STAFF

 Todd Oehler, Brass Caption Head 

Todd Oehler is a Doctoral Candidate and Teaching Assistant for the Trumpet Studio at Arizona State University. Todd completed his undergraduate degree in May 2020 at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, MD, majoring in trumpet performance and music education, and completed his master's degree in trumpet performance in May 2022 at Wichita State University in Wichita, KS. Todd was the principal trumpet with the Peabody Conductor’s Orchestra and is a member of the Old Bay Brass quintet. Throughout his time at Peabody, he has had the pleasure of working with Joseph Young and Marin Alsop in numerous orchestras. Todd’s career has prominently featured soloing at numerous venues throughout the east coast and Midwest, including but not limited to Verizon Hall, the Baltimore Basilica, and the Wichita Cathedral. In addition to his performance career, Todd takes tremendous pride in his teaching, having worked with public schools in Maryland, Kansas, and Arizona, as well as Private Music Schools in Pennsylvania and Maryland, and has his own private trumpet studio. Todd has been a finalist in the Yale Gordon Competition, the Wolff-Bing Chamber Competition, and the Wichita State Concerto Competition, and has won the Pamela M. Marshall perpetual trophy and the Geoffrey B. Dougherty Memorial trophy in competition for his coach horn playing. Todd earned the Marie Evelyn Kinsman and the Deering Endowed scholarships by the Peabody Conservatory. Todd was also presented with the Wolff-Bing Chamber Scholarship at Wichita State University.

Adam Kesselman, Visual and Brass Instructor (Trumpet/Mello)

Adam is a student at Arizona State University studying Music Learning and Teaching. He is endlessly passionate about music, teaching, and the marching arts. Adam is excited and proud to join the staff of the Sandra Day O’Connor High School Eagle Pride Marching Band. Adam has performed with many ensembles such as the ASU Wind Symphony, United States Coast Guard Auxiliary Arizona Band, ASU Jazz Repertory Band, and the 2023 Academy Drum and Bugle Corps. As an educator, Adam teaches private trumpet lessons in the valley as well as being on staff with the Chandler High School Marching Band. He hopes to one day be a band director in the valley. Outside of music, Adam enjoys playing pickleball and spending time with friends and family.

Daniel, Nakazono, Visual and Brass Pedagogy Instructor (Trombone/Euphonium)

Daniel Nakazono is a musician in the Phoenix metropolitan area, specializing on the trombone he has played with many high caliber ensembles in the area, such as the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra and the Phoenix Chorale. As much as he enjoys performing on his instrument, Daniel is also passionate about teaching the trombone to students who are excited to develop their musicianship skills. Following the recent completion of the coursework for his DMA at Arizona State University, he is now working towards the completion of his doctoral project under the guidance of Dr. Brad Edwards. Prior to his residence at ASU, Daniel received his Masters degree in trombone at Northwestern University, where he studied with notable trombonists including: Mick Mulcahy, Randy Hawes, Tim Higgins, Doug Wright, and Chris Davis. He also has a Bachelors in music at California State University, Long Beach, where he studied with Steve Trapani, and Mike Hoffman. His experience however does not end at the concert hall; Daniel marched for four seasons with the Sacramento Mandarins Drum and Bugle Corps, and he is excited to share his knowledge about the marching music sports with the energetic and passionate students in the Sandra Day O’Connor “Eagle Pride” Marching Band! 

Chris Canby, Battery Caption Head

Chris Canby is percussion instructor and arranger currently living in Mesa, AZ. He is an active educator and clinician currently serving as battery Caption Head for Sandra Day O'Connor High School and battery instructor for Desert Mountain High School, as well as snare technician with Vision Percussion. He has previously served as instructional staff for the ASU Sun Devil Marching Band, Percussion Caption Head for Phenom Drum and Bugle Corps, and as Battery Coordinator for Breakthrough Indoor Percussion. He has previously been a part of the percussion/design staff with Dobson HS, Mesquite HS, Mountain View (Mesa) HS, and Higley HS. Chris is also a Behavior Specialist at Arizona Autism Charter School.
Chris received his BA in Music from Arizona State University where he studied with Dr. J.B. Smith, Dr. Mark Sunkett, Simone Mancuso, and Dom Moio. He was a member of various large and small ensembles including Wind Ensemble, Lyric Opera Theater, Percussion Ensemble, and the Sun Devil Marching Band. As a marching member Chris has performed as a snare drummer with The Academy Drum and Bugle Corps, Mosaic Indoor Percussion, and Dark Sky Percussion.
Outside of his role as an educator, Chris has been an active performer with BOOM! Percussion Entertainment, Arizona Cardinals Big Red Thunder Drumline, and Samba de Cavalo. He is currently drumming with Bad Cactus Brass Band among other local valley artists. When not playing music you can find Chris on the disc golf course or scouring the landscape for a good taco truck.

Tabitha Branson, Front Ensemble Caption Head

Tabitha Branson is a music educator and percussion instructor in Phoenix, Arizona. She earned her Bachelor’s in Music Education (Percussion) from Northern Arizona University, under the direction of Dr. Steven Hemphill, and her Master of Arts in Ethnomusicology from Arizona State University under the direction of Dr. Dave Fossum and Dr. Ted Solis. She completed her certification in World Music Pedagogy and Culturally Responsive Teaching in cooperation with the Smithsonian Folkways Recordings program. At Sandra Day O’Connor, Ms. Branson serves as the Front Ensemble Caption Head. In collaboration with the OC percussion staff, she was a founding staff member of the Indoor Percussion program, helping lead them to become a state medalist in their class in their inaugural year. In addition to working with OC, Ms. Branson continues to serve as the band assistant at Moon Valley High School, where she has been teaching since 2018. Prior, she held multiple teaching positions at high schools in northern and central Arizona. Outside of teaching, Ms. Branson is proud to work at the Musical Instrument Museum (Phoenix, AZ) on the Education team. Her passion for music education, arts-integrated curriculum, and culturally responsive teaching motivates her to help students reach their fullest potential. Ms. Branson is dedicated to furthering the arts and helping to create well-rounded young adults. She is excited to work with such a wonderful staff for another year at O’Connor!

 Zack Whittier, Director of Percussion, Audio Engineer

Zack Whittier is a multi-faceted music educator, percussion instructor, audio engineer and designer, ensemble administrator, composer, and arranger from Tucson, Arizona, currently residing in Glendale. Zack earned his Bachelor’s degree in Music Performance (Percussion emphasis) from Northern Arizona University, under the direction of Dr. Steven Hemphill. Zack’s passion for percussion and education has led him to work with programs across the country, including Arizona, California, Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio, and Texas.
Mr. Whittier serves as the Director of Percussion and Lead Audio Engineer and Designer at Sandra Day O’Connor High School (Phoenix, AZ) where he has been instrumental in establishing the indoor percussion program.
As a performer, Zack boasts an impressive resume, having been a member of The Academy Drum and Bugle Corps (2010-2012, 2012 Section Leader), Pulse Indoor Percussion (2013), and the University of Arizona “Pride of Arizona” Marching Band (2009, 2010, 2013).
Zack had the privilege to study with several esteemed instructors, including Dr. Steven Hemphill, Ian Grom, John Mapes, Glen Crosby, Sean Gordon, Homero Ceron, and Dr. Andrea Venet.
Zack's dedication to percussion education and his ability to inspire students have earned him respect in the national percussion community. He continues to collaborate with an incredible staff and looks forward to further contributing to the world of percussion and music education.

Calvin Juel Rigney, Front Ensemble Instructor 

Calvin Juel Rigney is a percussion educator through the marching arts in Tempe. He currently teaches at Sandra Day O'Connor High School and Moon Valley High School as a front ensemble instructor. Calvin attended Williams Field High School where he participated in competitive activities such as marching band, indoor percussion, and concert percussion ensemble for three years. He now attends Arizona State University, studying Molecular Biology and Biotechnology at the Tempe campus. Outside of scholastic organizations, Calvin has been a part of Flux Indoor Percussion, the Academy Drum & Bugle Corps, and Carolina Crown Drum & Bugle Corps as a member of the front ensemble. Through different seasons in the marching activities, Calvin has learned about mallet percussion and sound design from the best. He is looking forward to working with Sandra Day O'Connor in upcoming seasons!"

Analyce Gonzalez, Flute/Piccolo Instructional Coach

Analyce Gonzalez is a passionate Mexican American flutist and piccoloist born and raised in Glendale, AZ. As a youth, Analyce studied privately with valley flutist, Kristina Johnsen. Analyce obtained her Bachelor's in Music Performance from Northern Arizona University in 2015, studying under Dr. Emily Hoppe.  Analyce obtained her Master’s in Music Performance degree in 2021 from the University of Northern Colorado, studying under Dr. James Hall. Analyce received first place in 2015 at the Arizona Flute Society’s Founder’s Scholarship Competition performing Frank Martin’s, Ballade. As a graduate student at UNCO, Analyce was a finalist in the Southard Music Competition in 2020 performing Katherine Hoover’s, To Greet the Sun. She was also a finalist in 2021 performing Jake Heggie’s, Fury of Light. Analyce was named the runner-up for the 2023 National Flute Association Amateur Adult Competition.
Analyce has performed with the NAU Wind Ensemble, NAU Symphony Orchestra, UNCO Wind Symphony and UNCO Symphony Orchestra. In the valley, Analyce has performed with the Chandler Symphony Orchestra, the North Valley Symphony Orchestra, La Forza Chamber Orchestra, and ProMusica ArizonaAnalyce is the current flute/piccolo instructor for Sandra Day O'Connor High School and serves as the Vice President for the Arizona Flute Society. When not teaching or performing, Analyce works for the AZ Supreme Court Juvenile Justice Division developing and sustaining programming for juvenile probation officers and probationers. Analyce obtained a B.S. in Criminology & Criminal Justice from NAU, as well as a Masters in Legal Studies from the prestigious Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at ASU in 2018.

 Reid Scholz, Guard Instructional Coach

Reid has been teaching color guard across the mountain west since 2017 most notably working with The Battalion Drum Corps in 2018. Reid has taught at several schools here in Arizona winning several medals and captions and most recently was the Color Guard Director at Millennium High School from 2020-2024. He also serves as the designer and head choreographer for the Cedar Valley High School Color Guard from Eagle Mountain, Utah who won a state championship and made finals at the WGI Phoenix Regional last winter. He has been trained at Millennium Dance Complex in Salt Lake City, UT and has worked with Patrick Cubbage on technique development in the contemporary jazz style. Reid has performed with Wasatch Independent in 2018 and been performing with Fenix Independent from ASU since 2020 where he currently serves as a captain. 

Reid focuses his teaching style on the success of his students and has a goal of providing a safe space where students can express their innermost feelings through performance.

Kelsey Mitchell Color Guard Caption Head 

Kelsey Mitchell has been an influential color guard instructor at Sandra Day O'Connor High School since 2014, where she specializes in flag and dance. Her passion for dance began at age 3, and she has trained with prestigious instructors including Mia Michaels, Ricky Ubeda, and Kate Jablonski. Kelsey’s impressive performance history includes reaching World Class finals with Fenix Independent Winterguard from 2013 to 2017 and with Blue Knights Drum & Bugle Corps in 2016. In 2024, she returned to the Blue Knights and served as a movement and visual technician for the corps. She is dedicated to teaching students of all ages and skill levels and has experience with kids from 18 months old to 18 years old. Holding two Bachelor of Science degrees from Arizona State University, Kelsey is also working towards a future as a wildlife veterinarian and currently contributes her skills to the Donor Network of AZ.

 Taylor Davis Assistant Colorguard Caption Head (Choreography)  

This will be Taylor's 8th year teaching at OC. An alumni of OC, she went on to graduate from Arizona State University with a degree in Medical Studies. During college Taylor marched several years with the Sun Devil Marching Band as well as Fenix Independent. When she isn't teaching, she works at the HonorHealth Research Institute in the clinical research lab. Taylor loves working with the band because it provides the special opportunity to give back in the community and to an organization she loves very much. Some of the most valuable life lessons have come from being part of the program such as leadership skills & perseverance. Additionally, she met her husband in OC band (who was in the drumline) -so the program will always have a special place in her heart!