Caption Head  - Tyrell Carver

Bass Drum Technician - Lukas Snyder

Battery Technician - Ryan Johnson

Battery Technician - Chase Tonar

Cymbal Technician - Jennifer Tarka

Pit Technician - Zachary Brown

Tyrell Carver

Tyrell Carver has been prominent in percussion writing and instruction in New York state. Tyrell has taught and arranged for several marching bands, including the Webster and Greece marching band programs. He has also been on staff for several drum and bugle corps, including Spectrum, Rochester Crusaders and the Empire Statesmen. Tyrell is continuing his studies in percussion and music, having a B.A. in music from the University at Buffalo, and is pursuing a degree in percussion performance.

Lukas Snyder

Lukas Snyder will be instructing the rudimental bass drums for the 2012 Pioneer. Lukas is returning for his second year as a member of the teaching staff. His marching experience includes five years with the Pioneer as well as a year with the Kilties Drum and Bugle Corps. Lukas is currently studying at Ball State University for his masters in statistics.

Ryan Johnson

Ryan Johnson is joining the 2012 Pioneer as a battery tech and is a first year member of the teaching staff. His marching experience includes three seasons with the Pioneer starting in 1993 and ending with his age-out season of 1995 as part of the Pioneer corps which won back-to-back DCI Division II World Championships (1994, 1995). Following his time with Pioneer, he went on to march six seasons with the Racine Kilties, including three as the battery captain, and also one season with Chops, Inc in which they captured the A-60 high percussion caption award at the DCA World Championships. Ryan has a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Tech University and currently works as a sales engineer in Central Wisconsin.

Chase Tonar

Currently, Chase Tonar is a student at Carthage College pursuing his undergraduate degree in Music Education (instrumental and choral emphasis). While attending Carthage, he is an active musician participating in the Carthage Wind Orchestra, Carthage Choir, Carthage Percussion Ensemble, and acts as student director of the Carthage Drumline. He is also a member of the Packer's Tundra-Line playing snare. A native to Wisconsin, Chase serves on his first year on the Pioneer instructional staff after aging out in 2011. Marching experience includes 1 year of Drum Corps International and 3 years in Mid-America Competing Band Directors Association. Instructional roles include being a percussion consultant at Waterford High School.

Jennifer Tarka

Jennifer Tarka is a performer and music educator in the Chicago-land area. She graduated from VanderCook College of Music, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in music education. She is presently in her fourth year with the Pioneer Organizations (Drum & Bugle Corps and Indoor Percussion Ensemble). She began her marching cymbals career in 2004, when she marched her age-out year of DCI with Pioneer Drum & Bugle Corps. Currently, Jennifer works as a general music teacher in Chicago, where she teaches kindergarten through 8th grade. She also consults for marching cymbal lines in the Chicago-land area. Outside of teaching, Jennifer continues to perform in the Moraine Valley Community Percussion Ensemble and the Moraine Valley Community Concert Band.

Zachary Brown

Zachary is entering his first season on staff with Pioneer. His drum corps career began in 1998 with St.Johns , followed by two seasons with Pioneer until he aged out. Over the last 10 years Zachary has taught, composed, and consulted for Dutch Boy Drum and Bugle corps, IMPACT PERCUSSION, and several other Ensembles in southern Ontario.

Zachary is a graduate of Mohawk College with a diploma in Vibraphone and minors Drum set and composition. While at Mohawk he studied under Dave O’neil, Dave Simpson, Mike Malone, Pat Collins, Dave McMurdo and Adrean Farrugia. After graduating college Zachary was an avid performer and teacher in the southern Ontario area. He was the front man and composer for Shurelock Groove which received rave reviews in the Hamilton area. Shurelock Groove shared the stage with such acts as: The Budos Band, Burnt Sugar, The Souljazz Orchestra, and Rich Brown’s rinsethealgorithm.

Currently Zachary resides in Red Wing, Minnesota studying Band Instrument Repair at MSC Southeast Technical. When not involved in teaching , repairing instrumets, or studying Zachary enjoys composition, custom tool design, and is a fanatic Disc Golf player.