2024 Design Team

Dan Schack is a designer, educator, clinician, and adjudicator in the marching arts. 

He currently serves as the Creative Director of the George Mason University Indoor Drumline, the Program Coordinator & Battery Arranger of the Connecticut Hurricanes Drum and Bugle Corps, and the Battery Arranger for Trumbull High School. 

Outside of his musical endeavors, Dan is an Associate Project Manager at Huge Inc., a digital creative consultancy. 

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in English and Women’s Studies from the University of Connecticut and a Master’s in English and Women’s Studies from Wright State University, where he specialized in contemporary literature. 

Dan endorses Vic Firth drumsticks, Zildjian Cymbals, Remo drumheads, Pearl/Adams percussion instruments, and Lot Riot apparel.

Key Poulan is a composer and arranger primarily for the marching arts and has written for the world’s most famous drum corps including the Santa Clara Vanguard, Mandarins, Glassmen, Spirit of Atlanta, Seattle Cascades, Vanguard Cadets, Spartans, Caballeros, Bushwackers, Renegades, Sunrisers, Juliana, Millennium and the Star United Mini Corps. As the owner of Key Poulan Music, he has been recognized as one of the country’s top arrangers and composers in the area of contemporary marching band and has several concert band works to his credit. His marching band arrangements have won several national titles at the Bands of America Grand Nationals Championships. His works have won many state titles throughout the United States and have been performed around the world. His transcription of “The Promise of Living” from Copland’s “Tender Land” was extremely well received at the Bands of America National Concert Band Festival and his original works “Carnegie Fanfare and Dance” and “A Fortune in Steel” were both premiered at New York City’s Carnegie Hall.

Key received his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from East Texas State University (currently Texas A & M – Commerce) in 1985 and had the opportunity of studying under many fine educators including: Gary Hill, Dave Ward, Dr. Robert Houston, and Dr. Gene Lockhart. Key studied trombone under the late Dr. Neill Humfeld and composition with Dr. Ronald Yates and Dr. Margaret Wheat at ETSU. Key also credits his success to his mentors: Philip Geiger, Bill Watson, Eddie Green, Dr. Lawrence Sutherland, Dr. Gary Gilroy, Dr. Jerry Payne, Melvin Reddic, Hubert “Butch” Almany and the person who started him on trombone in the 5th grade – Jasper Huff.

David has always called the Hurricanes his drum corps home. He is currently going on his 13th year with the Hurcs. He has served several different roles within the corps(Bass drum, Timpani, Xylophone, Drumset, In-line front ensemble tech, full time front ensemble tech, and bass drum tech) and has always had a love for the corps, as multiple members of his family have also been apart of the corps as members and some serving on the Board of Directors.

David began his marching arts career in 2005 as a bass drummer at the age of 15 in the
hurricanes and marched until 2012. In 2006 he started instructing his first high school
drumline. In 2007 he was starting to write/arrange and tech for the front ensemble at Shelton HS. Currently he is the percussion caption head and front ensemble arranger for New Milford HS.
His experiences teaching are East Haven (2006), Shelton (2006-2011), Cheshire (2008),
Naugatuck (2009), Wethersfield (2010), New Milford (2011-2014, 2016-present), CT
Hurricanes(2014,2017,2020-present), and Fusion Core(2018-2019). He has also had the pleasure of
marching world class WGI group, United Percussion, as the xylophone player for 2011 and 2012.
David is excited to not only be a part of the design team as front ensemble arranger but also
take on a lead role as co-caption head of percussion!

Originally from Washington state, Bryson Teel is a full time marching arts electronics arranger, educator, and audio engineer residing in Western Massachusetts. He holds a Bachelor of Music in Audio and Music Production w/ a Focus in Percussion Performance from Western Connecticut State University. 

Applying skills from studying modern media composition, concert/marching percussion, as well as audio engineering, Bryson is always trying to push the boundaries of the activity. He actively arranges for drums corps, marching band, indoor percussion, indoor winds, and winter guard.

Bryson also continues to develop his own abilities as a musical artist, leaning towards the electronic and alternative genres. He often works as a producer and mixing engineer for local artists.
In his free time, Bryson is an avid A24 film nerd, and you can often find him listening to Lizzie McAlpine or James Blake on repeat. 

Residing in Connecticut, Conor has been involved in the marching arts since joining the colorguard in Newtown, CT in 2002. As a performer, Conor has had the opportunity of performing with organizations such as Connecticut Hurricanes (05,06), Madison Scouts (07,08), The Cavaliers (09,10,11,12) and Alter Ego Winterguard (08,09,10,11).
Since aging out as a performer with The Cavaliers, Conor has had the opportunity to teach and choreograph for numerous groups throughout the years. His teaching experience includes Blessed Sacrament Winterguard, Emanon Winterguard, Fusion Winterguard, Shenendehowa High School and Newtown High School.
Outside of colorguard, Conor works as a graphic designer and enjoys painting in his spare time.

Matt is a full-time Visual Designer and educator living in Long Beach, CA. Matt has marched with Capital Regiment (2004), The Cavaliers(2005-2008), and Aimachi Marching Band (2007). He taught at The Santa Clara Vanguard from 2010-2021, serving as Visual Caption Manager since 2017. For the summer of 2022, Matt taught both The Blue Devils & Bluecoats. In 2010, he had the extreme honor of teaching and designing several productions for His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said al-Said’s Royal Guard of Oman Marching Band. Matt is currently the Visual Caption Manager for Pulse Percussion and Visual Caption Head at Phantom Regiment.

John Esposito is excited to be entering their third year with the Hurricanes, stepping up as Visual Coordinator/Choreographer. 

Starting out as a trumpet player in the marching arts, they have branched out to design and education in the years following the pandemic. John has worked with multiple high schools in Connecticut as a visual tech and colorguard tech, most recently with the Newtown Band and Guard as a weapon technician. They have marched trumpet with the Sunrisers and 7th Regiment and colorguard at the Hawthorne Caballeros and Les Eclipses Open. John filled a baritone hole during the 2022 season and performed in the colorguard this past season while also serving as a visual tech. 
Following the successes of ’22 and ’23, John is amped to lead the Hurricanes into DCI All-Age in 2024!

Austin has been a freelance teacher and choreographer since the fall of 2004. He has worked with numerous high school groups fall/winter percussion  and drum corps in the northeast area. Some of those places are Norwalk high, Trumbull high, Westhill high, Stamford high, and Dartmouth high. Some of the drum corps he has taught are Connecticut Hurricanes, Hawthorne Caballeros, Fusion Core, Oregon Crusaders and Jersey Surf. Years he has instructed the Hurricanes are 2007, 2011-2012, and 2019-present. Austin is an alumni of Spirit of Atlanta where he marched from 2002-2006 where they made finals 4 out of those 5 years. He also likes to bring a unique style to the groups he teaches or writes choreo for. So they can have their own unique style! He is very excited to be working with his hometown Corp!