Brian Murphy
Design Supervisor / Drill Designer

Brian Murphy returns to lead The Academy’s field production design.  Brian has been involved in the pageantry arts since 1971 and brings with him a vast background. For the past 20 years he has been a Design Analysis and General Effect judge for WGI. Prior to his judging with WGI, Brian was the lead designer for St. Ann’s Color Guard from Neponset, MA. from 1991 to 2016. Under Brian’s leadership St. Ann’s was a perennial contender in the World, Open, A, and Regional classes at both the local and WGI levels.

Previous drum corps experience includes working with the Boston Crusaders as Color Guard Caption Manager from 2000 to 2002. Then as Program Coordinator and Visual Designer from 2008 to 2012. Brian returned for the 2016 season to assist with visual design.

Recently, Brian has been a member of The Cadets design team. He held the role of Visual Coordinator for the 2021 and 2022 seasons and Program Coordinator for the 2023 season. Also, Brian was the Corps Director for the 2023 season. 

Outside of the pageantry activities, Brian lives in Boston MA and holds a BSBA and an MBA from Suffolk University.  In 2024 Brian first joined The Academy Design Team as Design Consultant and we are ecstatic to elevate him into these roles for the coming season, where he will serve as the primary point person for envisioning, crafting, and fulfilling the creative and competitive field production for the corps. 

John Max McFarland
Program Coordinator / Percussion & Audio Design

John McFarland returns to his role as Program Coordinator, where he first joined The Academy in 2024.  John’s role as Program Coordinator will be as the primary point person coordinating the different design elements of music and visual to fulfill the vision determined by the Design Supervisor.  He will also serve as the creative force behind the Percussion & Audio design. 

John Max McFarland is an active composer/arranger in the marching arts.  He served as the Program Coordinator for Legends Drum and Bugle Corps (Kalamazoo, MI) from 2016 to 2022. From 2013 to 2015 he was the percussion composer/arranger for Pioneer Drum and Bugle Corps from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  In 2020 John joined The WhiteSabers Drum and Bugle Corps (Rochester, NY) as show coordinator and battery arranger.  He is still involved with the corps assuming roles as the percussion arranger and music coordinator.  In 2018 he was the percussion caption head and arranger for the Erie Thunderbirds Drum and Bugle Corps in Erie, PA. 

In WGI, John has composed and arranged for many ensembles ranging from Scholastic A Class to Independent World Class. Many notable clients include Eastside Fury (2012-2014), Notre Dame Indoor Percussion Ensemble (PIA Finalists 2012, 2013) Ferndale Independent Percussion (2015 PIA Silver Medalists), Farmington United Percussion (2017 PIA Silver Medalists), and Decatur Central Indoor Percussion (2018 PSCA Gold Medalists). John also composes marching band shows for high schools and colleges all over the country.

From 2014 – 2020 John was heavily involved with the Cleveland Browns Drumline acting as their Program Director, Music Composer, as well as Game Day Performer.

John is also the orchestrator for ‘Infamous’; a brand new, groundbreaking musical by Playwright David Owen Michaels, which tells the story of the Abraham Lincoln assassination through the eyes of John Wilkes Booth.

John received his degrees in Composition (B.M.) and Percussion Performance (B.M., M.M.) from Western Michigan University. He studied percussion under Judy Moonert. John has performed as the principal percussionist and Principal Timpanist for the University Concert and Symphonic Bands, as well as the University Symphony Orchestra. He has also performed with the Kalamazoo Symphony and Battle creek Symphony as a substitute percussionist.

John was also a marching member of the Kiwanis Kavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps as well as the Santa Clara Vanguard Drum & Bugle Corps. John studied composition under Curtis Curtis-Smith, Dr. Richard Adams, and Dr. Robert Ricci. His compositions and arrangements have received international recognition with performances all over the United States as well as Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, and Indonesia. John is also the owner and founder of Six to Five Productions, LLC a marching arts music publishing company where many of his original shows for marching band, winter percussion, and concert percussion can be found.

John resides in Medina, Ohio with his wife Sydney, his son Camden, his daughter Cadence, and his 2 dogs (Tippy and Ozark)

Richard L. Saucedo
Music Designer / Brass Arranger

We are pleased to welcome Richard Saucedo to The Academy as the Music Designer / Brass Arranger for the corps. 

Richard L. Saucedo retired in 2013 as the Director of Bands and Performing Arts Department Chairman at the William H. Duke Center for the Performing Arts at Carmel High School in Carmel, Indiana. During his 31-year tenure, Carmel bands received numerous state, regional, and national honors in the areas of concert band, jazz band, and marching band. Under his direction, Carmel’s Wind Symphony I performed at the Music for All National Concert Band Festival three times (1992, 1999, and 2004) and was named the Indiana State Champion Concert Band numerous times. Wind Symphony I also performed at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago during December 2005. The Carmel Marching Greyhounds finished in the top ten at the Bands of America Grand National Championship for 17 years under Saucedo and were named BOA National Champions in the fall of 2005 and 2013. Carmel became one of the few schools to win a BOA National Championship and perform at the Midwest Clinic in the same year in 2005. Mr. Saucedo still serves as Wind Arranger for the Carmel Marching Band. 

The Carmel Marching Band achieved the distinction of being the Indiana Class A State Champion on four occasions. Mr. Saucedo, was recognized as Indiana’s “Bandmaster of the Year” for the 1998-99 academic year. Furthermore, he was honored as the “Outstanding Music Educator” in the state of Indiana by the Indiana Music Educators Association in 2010. Mr. Saucedo’s accomplishments have been widely recognized through articles in publications such as HALFTIME and SCHOOL BAND AND ORCHESTRA Magazines. In 2015, he was inducted into the Music for All “Hall of Fame” and in 2022, he was inducted into the Drum Corps International “Hall of Fame.”

Mr. Saucedo is a freelance arranger and composer, having released numerous marching band arrangements, choral arrangements, concert band works, and orchestral compositions. His music is available through Hal Leonard LLC, Alfred Music, and Saucedo Music. His concert band works have been performed worldwide by middle school and high school bands, as well as by college and university groups. Mr. Saucedo’s first orchestral piece, “Nocturne for Orchestra,” was named most outstanding new original composition at the National Orchestra Cup Festival held at Lincoln Center in New York City in April 2009. His most recent work for orchestra, “Essay No.1,” was premiered at the Midwest Clinic in 2014, and he is currently working on his first symphony for orchestra. Mr. Saucedo receives numerous commission requests and will release new works for university, high school, and middle school bands throughout the 2025-2026 school year. He is the author of two DVDs on rehearsing the marching band wind section and is also featured in two concert band rehearsal technique DVDs, all available at dynamicmarching.com.

Mr. Saucedo is a globally recognized figure in the music industry, serving as an adjudicator, keynote speaker, clinician, and guest conductor. Throughout the academic year, he will be a guest conductor, clinician, or commission composer in various states across the United States.

Mr. Saucedo has contributed as an adjudicator and clinician at the Singapore International Band Festival and as a clinician and guest conductor at the Japan Band Clinic in Hamamatsu. Additionally, Mr. Saucedo presented at the Australian Band and Orchestra Clinic (ANBOC) held in Sydney. During his tenure in Australia, he also guest conducted the State Honors Ensemble Program (SHEP) at Griffith University in Brisbane.

Mr. Saucedo has consistently presented at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, as well as at MEA’s and Bandmaster’s conventions. Notably, he recently visited Thailand where he served as a clinician for the 2025 Thailand World Music Championships. In the upcoming months, Mr. Saucedo will be engaged in clinician and judging roles in Indonesia and Malaysia. 

Mr. Saucedo served as a Drum Corps International judge for many years and was the brass composer and arranger for the Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps in Rosemont, Illinois, from 2000 to 2008. During his tenure, the Cavaliers achieved five DCI World Championships. He subsequently spent four years as the brass composer and arranger for the Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Currently, he is a Music Consultant for the Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps in Concord, California.

Mr. Saucedo holds the position of Senior Educational Consultant for “Music for All” and “Bands of America.” He also serves as the Chief Judge Team Leader, overseeing all Bands of America Fall Championships. Additionally, he is a Senior Clinician within the Conn-Selmer Division of Education. He is a former member of the Board of Directors for “United Sound,” an organization dedicated to providing special needs students with the opportunity to experience the joy of instrumental music performance through peer mentoring, Mr. Saucedo also serves on the John Philip Sousa Foundation Sudler Trophy committee. This committee assists in identifying and recognizing the most exceptional marching bands globally. Furthermore, he is currently the director of the Bands of America Honor Band in the Tournament of Roses Parade for 2026.

Mr. Saucedo completed his undergraduate studies at Indiana University in Bloomington and subsequently obtained his master’s degree from Butler University in Indianapolis. He is also an avid aviation enthusiast and holds a private pilot’s license. Mr. Saucedo is married to Sarah, an interior designer, and is particularly proud of his two children, Carmen, an elementary school teacher in Indianapolis, and Ethan, an architecture student at Ball State University. His grandson, Austin, plays the trumpet in the Carmel (IN) Middle School Band.

Jared Littleton
Color Guard Co-Caption Head

The Academy is excited to announce Jared Littleton as Color Guard Co-Caption Head.  Jared, an Indianapolis native, has been involved in the marching arts since 2005. Jared was a member of his high school band and orchestra who began his performing arts education as a music education major at Marian University in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was during his time at Marian that he discovered his passion for color guard and began performing. Jared has performed with Onyx, O2, Zydeco, and Third Coast Independent winter guards as well as the Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps. 

Jared moved to Houston, Texas in 2018 and has instructed numerous scholastic guards in the area including Magnolia West High School, Magnolia High School, and Seven Lakes High School. Jared is a current staff member of the Music for All Summer Symposium, where he serves as a clinician for the color guard track. Prior to moving to Texas, Jared was on the instructional staff at the Avon High School (Avon, IN) band program for both the high school and cadet guards. Jared also served Spirit Independent (Houston, TX) in a range of positions including technician, choreographer, and educational director. Jared’s drum corps educational experience includes being the Assistant Caption Head at the Guardians Drum and Bugle Corps as well Music City Drum and Bugle Corps color guard staff. Most recently, Jared has spent his recent summers here at The Academy, where he has been on staff as a choreographer and technician since 2023. 

A current resident of Tomball, Texas, Jared serves as the Color Guard Director of a comprehensive 7th-12th grade color guard program at Magnolia West High School, Magnolia Junior High, and Magnolia Parkway Junior High. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his dog Milo, playing videogames with his friends, and reading. 

Roxy Lazaro
Color Guard Co-Caption Head

The Academy is excited to announce Roxy Lazaro as Color Guard Co-Caption Head.

Robert Peterson
Assistant Drill Designer

Robert Peterson is a marching arts visual educator and drill writer based in Mesa, Arizona. For the past decade, he has taught and designed for multiple high school programs in his home state of New Jersey and throughout Arizona. Robert earned a Bachelor of Science in Education (BSE) in Music Education from Seton Hall University in 2016 and earned his Master of Music (MM) in Brass Performance Pedagogy from Arizona State University in 2023.

During the winter season, Robert serves as drill designer and visual caption head for the open-class WGI Percussion ensemble Breakthrough Indoor. In the fall, he is the lead visual staff member for the Mountain Ridge High School “Pride of the West” in Glendale, Arizona.

Robert started his drum corps journey in 2013 with Cadets2 and subsequently marched with The Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps in 2014 and 2015. Transitioning to teaching after his age out, Robert worked at various drum corps until 2019. In 2020, he relocated to Arizona and joined the visual staff of The Academy Drum and Bugle Corps, where he is now in his second year as Visual Co-Caption head for the 2025 season.