New York State's Premiere Independent Winds Ensemble
STAFF
Keller Shelton, Co-Director
Keller Shelton teaches middle school band in Central Square, New York, and is the music caption head for the Central Square Redhawk Regiment. He has also taught brass for several DCI World Class drum corps, including Music City, Spirit of Atlanta, and Colts. He currently serves as a Euphonium instructor at the Phantom Regiment.
Keller marched with the Phantom Regiment from 2013-2015, where he played the euphonium. He previously taught bands in Missouri and in his home state of Texas. He is a graduate of the University of Missouri and Anderson University (South Carolina).
Becky Fox, Co-Director
Becky Fox is a band director, teacher mentor, and arts department assistant for the Rochester City School District. She currently directs the Pride of Rochester Marching Band, a band composed of students throughout the RCSD. She started her competitive marching career at White Sabers in 2007 where she has since served as mellophone member, brass staff member, and business manager. Becky has taught several competitive marching bands in the NYSFBC, including directing Hilton to their highest score and placement in their history. She marched in the 2022 Rose Bowl Parade with the first ever Band Director's Marching Band, and looks forward to performing with them again at the Macy's Day Parade in 2024.
Becky marched her first year at Vortex in 2022 playing synth and is excited to return as a staff member!
Paris Graziano, Assistant Director, Movement/Dance Instructor
Paris Graziano is a long-time colorguard instructor from Central Square, NY, with a performance and teaching career of more than a decade. The Central Square Varsity Winterguard was a four-time WGI World Championship Semi-finalist or Finalist during her time with the program. Paris also founded and directed Special Effects Colorguard, an ensemble for students with special needs.
Paris was the drum major of the Central Square Redhawk Regiment in 2016 and 2017, and has spent six years on the band’s instructional staff after graduation. She also performed with AMP Open Winterguard in 2021.
Paris is currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Literacy from SUNY Cortland. She is a graduate of SUNY Oswego and Onondaga Community College.
David Walker, Program Coordinator/Music Arranger
David is an active composer, arranger, educator, and adjudicator residing in Waco, Texas. A native of Tennessee, David has played and surrounded himself with music his entire life, and brings a wide range of experiences to each group he interacts with. David’s music arrangement ensembles have been Texas UIL State Champions, State finalists, as well as multiple UIL Area Finalists performing his winds, percussion, and sound design arrangements.
As a judge, David has adjudicated for USBands, North Texas Colorguard Association, Texas Colorguard Association, MIA, and more. As a freelance educator, David has served the Spirit of Atlanta as Ensemble Coordinator, as well as front ensemble and percussion ensemble educator. Recently, David has directed the Baylor University Drumline.
Prior to beginning freelance work in 2018, David served as assistant band director/percussion director for Southlake Carroll HS. His indoor percussion ensemble medaled in the NTCA every year of its existence, including the first percussion championship of any kind in the history of the school in 2017, as well as regional medalists twice (Mid-South Super Regional and Houston). Southlake Carroll also saw the largest growth in participation in the all-region process, as well as the largest percentage increase in students accepted to bands in the Area. The Carroll percussion section also put together the first district-wide percussion ensemble concerts, encompassing works from 6th graders, all the way to the collegiate literature of David Maslanka, Dave Hall, and Eric Ewazen. David also conducted a UIL concert band, which was a frequent superior-rated ensemble.
During his time as a performer, David performed in percussion ensembles, salsa band, world ensembles, large ensembles, and even some as a solo artist. He has performed with ensembles ranging from orchestral, to Mexican Pop, to Salsa, to Byzantine Chant. He has composed for the MTSU wind ensemble, TCU orchestra (winning the concerto competition), as well as percussion ensembles. David was fortunate to have studied with Mr. Lalo Davila, Dr. Andy Smith, Mr. German Baratto, Mr. Tommy Giampietro, Dr. Brian West, Dr. Richard Gipson, Mr. Joey Carter, Mr. Leigh Howard Stevens, as well as composition lessons with Dr. Michael Linton and Dr. Blaise Ferrandino. David is a proud endorser of Innovative Percussion sticks and mallets.
David spends his time away from work with his wife and two children, and training for cycling events.
Michael Neubert, Visual Designer/Drill Writer
Michael is a full time visual designer and program coordinator for marching arts ensembles in the US and overseas. His ensembles have consistently placed in finals at BOA, WGI Regionals and Finals, UIL Area and Finals, ISSMA, KMEA, OBA, OMEA, NYSPC and NYSBC. Michael has a wide range of design experience in the marching arts including winter guard, indoor drum line, indoor winds, marching band, and movement orchestras.
As an educator, Michael was a member of the visual educational team for the 7 time DCI World Champion Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps (2000-2009), primarily working with the marching percussion. Michael returned to The Cavaliers (2014-2017) serving as an assistant visual caption head. Michael has also served as a visual performance and visual effect judge for competitions in TX, KY, NY, IN, and OH. He has also served as a clinician and consultant for various marching bands and indoor groups around the country and abroad. Michael was a member of the horn line for The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps from 1993-1995.
Kayla Crowley, Visual Instructor
Kayla Crowley currently teaches third grade special education at Jordan-Elbridge and was an instructor with the Jordan Elbridge Marching Band and Winterguard for 7 years. Kayla also taught dance in Marcellus, Port Byron, and Jordan-Elbridge through their PTO dance programs and was a member of the Inspire Dance Company for 3 years.
Kayla attended LeMoyne college where she received her Bachelors in Psychology with a concentration in Education, a minor in dance and her Masters in Childhood Education and Special Ed. In 2019 she was a member of the WGI World Championship Semi-Finalists Brigadiers World Winterguard.
Melissa Mesic, Music Instructor
Melissa Mesic is a middle school band teacher in Central Square, New York. She previously taught elementary band in the Rochester City School District and was a percussion instructor with the Victor Marching Blue Devils and Victor Indoor Percussion Ensemble programs from 2019-2022.
Melissa attended Nazareth University where she received her Bachelors Degree in Music Education in 2022. She is currently working towards her Masters in Music from Syracuse University. Her performance experience includes battery percussion for the White Sabers, Downbeat Percussion, and the Stampede Drumline for the Buffalo Bills.
Alejandro Cruz, Visual Consultant
Alejandro Cruz is currently in his second year as the Associate Director of Bands at C.E. King High School in Houston, TX. He marched mellophone with the Boston Crusaders from 2016-2018, and with Orion Winds in 2019. Alejandro has been a visual instructor with Music City Drum & Bugle Corps since 2019 and has been a visual tech with multiple high schools in the DFW area. In 2021, Alejandro was Visual Coordinator for Joshua HS when they received their gold medal in the Virtual Scholastic A Winds class. He’s excited to work with Vortex throughout the season and help members develop an appreciation for Indoor Winds & Pageantry in general.
Alejandro resides in Houston with his two cats; Amelia & Calypso.
Dan English, Operations
Dan English is returning for his fifth year with Vortex winds as percussion and operations specialist. Dan is a graduate of Kent State University. Dan and has worked with numerous ensemble across New York and Ohio including the University of Buffalo, Syracuse University, Onondaga Community College, Jordan Elbridge, and Medina. He is currently the director of the Jordan-Elbridge Marching Band.
Dan marched with Matrix percussion ensemble from Akron Ohio as well as the Empire Statesmen where he was percussion caption head from 2011-2013. He is currently the co-owner of Downbeat Percussion and the director of the Stampede Drumline for the Buffalo Bills. Dan is proudly endorsed by Vic Firth, Remo, Zildjian, and Yamaha.