Ward Miller
Brass Arranger

From 2014 through 2019, Dr. Miller served as the Brass Caption Head for the World Class Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps of La Crosse, WI. Every year under his leadership, the hornline has placed in the top 12 and made finals. The hornline achieved "Box 5" scores in the regular season and in finals in the 2017-2019 seasons. In 2018 and 2019, the hornline and drum corps placed in the top 8. He oversaw the brass ensemble and staff, recruited for the horn line, and administered the Blue Stars brass audition camps throughout the country. In addition, he traveled with the corps for the majority of their tour. In addition to his work with the Blue Stars, Dr. Miller has also served as the Brass Arranger and an instructional consultant for Minnesota Brass. He currently arranges for the Louisiana Stars Drum and Bugle Corps, and River City Rhythm Drum and Bugle Corps.

He earned his bachelors of music education from Auburn University in 2001, where he served as webmaster, arranger, and an undergraduate teaching assistant with the Auburn University Marching Band. He graduated from Arizona State University in 2003 with a masters in Trombone Performance. In 2006 he accepted a graduate teaching assistantship at The University of Iowa, where he studied with Dr. Myron Welch in Band Conducting. While at Iowa, he also worked as a teaching assistant with the Hawkeye Marching Band, where he wrote, taught, and conducted multiple arrangements and halftime drills. He also conducted the Iowa University Concert Band, as well as the Southeast Iowa Concert Band at Iowa Wesleyan University. He earned the 2008 outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant award for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Dr. Miller graduated in 2011 from the University of Iowa with his D.M.A. in Band Conducting.

Dr. Miller served as the Musical Arranger, Drill Writer, and Assistant Director of the Macy's Great American Marching Band in New York City from 2006 through 2018. He was the director of the All-Star Band at the 100th annual Cherry Blossom Parade in Washington, D.C. He has appeared as a guest conductor and clinician to multiple concert honor bands throughout the United States. His marching band arrangements have been performed at competitions, including in Bands of America regionals, by high schools and colleges across the country, as well as the annual Rose Parade in Pasadena, CA.

Since 2018, Dr. Miller has served as the Education Director for Youth in Music, a Minneapolis-based nonprofit organization that hosts marching band events and clinics throughout the upper Midwest.

He currently resides in Minneapolis, MN where he spends his time arranging and composing, and working as a music education consultant clinicing and judging bands.

Justin Mons
Drill Designer

Justin Mons has been involved in Pageantry and the Marching arts for just under 20 years as a performer, instructor, designer, and adjudicator. His experience includes the 2013-2022 seasons as a visual instructor at the Mandarins Drum and Bugle Corps. Three of those years (2014-2016) he spent as assistant visual captionhead, He also spent the 2015 season as a visual instructor at the Arizona Academy Drum and Bugle Corps.

In the Winter percussion world, Justin spent 5 years as Visual captionhead and design team member for Vision Independent Percussion. He has also been an active visual judge in the community having judged multiple focus shows in the Arizona circuit (WGAZ), and has also Judged MPA Finals here in Minnesota.

Over the past 14 years He has been the captionhead, instructor, drill designer, or choreographer for multiple state finalist and championship programs. Some notable programs He's been involved in include Basha high school (AZ), Corona del Sol High School (AZ), GIlbert High School (AZ) James E. Taylor High School (TX) Ponderosa High School (CA) and Eastview High School (MN) He is extremely excited to work with such a historic organization as the Govenaires, and all the amazing people involved.

Jeffrey Peterson
Visual Coordinator

Jeffrey Peterson has been active as an educator and designer in the Marching Arts for over 25 years. He is a 20-year member of the Govenaries. Jeffrey holds an MFA in dance from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, a BFA in dance from the University of Minnesota, and a certification in Laban/Bartenieff Movement Analysis (CLMA) from Integrated Movement Studies.

Mr. Peterson began his involvement in the marching arts at Eden Prairie High School. Since then, he’s performed color guard with the Madison Scouts, Every-Body, Seneca, and the Govenaires. His collaborative creations within the marching arts include field, parade, and winter guard, including significant work with the Govenaires Drum and Bugle Corps and high school programs such as Eden Prairie, Champlin-Park, Waconia, Winona-Cotter, and Anoka, to name a few. Mr. Peterson's history with the Govenaires includes 4 A-class DCA world championships and three notable winter guard seasons; his roles across his 20 years with the organization have included color guard designer, choreographer, and performer, drum major, and drill writer.

Mr. Peterson holds over 13 years of experience in teaching and collaborating at the university-level. He is a former Associate Professor of Dance at Muhlenberg College and has also taught at Hamline, St. Olaf, Winona State, and Mankato-State, among others. His work in higher education includes spearheading many successful departmental and campus-wide initiatives and chairing committees. In the fall of 2021, after a 9-year hiatus, he returned to teaching at Gustavus Adolphus College where he taught movement analysis, advanced modern technique, and repertory.

Josh Forbord
Brass Caption Head

Lee Krueger
Percussion Caption Head and Battery Arranger

Lee Krueger was the Director of Percussion for the Rochester Catholic Schools and Marching Band Director at Rochester Lourdes High School in Rochester, MN from 1999 to 2021. His duties included teaching lessons to all percussionists as well as directing all Elementary, Junior High, and High School concert/marching percussion ensembles.

During his tenure with Rochester Lourdes High School, Lee developed an award-winning marching band, winter drumline and concert percussion ensemble. He served many years on the Board of Directors for the Minnesota Percussion Association (MPA), and was honored with the title of MPA Instructor of the Year in 2011.

Lee was Percussion Arranger and Caption Head for the Govenaires from 2009-2012 after previously being a percussion consultant with them for many years. During his time as Caption Head, the Govies proudly took home two DCA Championships in 2009 and 2011.

Lee currently lives in Byron, MN with his wife Katie and their two daughters. He works for Schmitt Music as an Educational Representative and percussion specialist. He is a freelance percussionist, and has performed with several professional groups in the Rochester area. He is still active as a clinician, adjudicator, and teacher of private lessons. Lee endorses: Mapex Drums, Majestic Percussion, Saylers Percussion, Sabian Cymbals, Evans Drumheads, and Prologix Percussion.

Hayden Hoium
Front Ensemble Arranger

Hayden Hoium is a music educator and composer in the marching arts.

Hayden graduated from SCSU, majoring in Sociology and minoring in Music. He has extensive experience performing in the marching arts (20 seasons and counting!) and countless other music ensembles. Hayden has performed with many groups, including River City Rhythm Indoor, MBI Indoor Percussion, and The Govenaires Drum and Bugle Corps - and on a variety of instruments including alto saxophone, bass drum, marimba, and euphonium, just to name a few.

He has been teaching and composing front ensemble music since 2018, and has shared his expertise in many different DCA, DCI, WGI, and MPA groups throughout the state of Minnesota. Hayden is extremely excited to be with The Govenaires Drum and Bugle Corps for the upcoming 2024 season!

When Hayden isn't teaching, he is a substitute teacher in the north metro, and enjoys playing video games with his friends.

Andy Larum
Battery Manager

Justin Tollefson
Percussion Instructor

Alli Larkin
Color Guard Caption Head

Alli Larkin is a chef in the Minneapolis area for Wrecktangle Pizza. When she is not cooking delicious pizza she teaches and performs with multiple groups. Her color guard experience started in 2005 with her high school marching band, the Waseca Marching Jays. She is now the Head Color Guard Instructor for Waseca.

Alli then Joined Govenaires in 2009 and has been marching with them since. In 2016, she became the Membership Director; concluding in 2021.

She is also on staff with the Royal Guard Peforming Arts, working with the winter guard. When she is not working or doing color guard, she loves hanging out with friends and her cat, Nova.

Benjamin Serrato
Color Guard Instructor

Benjamin Serrato, helping with Color Guard and Visual, is a 2011 Waseca High School Graduate performing 3 years in drumline and 1 year of color guard, being the first male participant. Ben has since participated, taught, and choreographed in various groups in Minnesota including co-caption head of the Waseca Color Guard in 2013 and 2014.

Ben has participated in MBI Winter Guard, The Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps, True North Winter Guard, and 12 years as a member of The Govenaires Drum and Bugle Corps where they double up as a staff member. Leaving Minnesota in 2016, Ben taught winter guard and marching band in the San Francisco Bay Area including Dublin Winter Guard and started the only competitive winter guard based out of San Francisco in 2019-2020 at Philip Sala Burton High School. Ben has also performed color guard professionally on stage with "Ru Paul's Drag Race" Contestant Latrice Royalle in Murray and Peter's Traveling Christmas Show. Ben still performs color guard with the Govenaires and has returned to teach the Waseca Color Guard program.

Andrew Yaroch
Visual Instructor

Lindsey Beyer
Visual Instructor

Michael Thompson
Visual Instructor

Michael Thompson is excited to continue working with the Govenaires this season. Having previously spent time as a marching member in 2016-2017, as well as a volunteer in 2018-2019. Michael also works with River City Rhythm as the mellophone instructor. Michael’s marching career included seasons with River City Rhythm in 2017, the Madison Scouts in 2018, and The Cavaliers in 2019.

A 2020 graduate from Minnesota State University, Mankato with a degree in Instrumental Music Education, Michael currently lives in Southwest Minnesota. He is the Director of Bands at Worthington High School in Worthington, MN. At WHS, Michael directs the “Spirit of Worthington” Trojan Marching Band, the Trojan Concert Band, Trojan Jazz!, and the Trojan Pep Bands.

Larry Pawlowski
Music Consultant, Assistant Artistic Director

We are proud to welcome back longtime instructor Larry Pawlowski to our design team! He will assume the role of Music Director and Assistant Program Coordinator.

Larry marched nine years with The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps, where he was a featured soloist and later became an instructor for six years. He also went on instruct Phantom Regiment for several seasons.

Among the all-age corps he has instructed or marched with include the Chicago Vanguard, the Kilties, the Bushwackers, and the Hawthorne Caballeros.

Larry started instructing the Govenaires on-and off since 2002. He became Brass Caption Head in 2009, when the corps took their second DCA Class A Championship and won their first award for High Brass.

We are thrilled to have Larry back in our organization!

Aaron Hartwell
Brass Instructor

Aaron Hartwell returns as Brass Instructor. He started playing trumpet in 5th grade, and went on to marched 4 years in the Mankato Area 77 Lancers Marching Band. As a student at Minnesota State University, Mankato, he performed in several university ensembles including: Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Jazz Band, Jazz Combo, Marching Band and Pep Band.

Hartwell began marching with the Govenaires Drum & Bugle Corps in 1998 and has been a part of the organization ever since, being a part of four DCA Class A World Championship seasons. He has also performed with the Southern Minnesota Real Big Band, The Echos, Bass Brand Brass Band and The Mostly Conical Brass Quartet. Throughout his years in the musical arts, he has performed with various artists, including:  Denis DiBlasio, Bobby Shew, Luke Gillespie, Pat Harbison, Nachito Herrera, Kenni Holman, Dave Pietro, Juan Tony Guzman and The HornHeads.

When he is not playing, he enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife and daughter

Matthew Sanders
Logistics Director

sanders@govenaires.org

Matthew Sanders joins the leadership team and Logistics Director. As a marching member of the Govenaires since 2006 and a master's degree in computer science with a focus of data organization, Matt brings institutional knowledge of making a drum corps function, while also being able to see and exploit patterns for new ideas in logistics.

Matt believes flexibility in approach and implementation are keys to success for any project, but especially for drum corps, where anything that can go wrong probably will (*glances at Ohio*). Matt lives in Minneapolis with too many cats

Emily Moe
Membership Director

membership@govenaires.org

Emily Moe joins the leadership team as Membership Director. She has been a piano teacher for almost 30 years. She has two masters degrees: one in piano pedagogy from Northeastern Illinois University and one in community music from the University of Limerick, in Ireland.

She believes that laughter and joy are the most important educational tools we have available. She grew up in St Peter, loving the Govenaires from a very early age, but only found her way to actually march five years ago. She’s been in the pit and in the horns. She lives in Duluth with her opinionated terrier, Mrs. Parker, and her folk-singer husband Adam.

Mike Hanzelka
Artistic Director

staff@govenaires.org

Mike Hanzelka started with the Govenaires as a performing member of the brass section in 2007. He has been active in the corps ever since, taking on roles with the administrative and instructional teams. Most recently, he was Visual Caption Head for the past three seasons. He actively consults other outdoor/indoor ensembles across Minnesota.

His marching experience started as a student at Irondale High School. After graduating, he marched euphonium and tuba with Southwind Drum and Bugle Corps from Lexington, Kentucky. After performing for three seasons with the Drum Corps International (DCI) group, he was honored to accept Southwind’s Jamie King Member of the Year Award in 2006. At Govenaires, he was a performing member of several Drum Corps Associates (DCA) Class A championship seasons (2009, 2011, 2015). He also performed internationally with the Govenaires, traveling to Shanghai in 2016 and Austria in 2019 and 2022.

Mike is a 2008 graduate of Minnesota State University, Mankato with a B.S. in Mass Communications. He works as a Solutions Analyst and lives in beautiful historic Carver with his wife, Molly, and their cat, G.G.