Color Guard Staff
Caption Head - Seth Pearson
Head Technician/Choreographer - Gaston Ward
Technician - Jalissa Ann Bishop
Technician - Lisa Janasik
Technician - Michael Marcantano
Movement and Equipment Consultant - Wesley Tyree
Consultant - Ryan Klassa
Seth enters his seventh year of involvedment with the Pioneer family, and his 5th year as caption head for the colorguard. Seth has been immersed in the visual and performing arts, to most recently several seasons with Onyx resulting with a gold metal in 2012 and silver medal in 2011 at WGI in Independent World Class.
Currently, Seth teaches colorguard and winterguard in the greater Milwaukee area, including Cudahy High School Marching Band, Cudahy Independent Winterguard, and Waukesha South Blackshirt Marching Band where his is caption head. He also is a consultant for the 6 time state champion Waukesha North “Northstar” Marching Band.
Seth began his marching experience at Carolina Crown and Americanos. During this time he became highly involved in the winter guard circuit marching over the past 15 years. Some of the places he marched include The Study, Insignia and most recently with Onyx in 2011 and 2012 where they received a silver and gold metal at WGI.
Throughout the years he has taught at several different marching musical organizations from high schools to independent guards to drum and bugle corps throughout the United States, including Americanos, Kiwanis Kavaliers and Pioneer. Seth is an active writer, consultant and performer in winterguard and colorguard activities, and continues to build on over 15 years in the activity.
Gaston is entering his second season with pioneer. Last season he brought to us a strong base of performance training and modern movement technique with an organic approach to equipment choreography. This year he also shares his eye for colors, design, and visual image learned through training at the Knoxville museum of art in East Tennessee. His performance history includes dancing with Pointe West Dance Company, X Performance Ensemble winter guard, Madison Scouts color guard, Santa Clara Vanguard color guard, and ONYX world class winter guard winning a silver medal in 2011. Teaching experience includes consulting, choreographing, and directing across the southeast. In addition to 2011 Pioneer, he has worked with multiple BOA and WGI regional finalist schools including, Karns, Hardin Valley, and Clinton high schools out of East Tennessee, Cleveland high school out of Chattanooga, and is currently with East Central high school out of St. Leon, Indiana. He has had two of his own independent winter guards, both based out of his hometown Knoxville, Tennessee. Gaston is also an equipment writer for ONYX world class winter guard out of Dayton, Ohio. He has had the opportunity to work with choreographers from broadways “A Chorus Line”, Perkins School of Dance, Pilobolus Dance company, London’s Trinity Laban, and the Tony award winning production “BLAST!.” He loves teaching and watching performers grow both as artists and as people, and stresses you can never be done learning.
Jalissa enters her third year as an instructor with Pioneer, having been a 6 year veteran and age out of the corps. During her time at Pioneer, she served as captain for 3 years, Guard Sergeant for 1 year, and was selected as 2008 Veteran of the Year and Best Weapon for 2008, 2009 and 2010. Jalissa also marched the 2010 season for the DCA favorite Racine Kilties Drum and Bugle Corps.
Along with her experience at Pioneer, Jalissa marched three years at Hartford Union High School in their rifle line, and marched 4 years In the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Marching Band, serving one year as captain. She recently earned her Masters of Professional Accountancy at UW-Whitewater.
Lisa has been involved with Pioneer since 2006, and marched five seasons with the corps through her age out year in 2012. During her time with the corps, Lisa received accolades for her involvement, including “Best Flag” (2007), “Best Weapon” (2012) and “Veteran of the Year” (2012). Lisa also served the corps as Guard Sergeant in 2011 and 2012.
Along with her experience with Pioneer, Lisa started her performing career with the Plainfield (IL) Marching Band and Winterguard. Lisa has several years of winterguard experience including performing with Independence winterguard in 2012 and 2013.
Lisa’s teaching experience includes Plainfield Marching Band and Winterguard (2009, 2010, 2011) and Thornwood High School Winterguard (2012, 2013). She is currently a student at Valparaiso University where she studies Cross Cultural Expressive Arts with a minor in Economics.