School marching band, Holly Indoor Percussion, Lake Orion Percussion and the North Farmington High School marching band. Jake is really excited for this season!

Woodwind Technician

Dallas Kelly, from Macomb Michigan, is currently a saxophonist at Oakland University studying under Dr. Jeffery Heisler. He has performed in various settings, from wind symphony, to saxophone quartet, to even as a concerto soloist with the Oakland Symphony Orchestra. Currently, he teaches woodwinds for the Lake Orion marching band. Dallas is extremely grateful to pass along all he has learned, all while building connections within the music community.

Woodwind/Visual Technician

Brenden Jones, from Harrison Township, Michigan, brings a wealth of experience and passion to the marching arts. He marched two seasons of WGI Winds with Rhythm X on tenor saxophone and performed for four years in drum corps, spending time with both Legends Drum and Bugle Corps and the Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps. For the past decade, Brenden has served as a dedicated visual technician, sharing his expertise and leadership with countless performers around southeast Michigan. He is now in his 11th year teaching at his alma mater, L’Anse Creuse High School, where he serves as the Visual Caption Head. In addition to his work in the marching arts, he is an active member of the Ignite Saxophone Ensemble.

Visual Technician

Luke Riedel has been an involved marching arts performer for 9 years. He is currently pursuing a degree in Multimedia Arts Technology at Western Michigan University. His performance background includes one season as a trumpet player with Cyclone Winds and three seasons playing mellophone in the Bronco Marching Band. In addition to his performance experience, Luke has contributed to the development of young musicians as a brass and visual instructor for the Lakeland High School band program.

Brass Technician

Nicholas Voisich is a trumpet teacher and player in Southeast Michigan that performs regularly with local Symphony Orchestras, Theatre Pit Orchestras, and as a free lance musician in Big Bands and small chamber orchestras. He works with several local brass programs including Armada High School, Armada Middle School, Dakota High School, L’anse Cruese High School, and Stoney Creek High School in addition to teaching his own small private trumpet studio. He has taught and performed professionally for over a decade while having studied at Oakland University under the instruction of Gordon Simmons and Dr. Amanda Ross. When not rehearsing or performing, Nick enjoys golfing, hiking, and reading.