Name:
What year(s) did you march in the Blue Knights?
1999 and 2000 (age out) on contrabass bugle
Where did you attend school?
Globe High School in Globe, Arizona
B.S. Mechanical Engineering, University of Arizona (2000)
M.S. Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, (2003)
What is your current occupation?
Principal Mechanical Engineer at Honeywell Aerospace in Phoenix, AZ. I get to design and test combustion systems for aircraft engines.
Are there other details you want to share about your personal life?
I’m super proud of my family. Our two kids, Colin and Finn, are heading out into the world, with Colin excelling at Computer Engineering at Embry-Riddle, and Finn heading off to Reed College in Portland this fall for Physics. This year marks the beginning of a new bittersweet chapter for my wife, Terri, and me, as we find ourselves with an empty nest!
Why did you choose to march with the Blue Knights?
I played trumpet through high school and decided to try Sousaphone in the University of Arizona marching band. I didn’t know about drum corps until college, when my roommate, Ryan, talked about his time at Arizona Sun and Velvet Knights, and showed me his DCI recordings (on VHS, of course). Even then, being a small town kid, I never would have thought I could be a part of something so amazing. That’s just something other people do. Ryan decided to march the summer of 1999 and connected me with the BK recruiter. I joined BK and he ultimately marched baritone with SCV (where they tied for 1st that that year with Blue Devils). So, I owe it to Ryan, who told me I could do it and got me to go to the first camp. He lent me a baritone mouthpiece so I had 3 instrument options if I needed them, but I picked up a contra and no one said I couldn’t come back next time.
What is your favorite drum corps memory?Â
Oh gosh, it’s hard to pin down one memory. Just a few of the things off the top of my head — At my first camp, we did a visual block, and I had never had any kind of movement class before. It was so freeing to not wonder who would see me and make fun of me for it, or if I looked silly, because everyone there was there for the right reasons. I remember telling Robbie Billings afterward how much I loved it. He said “good, because you’re going to be doing a lot more of it!” I was sold.
It really is just a sea of memories. All the guys on the contra line, working with people like Jason Buckingham, all the interesting situations we’d encounter at random school sites. One time we were doing a running block, and I remember seeing the school’s football team trying to get it together. I’ve never been an athletic person, so being in a “band” that was more fit than the football team was a confidence boost, for sure.
I also remember hanging out at a back alley laundromat in the south, waiting for the wash while Andy Smart noodled around on a soprano. Just a beautiful time. During all-days, I housed with Mike Wille, Matt Klemmer, and Masa who had come all the way from Japan. Having never met anyone from Japan before, it was yet another experience that I’ll never forget.
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How have the Blue Knights impacted your life?Â
Like I mentioned, I was a somewhat sheltered small town kid, so I found it so eye-opening and exciting to see the country while on tour. Back then without phones, I never knew where we would wake up. Every day was a new place, and on show days, a new stadium of people excited to see us perform. Going into it, I also didn’t have a lot of self-confidence and as a nerd I was never cool. So, the impact on my life was finding out there was so much to the world, and being able to be me without being self-conscious.
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What are some of the Blue Knights’ core values/principles that have resonated with you in life? I met a lot of truly wonderful, unique, and diverse people, and that underlying appreciation for creativity and inclusivity has set me up well for my life. I also learned that I could do physically demanding things, and that gave me the confidence to start going to the gym and embracing fitness. But overall, being a part of a group of people all pulling for a common goal taught me to always be on time with my homework done so I don’t let the team down. That’s something that has carried me far in my career and life in general.
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What advice would you tell someone considering trying out for the Blue Knights?Â
Go to that camp humble, with an open mind, and be totally committed to the experience. Eat up everything that is taught to you and make fast friends. You will support each other through some tough work, and it will be worth it.
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How would you like to see other Blue Knight alumni get involved in the organization?Â
I am keeping my eyes open for ways we can support the Blue Knights despite being out of towners!
What is your current occupation? 
What are some of the Blue Knights’ core values/principles that have resonated with you in life?Â