teamwork, patriotism, and excellence
Staff
Director
Richard K. Pugsley, Director
Richard K. Pugsley began working with Spirit of America in 1993, and has been the director for 17 years. The Spirit of America Field Band, Winter Percussion, and Fife and Drum ensembles were instituted under his tenure, further expanding the already established marching and concert bands. He has led the band on tours and conducted workshops in schools throughout the United States, Australia, Canada and South Korea. Under his direction the band has toured in exhibition with Drum Corps International (DCI). They have also made tours of US Military bases to show support for the men and women and families of the U.S. Armed Forces. As a result, Mr. Pugsley was recognized as an “Honorary Member” of the USO.
In 2006 Mr. Pugsley led the band as they won the title of World Champions, competing against 27 other international bands at the World Association of Marching Show Bands in Jeju, South Korea. He has helped members of Spirit of America hone their skills as they have taught and shared the joy of music in motion with thousands of young people around the world.
A leading figure in the world of marching show bands, Mr. Pugsley was asked by WAMSB to share about the new art form of “Instrumental Theater: in motion” with band directors from over 27 nations in Jeju, South Korea. While in Korea, through Mr. Pugsley’s vision, Spirit of America embarked on the new performance medium of Instrumental Theater: in motion with A Quest for Honor. After seeing the fully staged and costumed “story-in-music,” the excitement of the students all over South Korea expressed an excitement that was tangible and overwhelming. Spirit of America is looking forward to another performance of Instrumental Theater in 2011.
Through Mr. Pugsley’s introduction and friendship, Spirit of America Wind Ensemble has been privileged to study with Ray Cramer of the Indiana University School of Music, in workshops and performances. This relationship led to a collaborative recording with Dr. Cramer conducting, Call to Freedom: The Music of a Great Nation, released in July 2009.
Mr. Pugsley received the Bachelor of Music Degree, with a minor in Community Music, from Oberlin Conservatory. His studies have included conducting with the late Margaret Hillis, Hugh Floyd, and John Knight.
Andy Ebert
Drill Designer
Andy Ebert, Drill Designer
Andy Ebert currently lives in Plymouth, Michigan where he works as an instructor and designer. He has a bachelor’s degree from Western Michigan University with a secondary education certification. Andy has been the visual caption head for the Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps from Ft. Mills, South Carolina for the past three years. Andy served as the visual coordinator and caption head for the Plymouth-Canton Educational Park Marching Arts Program from 2005-2007. His responsibilities included visual caption head of the fall program and director/designer for the winter percussion. Under his leadership, the PCMB enjoyed top 6 finishes in the visual caption all three of his years at the BOA Grand Nationals Competition and the Winter Percussion was promoted to World Class in their first WGI season and enjoyed a 6th place finish at WGI Finals. Andy is now happy to be the visual coordinator at West Bloomfield High School and in his first fall the band won their first State Championship in school history. He is looking forward to many successful years with this up-and-coming program. Andy is involved as a consultant, program coordinator, and drill designer for many successful fall and winter programs across the country.
Jennifer LeSeth
Guard Designer, Guard Master
Jennifer LeSeth, Guard Designer, Guard Master
Currently the guard caption supervisor for Carolina Crown, Jennifer came to Spirit of America in 2005 with more than nineteen years of performance, design, and instructional color guard experience. She has served as color guard designer and coordinator for the Madison Scouts, instructor and designer for the Bluecoats, Crossmen, and Phantom Regiment. She worked for eight years with the Bands of America title-holding Marian Catholic High School marching band from Chicago Heights, IL, and for another two years with the noted Spring High School of Houston, TX. In drum corps, she has designed for the Bluecoats, Crossmen, and Phantom Regiment. Jennifer’s vision has drawn praise from fans, judges, and performers.
Karen Moore
Administrative Director
Karen Moore, Administrative Director
Karen began her career with Spirit of America in 1983 as a member of the concert and marching band Color Guard. Her passion, dedication, and leadership skills led her to become the Color Guard Captain in 1995, a position she held for the next ten years. In that role, she oversaw the growth of the Spirit of America Color Guard in movement, style, and precision of technique, leading them to the World Championships in Calgary, a multi-cultural tour of Australia, and throughout the United States. Subsequently as Color Guard Section Director, Karen’s broader vision for the guard’s development led to further dance studies and increased focus on weaponry. These skills directly contributed to the success of the guard and the band as a whole in South Korea, in both the WAMSB Championships and Instrumental Theater performances.
Karen became Administrative Director in 2006. Her responsibilities include overseeing staffing, personnel, schedules, budgets, and tours, as well as coordinating that all the parts of the show come together. Her love for young people and vision for the opportunity marching and field band bring to them, combined with her many years of experience, continue to inspire the band to attain new levels of artistic and technical performance.
Michael Klesch
Music Arranger
Michael Klesch, Music Arranger
Michael Klesch is an arranger and clinician for numerous high school and college marching bands, and DCI corps across the country. He earned his B.S. in Music Education from West Chester University, and his Masters in Music from the University of Massachusetts. Mr. Klesch has a long and successful career in Drum Corps as a performer, music arranger and program consultant. He performed with the Garfield Cadets and finished out his time there as drum major at the 1983 DCI World Championship. After aging-out in 1983, he served on the Cadets brass staff in 1984, and as brass arranger from 1985 to 1992. Michael has served as brass arranger for Carolina Crown, Phantom Regiment, Crossmen, and Connecticut Hurricanes Drum and Bugle Corps. Michael has arranged for Spirit of America since 2008.
Peter McKendree
Visual Master
Peter McKendree, Visual Master
Peter brings more than seventeen years of marching band experience as a trumpet player to his role as visual instructor for Spirit of America. In 2006 his technical instruction and vision led the band to become world champions in the WAMSB Championships in Jeju, South Korea. During the summer of 2003, he organized and led marching workshops for more than 3000 Australian students. In addition to his marching experience in the University of Massachusetts Minutemen Marching Band and in Spirit of America, Peter has performed throughout the United States and Europe as a member of Gabriel V Brass. Peter studied trumpet with Dana Russian, Steve Emery, and David Ohanian (formerly of Empire Brass).
Colin McNutt
Show Coordinator
Percussion Designer
Colin McNutt, Show Coordinator, Percussion Designer
Colin McNutt has instructed and arranged for the Star of Indiana Drum and Bugle Corps, and the popular stage production, Blast! He has also written for and instructed Northern Star, the Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps, the Glassmen Drum and Bugle Corps, Magic of Orlando, and the Madison Scouts. Colin has served on the faculty of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, where he is an alumnus and received degrees in Classics and Music Education. Currently, he is the Percussion Caption Supervisor for the 9 time DCI World Champion Cadets Drum & Bugle Corps. He is a clinician for the Avedis Zildjian Co., Pearl Corporation, REMO, Inc., and Vic Firth.
Ian Hale
Percussion Master
Ian Hale, Percussion Master
Ian Hale graduated from the University of Calgary in 2001 with his Bachelor’s Degree in percussion performance where he studied with Dr. Glenn Price. He received his Master’s Degree in percussion performance in 2008 from the University of Massachusetts Amherst where he studied with Eduardo Leandro and DCI Hall of Fame member Thom Hannum. He has studied marimba with Leigh Howard Stevens, Gordon Stout, and She-e-Wu and has participated in masterclasses with several artists including Michael Burritt, Steven Schick, Robert van Sice, and composer David Maslanka. He has participated in numerous professional training workshops including the David Robertson Workshop as part of Carnegie Hall’s Weil Music Institute. Most recently, he has served on the music faculty at UMass from 2007-2008. Ian continues to be heavily involved in the drum and bugle corps activity. He was the percussion caption head for the Allegiance Elite from 2002-2005 and continues to serve as the percussion arranger. He was a member of the percussion staff for the Glassmen, the Magic of Orlando, the Madison Scouts, and is currently a member of the percussion staff for the Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps.
T. André Feagin
Winds Master
T. André Feagin, Winds Master
T. André Feagin is a conducting student of Eugene Migliaro Corporon, and a doctoral conducting associate in the College of Music at the University of North Texas. At UNT, his duties include guest conducting all bands, teaching fundamentals of conducting and assisting with athletic bands.
Mr. Feagin holds a master of music degree in instrumental wind conducting from the University of Memphis and a bachelor of music degree in clarinet performance. Prior to his arrival at UNT, Mr. Feagin, a Golden Apple Teacher award winner, served as director of bands at Watkins Overton High School for the Creative and Performing Arts in Memphis, TN. Under his leadership, the band program consistently received superior ratings and grand championships nationally in the areas of concert and marching band.
As a conductor, he has made appearances in over fifteen states, and made his professional conducting debut in 2004 with the United States Air Force Band of Mid-America. He is a past winner of the National Band Association Young Conductors Mentor Project. His former mentors include Kraig A. Williams, James Gholson, Denise Gainey and Steve Cohen. He continues to be in high demand as a guest conductor and travels regularly as a clinician and lecturer throughout the United States.
Mr. Feagin is also an active clinician, program coordinator, adjudicator and music arranger for some of the countries finest high school, drum corps, and university band programs. Mr. Feagin is in his second year as a staff member of the United States Army All-American Band sponsored by MENC. He is also a member of the music staff for the Spirit of America Band from Orleans, Massachusetts. In addition, he is in his third year on staff and second year as brass caption head for the six-time world champion Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps from Santa Clara, CA. In 2007 he served as executive director, brass caption head, brass arranger and program coordinator for the Division III World Champion Memphis Sound Drum and Bugle Corps. In addition to winning the visual, high brass and percussion captions, Drum Corps International named him Division III Director of the year. Prior to his appointment at Memphis Sound, he served on the brass faculty for the Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps from Fort Mill, SC. He is a former four-year conductor of the Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps and a past recipient of the Drum Corps International Jim Jones Leadership Award.
Mr. Feagin maintains active memberships in the Music Educators National Association, National Band Association, College Band Directors National Association, and a proud patron of the University of North Texas Phi Tau chapter of Mu Phi Epsilon.
