travis larson - ensemble coordinator

Travis Larson first caught the marching arts bug in 1989 as a member of the Velvet Knights and later aging out with the Blue Devils 1996. He has also performed as a freelance musician in Los Angeles, performing and arranging for various rock, latin, jazz, and r&b groups.

Born and raised in Mission Viejo, California, Travis was a member, then the Brass Instructor for the Mission Viejo High School Marching Band from 1992-2005. In that time, the ensemble achieved great levels of success at the state level, earning multiple High Music Trophies, and 2 State Championships. Over the last 10 years, Travis has worked with many band programs in Arizona. He serves as brass instructor, program coordinator, wind composer/arranger, and consultant for several High Profile Arizona Band programs, such as Millennium, Mountain View, Williams Field, Highland, Skyline, and Combs High School.

In 1998, Travis was a brass staff member of the Jim Ott Brass Trophy winning Blue Devils. He later joined the Brass Team for The Cadets from 2014-2016, winning the High Brass Trophy at the 2015 DCI World Championships.

A member of the Brass Staff of the Boston Crusaders since 2017, Travis has helped in bringing the drum corps to a new level of success achieving their highest placement ever in 2018.

Travis received his BA in Music Education from Grand Canyon University in 2016. He is currently the Band Director at Mendoza Elementary, and Shepherd Junior High School in Mesa, AZ and proudly serves on the board of the Arizona Marching Band Association. Travis resides in San Tan Valley, AZ with his Wife, Ann, and 2 children, TJ and Ava.

BRYAN HUMMEL - Music Designer

Bryan is a Phoenix based percussionist, educator, and designer. He received a Bachelors of Music Education and a Bachelors of Arts in Percussion Performance from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa and his Masters in Percussion Performance from Arizona State University Bryan is returning for his 4th Season with Breakthrough Indoor Percussion and served most recently as the Front Ensemble Coordinator for Breakthrough's 2019 season! As a composer/arranger, Hummel has remained active for the last 8 years arranging and composing percussion scores for marching band, writing for indoor percussion ensembles, arranging front ensemble music for the Sun Devil Marching Band and composing/designing wind books for marching band productions. He has worked with many programs and currently designs for Dobson High School (AZ), Higley High School (AZ), Desert Mountain High School (AZ), Southeast Polk High School (IA), Knoxville High School (IA), and Perry High School (IA). In Phoenix, Bryan is currently the Director of Bands at Desert Mountain High School and the previous Front Ensemble Director at Arizona State University. Hummel regularly judges for the ABODA and WGAZ circuits in Arizona and has also adjudicated in Iowa and Wyoming. In Iowa, Bryan has been on staff with the annual Sounds of Summer Clinic, hosted by Iowa State University and regularly returns to the state to teach, clinic, and perform! As a performer, Hummel tours nation-wide collaborating with colleagues to create chamber music at universities, community centers, and school districts. Hummel has now performed at universities and other venues in Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Washington D.C.
Bryan is proudly endorsed by Vic Firth

DAN HOFFMAN - STAFF COORDINATOR

Dan Hoffman is a marching arts visual educator and drill writer based out of Mesa, AZ. Born and raised in Syracuse, NY, Dan graduated from the University of Rochester in 2015 with a Bachelor of Arts in Music with a Minor in Dance. His education is supplemented by ample performance experience, including three seasons as a contra player with the Boston Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps. As an educator, Dan began his career as a marching band visual technician with his alma mater West Genesee High School in Camillus, NY. He then served as the drill writer and visual caption head for the Medford High School Marching Band in Medford, MA, from 2016-2018. During that time period, he was also a visual technician with the Oregon Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps. Since moving to Arizona in 2018, Dan has assumed the role of visual caption head with the Highland High School Marching Band. He also serves as a visual technician with the Casa Grande Union High School marching band and indoor percussion, with Breakthrough Indoor Percussion, and with the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps.

ryan springler - visual designer

Based in Mesa, Arizona, Ryan Springler is a designer, consultant, adjudicator, and instructor active across the nation. This will be his second year as program coordinator and visual designer at Breakthrough, and his fourth year on staff. Most recently, he served as choreographer/design consultant at The Guardians Drum and Bugle Corps, and as a member of the visual staff at The Academy and Spirit of Atlanta. Some other clients include Lawrence Central HS, Homestead HS, Blue Knights Indoor Percussion, OCI Winds, Lux Winterguard, and Pacific Crest Drum & Bugle Corps. Outside of pageantry, he is an active painter and avid consumer of all spicy foods.

Todd Livingston - woodwind specialist

Todd Livingston has been teaching band in Arizona for 12 years, and is currently the Director of Bands at Kino Junior High and the District Band Specialist for Mesa Public Schools. In recent years, he has taught woodwinds for Mesa Mountain View’s Marching Band (2014-2019), and the Millennium Tiger Band (2018-2019). As a member of the administrative/logistics team, he also worked with the Academy Drum and Bugle Corps (2013-2018).

Todd holds Bachelor's degrees in Instrumental Music Education and Music Theory (2009), and a Master’s in Music Education (2012) from Arizona State University. In his spare time you can find him playing bass and contrabass clarinets with the Arizona Wind Symphony, and trying to make it to all 50 states! He’s very excited to be part of the Breakthrough team and is looking forward to the experience. 

Maribel Hernandez - woodwind specialist

Maribel Hernandez is excited to be involved with the inaugural year of Breakthrough Winds! Maribel is a highly-sought out Woodwind specialist in the greater Phoenix area. As a member of the ASU Flute Studio and a performer, she has worked under prestigious, world-renowned artists.

Placing as principal chair in various ensembles and having performed with Breakthrough Indoor Percussion and the Arizona State University Sun Devil Marching Band, she is no stranger to the different performing arts that Arizona has to offer. She is a well-rounded musician and has taught numerous programs, including; Tolleson High School, Desert Mountain High School, and the reigning 2019 ABODA State Champions - Mountain Ridge High School.

While she is not playing/performing or teaching, you can catch her watching a good documentary or going on a hike, if the Arizona weather permits, of course!

Kelli Duncan - Brass Instructor

Kelli Duncan is a freelance music educator in Phoenix, AZ specializing in brass pedagogy and pageantry arts.  She is currently pursuing a Master in Music in Euphonium Performance Pedagogy at Arizona State University in Tempe, AZ and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music from ASU, where she studied euphonium with Sam Pilafian, Dr. Deanna Swoboda, and Dr. Pat Stuckemeyer.  Primarily a euphonium and trombone player, she has performed in an eclectic variety of musical ensembles including wind symphony, wind ensemble, tuba/euphonium quartet, trombone choir, alternative rock band, brass quintet, and brass band.

Kelli has a deep love and appreciation for the marching arts!  As a marching member, she performed as a baritone player with Desert Vista High School and The Academy Drum and Bugle Corps (where she served as section leader and soloist) and as a euphonium player with the Sun Devil Marching Band.  She is presently the low brass coordinator for the brass staff for The Academy Drum and Bugle Corps in Tempe, AZ, and in the fall serves as a low brass instructor at Dobson High School and as head of brass for Desert Ridge High School, a role she has held for four years.  Prior to her roles at Desert Ridge and Dobson, she served as head of brass instruction for Chandler High School and Casa Grande Union High School, and was a trombone technician with the Sun Devil Marching Band.  She also previously served as a music judge in the AzMBA circuit and has experience judging in all of the music categories. She is currently a performing member of the Salt River Brass and maintains a private studio for brass students in Mesa, AZ. Kelli is excited to join the staff of Breakthrough Winds!

Carlos Martinez- Visual Instructor

Carlos Martinez is currently working as a band technician as well as a gigging musician around his home town in Mesa, Arizona. Carlos was a performing member with The Academy before teaching. Since aging out, Carlos has taught as a Visual Specialist with Casa Grande HS, Desert Ridge HS, and formerly with Chandler HS.

Additionally, Carlos has taught Pacific Crest, Oregon Crusaders, Blue Stars, and Phenom during the summer. During the winter season, Carlos has worked with Breakthrough Indoor Percussion and Casa Grande Indoor Percussion as a Visual Technician, and at Villago Indoor Percussion as the Program Coordinator. 

Carlos is  currently working on his music education degree as a hornist with Ottawa University.