Ryan Pratt
Brass Caption Head
Ryan Pratt is a freelance trombonist and brass tutor located in the Phoenix Metropolitan area. After studying trombone and jazz performance at Northern Arizona University, Ryan began teaching brass and jazz both privately and publicly at Desert Ridge Music Academy, Sandra Day O’Connor High School, and Perry High School. A core member of the Salt River Brass, Ryan performs in both the full ensemble and the Salt River Brass Quintet.
Mackenzie O’Toole
Color Guard Caption Head
Mackenzie O’Toole has been a part of the marching arts activity for close to a decade, and has been spinning for 9 years. She started off on clarinet, before eventually making the permanent switch over to colorguard. Her spinning career has brought her to several organizations such as the Sun Devil Marching Band, Fenix Independent Winterguard, and Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps. She has also instructed at various schools and ensembles such as Mountain Pointe HS, McClintock HS, Gilbert HS, Perry HS, and the Phenom Drum and Bugle Corps. Mackenzie has held the Colorguard Caption Head position with Perry for two years now, and is very eager to for what her third year will hold!
Alexander Nguyen
Color Guard Instructor
Alexander Nguyen is in his undergrad for music education at ASU with his primary instrument being Clarinet. Alex had joined guard halfway through his junior year of high school and is currently spinning with Oasis Ensembles. He hopes to continue his passion for guard by performing as long as he can while teaching and expanding the guard community.
David Roybal
Color Guard Instructor
David Roybal has been involved with the marching arts for about a decade and has been spinning for the past 8 years. Through his time in the activity, he’s had the opportunity to perform with some of the most prestigious ensembles in the world, such as the Sun Devil Marching Band, FeniX Independent World Winterguard, and the Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps. His teaching experience has brought him to Paradise Valley HS, McClintock HS, as well as a few clinics around the Valley, and he’s excited to join the Perry team! When not on the field or floor, you can find David working for the Judicial Branch of Maricopa County or playing with his cat, Kacey.
Spencer Mueller
Percussion Caption Head
Spencer Mueller has been a percussionist for over half a decade. Beginning during his senior year of high school in northern Florida, his journey through music would take him from coast to coast and across the United States. He has performed both indoor and outdoor marching percussion with world class independent groups such as Flux Indoor Percussion and The Academy, as well as with the Sun Devil Marching Band. He has also performed with multiple collegiate groups during his time at Mesa Community College, including their symphonic, wind, percussion, and Latin jazz ensembles. As an educator, Spencer is the Percussion Caption Head at Perry High School, where he has been since 2021. When he is not teaching or performing, he is finishing earning his degree in Music Learning and Teaching from Arizona State University.
Max Waite
Percussion Instructor
Max Waite has been involved with marching percussion since 2011. Max graduated from Scottsdale Community College with a degree in Music Performance. He began teaching the year after graduating high school, and has taught since. Max has marched for Phenom and Vision Indoor Percussion.
Ben Falkner is a percussion performance major at Arizona State University who has been a part of the marching arts for almost 7 years. After 4 Marching Band seasons and 4 Indoor Percussion seasons at Perry High School he went on to march the Sun Devil Marching Band on Bass drum and Flux Indoor Percussion on both timpani and vibraphone. This is his first year teaching at Perry as one of the front ensemble instructors but he has taught at Coolidge High School and currently is Percussion Caption Head at Maricopa High School as well. He grew up loving this program and is excited to take his experiences and pay them forward for the next generation of Pumas!