Staff

Director: Sean Peck

Sean has served as Director of Shenandoah Sound Drum and Bugle Corps since 2007.  As a trumpet player, he participated in all high school band performance groups.  As an undergraduate at Western Kentucky University, he continued as a member of the Big Red Marching Band, pep band and a stint with the Jazz Ensemble.  He was a soprano with the 1983 DCI finalist Cavaliers.

He has participated in several community bands and orchestras including River City Community Band in Memphis, TN, Prince William Community Band and the National Medical Musical Group, performing with the group in London, England, Geneva, Switzerland, Toronto, Canada and Orlando. As an instructor, he served five years as the assistant marching band director at Manassas Park High School and prior to that he was an assistant at Osbourn Park High School in Manassas, VA.

Sean holds a Bachelor’s degree in Management and a Master’s degree in Education and has over 30 years of experience in developing and managing training development programs for federal and commercial clients.

Assistant Director/Business Manager: Russ Ferrer

Russ began marching with drum and bugle corps in the early seventies with the Sterling Cardinals Drum and Bugle Corps. In 1978, while in college, he marched a season with the DCI Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps. Since then, Russ has performed and also choreographed marching drill for high schools and Shenandoah Sound.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Management and is currently a partner in two business ventures, Systems X Design, LLC and DFGM Floors, LLC.  He has also been a board member for the Blue Ridge Alliance for the Performing Arts (BRAPA) as well as being a performer in various community theater groups such as the Sterling Playmakers.

Program Consultant: Vince Bryk

Vince is an active Music Educator and Performer in the Northern Virginia area.  He holds a degree in Music Education from James Madison University and is the Band Director Gainesville HS in Gainesville, VA. Vince is a Shenandoah Sound Alumni, marching during the 2010 and 2011 seasons. Since then, he has marched in many prestigious groups throughout his marching career, including the Macy’s Great American Marching Band, JMU Marching Royal Dukes, and the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps.

As a performer, he was featured as a Trumpet soloist on multiple occasions with the Marching Royal Dukes, and was also a major soloist in the Bluecoats 2016 field show, Down Side Up (winning their first DCI World Championship). Vince is also an active performer in many community groups as well, including the Fairfax Wind Symphony and the Massanutten Brass Band.

Brass Educator:  Blake McBride

Proud to be from Twin City, Georgia, Blake McBride began playing trumpet from a young age. After graduating from Jenkins County High School, Blake attended the University of Georgia where he had the opportunity to study under Mr. Phil Smith and Dr. Brandon Craswell. During his time at UGA, he participated in numerous musical ensembles, including the Redcoat Marching Band. In 2022 Blake marched with Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps, winning 4th place at DCI Finals and receiving the “Visual Most Improved” award at Crown’s Finals banquet.

Today, Blake serves in the “Commandant’s Own” United States Marine Drum and Bugle corps as lead soprano player. He is also an instructor for the South Lakes High School Marching Band in Reston, Virigina, as well as continuing to help with the design and instruction at his high school Alma Mater.

Blake’s educational certifications include an Associates of Science in Biology from East Georgia State College, as well as both a Bachelor of Arts in Music and a Music Business Certificate from the University of Georgia.

Percussion Educator/Arranger:  Nathaniel Hara

Hailing from Centreville, VA, Nathaniel Hara is a recent graduate from the University of Virginia where he studied Music. While there, he was a member of the Cavalier Marching Band, Percussion Ensemble, Cavalier Symphony Orchestra, and the University Singers and was fortunate enough to attend the Leigh Howard Stevens marimba seminar. His marching experience includes Sonus Brass Theater, Sound United Indoor Drumline, and Jersey Surf Drum and Bugle Corps. He has taught at several high school drumlines in Northern Virginia and is currently on staff at Langley HS in Mclean, VA.

Guard Educator: Emily Morlan

Emily has been involved in the marching arts since high school. She was a member of her high school fall Color Guard and Winter Guard for four years and spent two seasons in DCI as a member of the Capital Regiment Color Guard. She took a hiatus to raise two kids, but the time away didn’t last long. Both of her kids joined marching band as soon as they could join their programs, and Emily was proud to support their journey into the marching arts.

In 2023, Emily took on the role of Color Guard Director and Instructor at Gar-Field High School in Woodbridge, Virginia, as the GFHS band program took to the field in its first competitive season in many years. She is also proud to launch the school’s first competitive Winter Guard season in 2024.

Emily is growing the guard program in her 2nd season with the corps.

Public Relations/Drum Major/Visual: Anthony Fiumara

Anthony started marching drum corps in 2006 as a mellophone rook-out in the Pioneer Drum & Bugle Corps. From 2008-2013, he marched with Shenandoah Sound in DCA competition as a mellophone player and drum major. Anthony is a charter member of Sonus Brass Theater, where he has been performing since 2015. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Shenandoah Sound Drum & Bugle Corps, Inc. and serves as its social media and public relations coordinator.

Anthony has been the visual caption head for the Marriotts Ridge High School Marching Band (Howard County, MD) since 2010. The band has earned multiple USBands Maryland State Championships and high visual awards during his tenure, including 2024 Class 5A National Champions. In 2018, Anthony returned to Pioneer (DCI World Class) to serve as a visual instructor on tour.

In his “real life,” Anthony works as a middle school science teacher at Resurrection-St. Paul School (Ellicott City, MD). He earned a B.A. from Saint Vincent College and a M.S. from McDaniel College.

Brass Arranger: Mike Jones

A native of southern California, Mike marched with the Sacramento Freelancers from 1982-1985 and with the “The Commandant’s Own,” The United States Marine Drum and Bugle Corps from 1987-2001, serving as the music librarian for 12 years. He studied music education at Moorpark College and California State University-Long Beach.  He has been a performing member of Shenandoah Sound since 2009, playing both trumpet and mellophone. Mike has instructed high school marching bands in Prince William County, VA and he has been a key part of our show design team the past two years and served arranger for parade and other brass music.  Mike currently resides in Woodbridge, VA.

Brass Arranger: Isaac Thompson

Isaac is a Computer Science Master’s student at George Mason University with a passion for marching band and drum corps. He began marching in 2015 at Unity Reed High School, and continued to perform with the Marching Virginians at Virginia Tech, Sonus Brass Theater, and the Blue Stars Drum & Bugle Corps in 2021.

Isaac arranged the opener for Sonus Brass Theater’s 2023 program. He also served as a visual instructor for the Gainesville High School Marching Band in 2024. The band earned high rankings and numerous caption awards throughout the season.

Outside of programming and music, Isaac enjoys long-distance running and making 3D printer designs.