Teaching Staff

Wind Staff

McKenna Blair - Piccolo Instructor

McKenna Blair graduated from New Jersey City University in 2023, where she studied music education. During her time at NJCU, McKenna earned many awards and titles, such as being named a one of the top Clinical Interns for student teaching by the New Jersey Department of Education. She is now pursuing her Master’s degree in Music Education at Kent State University, continuing to expand her knowledge and skills as both a performer and educator.

McKenna has years of experience working with several high school marching bands in the Central Jersey area, working as a winds instructor and on-field technician. Most recently, she worked for the South Plainfield Marching Tiger in their most successful season, winning the TOB NJ Championships. Outside of marching band, McKenna works as an elementary music teacher, where she leads the band, orchestra, chorus, and general music classes. In addition to her elementary school position, McKenna also teaches private music lessons. She is very excited to be joining the MSK Marching Band this year to help instruct the Piccolo section!

Jessica Morley - Saxophone Instructor

From Colonia, NJ, Jessica Morley is currently a teacher in the Summit Public School District, where she serves as the 6th grade band director and the elementary band director at Jefferson and Franklin Elementary Schools. She graduated from Rutgers University - Mason Gross School of the Arts in 2022 with a Bachelor of Music Degree in Music Education and Clarinet Performance, along with a minor in Psychology.

At Mason Gross, she studied clarinet under the guidance of Dr. Maureen Hurd, head of the woodwind department. Jess was an active participant in the Rutgers Athletic Bands, playing baritone and serving as drum major for the 2019, 2020, and 2021 seasons. Additionally, she worked as an R Fund Student Ambassador during her final two years at Rutgers.

Since graduating, Ms. Morley has performed at prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall and NJPAC with her school district and has been involved in pit orchestras for their musical productions. Jess is thrilled to return to “The Banks” this season as a woodwind instructor for the RU Marching Band.

Cassidy O'Donnell

TBD

Yvette Sakow - Saxophone Instructor

Based in New Brunswick, NJ, Yvette works with many different areas of Rutgers University including tutoring, teaching private saxophone lessons, and managing/coaching the chamber program in the saxophone studio. Yvette has been with MSK for one season and is excited to join the MSK family again for the 2025 season.

Yvette has been a part of many excellent marching band programs and has been a supporter of marching band since 2014 in her high school marching band. Yvette is a Doctoral Candidate in Saxophone Performance at Rutgers University under the direction of Dr. Paul Cohen. She is also pursuing her MA in Musicology under Dr. Douglas Johnson. Yvette holds a Master of Music degree in Saxophone performance from Rutgers University as well as a Bachelor of Music from Manhattan School of Music.

Meghan Correll

TBD

Matt Krempasky - Brass Instructor

This is Matt’s rookie year with the MSK, though he has sent many former students to revel in glory on the banks of the old Raritan (including 5 in the current MSK!) He retired in 2022 after a 40 year (!) career as a High School band director in the Roxbury, South Orange/Maplewood, and Somerville school districts, where his bands were well known for being entertaining, creative, and stylistically accurate. Matt has been heavily involved in the drum corps community for a very long time since been named to the brass staff of his hometown Wayne (NJ) Monarchs at the age of 14. Along the way, he has earned membership in 4 different halls of fame - the Crossmen, Reading Buccaneers, Pennsylvania Drum and Bugle Corps, and, just this past April, the National Buglers. He was selected as the NJMEA Master Music Teacher and as the Somerville Educator of the Year. He has always believed that no matter the subject, “if you’re going to do it, do it right”, which is how he was named the Rookie of the Year in the Northern New Jersey Porsche Club of America, was chosen to play on the National Masters Ultimate Frisbee team, and has been a proud member of Mensa since 1992.
Matt is currently performing in 5 different big bands and two concert bands and continues to write for marching arts groups around the world. He has two awesome kids who also happen to be musically involved - daughter Julia is a first-year elementary school music teacher in the Watchung school district, and son James is a senior at Bridgewater-Raritan HS where he plays the euphonium and trombone (and is about to embark upon his audition tour, including here at RU!) I will do everything I can to help make the MSK the best they can be!

Percussion Staff

Carlos Vazquez: Percussion Captain Head

Mr. Carlos Vazquez a.k.a Los - Battery Captain Head

Carlos is a graduate of the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University, with a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education and Psychology and a Master’s degree in percussion performance. Carlos has been a percussion educator in New Jersey for over 15 years teaching in several high schools, private lessons, clinics, and the Rutgers University Drum Line. He is an active freelance musician in the New York and New Jersey area, specializing in classical and Latin percussion. He has played on the national tour of Hair! the musical and currently plays snare drum for the NY Giants Drum Line as an employee of Blue Devils Entertainment. He has had the honor to play for former President Obama, and alongside musicians such as Eddie Palmieri and Delfeayo Marsalis. Carlos has also recorded with the Wu-Tang Clan and most recently recorded on a Disney film entitled Chang Can Dunk on Disney+ Carlos is also a full time middle school band director in Iselin, NJ and is also on staff with the Hawthorne Caballeros Drum and Bugle Corps

Matt Blood: Front Ensemble Captain Head

Matt Blood is a marching arts designer, educator, and consultant based out of Southern New Jersey. He has worked with many marching bands, indoor percussion ensembles, and drum corps around the country as the sole proprietor of mattbloodmusic.com and as an arranger for Clifford Bialkin Designs LLC. Matt has designed shows for and taught programs who have performed at Drum Corps International World Championships, Winter Guard International PIW and PIO finals, and Bands of America Grand Nationals.

In the past, Matt has held the positions of Front Ensemble Arranger for the Jersey Surf from 2019 to 2023, Front Ensemble Arranger/Sound Designer for United Percussion 2 in 2022 and 2023, and taught the front ensemble at United Percussion World from 2019 to 2023, where he was the coordinator in 2021 and caption head in 2022 and 2023. Currently, Matt holds the positions of Front Ensemble Captain Head/Arranger/Sound Designer for the Hawthorne Caballeros and Front Ensemble Caption Head/Arranger/Sound Designer for Imperial Dynasty Indoor Percussion.

Matt received his Bachelor’s degree in classical percussion performance from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ, where he learned from Joe Tompkins, Kyle Zerna, Mike Truesdell, and Javier Diaz. In addition, Matt has performed as a member of the United Percussion Front Ensemble during their 2012-2014 seasons, where he was fortunate enough to work with many amazing educators, including Steve Ballard, Ian Hale, and Rich Klimowicz.

Tom O'Hara - Front Ensemble Instructor

Tom O’Hara is a percussionist and educator based in Central New Jersey. He is a graduate of Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University and has been teaching in the area for over a decade. He has given clinics and worked with numerous schools and organizations throughout New Jersey, including the Hawthorne Caballeros Drum and Bugle Corps and the Greater Princeton Youth Orchestra. Tom also has several snare drum solos published through Bachovich Music Publications. Solos from his book “Six Impressions for Solo Snare Drum” were featured on the repertoire list for the 2017, 2020, and 2024 Modern Snare Drum Competitions hosted by the Cleveland Institute of Music. He currently serves as an instrumental music teacher in the Highland Park Public School District and is excited to continue his role as front ensemble instructor for the Marching Scarlet Knights!

Tom Heider - Drumline Instructor/Arranger

Tom is a percussion educator from Freehold, New Jersey. He marched in the Marching Scarlet Knights in 2015 and 2016, and graduated in 2019. As an educator he has taught drumlines all over the state including Madison High School, Hunterdon Central High School, and the Hawthorne Caballeros Drum and Bugle Corps. Tom returned to the MSK as a staff member in 2023 and has been with us through two bowl games, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and an international tour to London!

Andrew Rubano - Percussion Instructor

Andrew graduated from Rutgers University in 2013 with his Bachelors in Percussion Performance and Music Education. In 2017 he completed his Masters degree In Percussion Performance while serving as the athletic bands graduate percussion assistant working for Jim Ancona at the University of Delaware. Andrew is currently attending Rutgers part time earning a Doctorate in music education and with a cognate in instrumental conducting while working full time teaching instrumental music in Toms River, NJ.

Andrew has worked extensively with the marching arts activity as a performer and educator with various organizations. He was the Percussion Caption head and arranger in 2022 and 2023 at The Reading Buccaneers. Battery Arranger and percussion staff for the Rutgers University Marching Band 2017-2023. Percussion Staff at Carolina Crown 2016-2018, Cadets Winter Percussion 2013-2015, Cadets 2 2012-2015. Marched 2 Seasons of Reading Buccaneers in 08/09 and 2 seasons of Cadets in 10/11.

McCoy Plaisted - Percussion Instructor

McCoy Plaisted (he/him) is an active drummer, educator, composer, arranger, and producer originally from New England. As a current graduate student in the Jazz Studies program at Rutgers, he continues to regularly perform across New England, New York, and New Jersey as the bandleader of .mp3. He is particularly active in the Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey jazz and musical theatre scenes.

McCoy is a proud alumnus of UMass Amherst, where he earned his Bachelor of Music in Jazz and Afro-American Music Studies, served as center snare for the UMass Minuteman Marching Band, and taught the UMass Drumline upon graduation. McCoy's mentors deeply ingrained a strong foundation in jazz and rudimental percussion, having studied under Thom Hannum, Ian Hale, Tom Giampietro, Jeff Holmes, Jonathan Barber, and Ryan Sands.

Color Guard and Twirler Staff

Louis Hellinger - Color Guard Choreographer

Louis Hellinger is a New Jersey resident with over 30 years of performance, design, and instructional experience in color guard, drum corps, and marching band. He began his journey in the activity with a local Independent A guard and the Raiders Drum Corps, both from his hometown of Bayonne, NJ. He later performed with the renowned Emerald Marquis color guard from Wakefield, MA.

Following his marching career, Louis transitioned into design and leadership, working with numerous groups across the activity. From 2004 to 2015, he served as the Creative Director and Designer for West Orange High School, and from 2016 to 2024, he held the same role with AMP Winter Guard (Camden, NJ).

Today, Louis continues to share his expertise with competitive color guards nationwide in a variety of design and instructional capacities.

Jen Lube - Color Guard Instructor

Jen Lube has actively been involved in the marching arts since high school. She has performed with a variety of drum corps and world class indoor groups on the East Coast.

Over the years she has also taught and consulted for several high school marching bands, winter guards, and independent programs in the tristate area.

Jen also works with AMP winter guard during the indoor season. She is excited to continue working with Rutgers this year.

PJ Tankard

TBD

Tiahna Selby - Twirling Choreographer

Tiahna brings over a decade of baton twirling experience to her role as Twirling Choreographer for the Rutgers University Marching Scarlet Knights. As a former Feature Twirler for Rutgers from 2016 to 2023 and a competitive twirler for over 10 years, she offers a strong foundation in both the technical and creative aspects of twirling.

Tiahna is excited to continue her journey with the Marching Scarlet Knights, blending her love of twirling with her commitment to teaching and inspiring the next generation of performers.

Visuals Staff

Dan Orban - Visual Coordinator

Dan Orban is entering his 11th year with the Marching Scarlet Knights, specializing in marching technique, drill cleaning, and coordination of visual elements.

Dan has been a public school music teacher for 15 years, currently in his eighth year at the North Rockland Central School District in New York. He directs the 7th & 8th Grade Bands, Jazz Band, Pit Orchestra, and the 3-time State Champion North Rockland Marching Band. Prior to North Rockland, Dan taught in the Bronx, NY; Ossining, NY; and Bradenton, FL where he served as Assistant Director for the Southeast High School Marching Noles. He is a freelance French horn player, and is active in arranging music and drill design for marching bands across the country.

A Florida native, Mr. Orban earned his Bachelor’s from Florida State University in 2010 and his Master’s in Instrumental Music in 2018. He was a member of the World Champion Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps from 2006 to 2008 in the Mellophone section.

Stephen Alia - Visual Designer

Stephen Alia is honored to be in his 6th season as the drill writer for the Marching Scarlet Knights!