BILLY MANN

Billy Mann has been playing, teaching and consulting in percussion for over 40 years having been involved with jazz, rock, concert and marching bands from elementary school to college as well as indoor percussion, Jr. and senior drum corps, University and past Treasure Coast Percussion Camps. His past students hold positions in professional orchestras, studio jobs, university teaching positions, private teaching studios, public education (HS/JH/MS directors and percussion specialist as well as working independently as professional musicians nationally and internationally. Mr. Mann has been a finals judge at Crown Jewel and Florida Marching Band Coalition competitions as well as served as PAC (Pagentry Arts Concepts) Vice President and System Blue Consultant.

Billy’s teaching has been recommended by band directors, drum teachers and clinicians like Tommy Thomas stated “if you want to hear some great drumming listen to Billy Mann” and Louie Belson who said “I recommend Billy Mann’s drum method”. Billy started taking lessons in 1975 from Ray Steadman and world famous drummer Tommy Thomas, creator of the 26 standard drum rudiment list for the American Drummers Association. Tommy Thomas’s list of students also include: Louie Belson (creator of the double bass drumset) Laurie London (drummer for Elvis Pressly) and Peter Criss (drummer for Kiss). Billy has been with his wife for 28 years who has endured a life full of drums and two young adult children who are drummers too. Billy enjoys sharing what he has learned about drumming and life with students who want to grow as drummers and people, many of whom are his life-long friends.

COLIN McNUTT

Colin is Director of Percussion for the Boston Crusaders, which will include the role of Music Program Coordinator, Music Design and Percussion Design while supervising the percussion caption of the Boston Crusaders. Colin served prior with The Cadets Percussion Staff since 2007. He served as The Cadets Percussion Caption Supervisor and Battery Arranger from 2008 through 2016, winning a DCI World Championship in 2011 and the Fred Sanford High Percussion Award in 2013. Colin was inducted into The Cadets Hall of Fame in 2016.

Colin has also previously taught and arranged music for Star of Indiana, the Glassmen and the Crossmen. In addition, he was a part of the design and instruction team for the internationally acclaimed production, Blast!. Colin began his marching career in 1988 during his junior year of high school when he joined the Boston Crusaders. He was an integral part of the Crusaders percussion section over a four year span. He aged out with Santa Clara Vanguard in 1992, where he was recognized at the 1992 Individual and Ensemble competition as the tenor drum solo champion.

He has made a career out of his passion for music and percussion, while also completing a double major in music education and classics from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst When not instructing drum corps, Colin conducts clinics for the percussion companies Avedis Zildjian Co., REMO, Inc., Pearl/Adams and Vic Firth. He has signature series “Colin McNutt” sticks designed and manufactured by Vic Firth. He also writes music for marching bands in the United States, Canada and Japan.

HEATHER THORN

Heather Thorn is a xylophonist in Orlando, FL where she performs with her band Vivacity and as a freelance percussionist. She holds a degree in Music Performance with a minor in Theatre from Ithaca College. In 2019 and 2022, she was featured with Vivacity as the headline act for the I Love Jazz International Jazz Festival in Brazil. She was also a guest soloist with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra in 2021 for the Holiday Pops concert. Heather has been featured as a guest artist with Michael Andrew and Swingerhead, Carol Stein, the John Depaola quartet and as an opening act for the Glenn Miller Orchestra. As band leader of Vivacity, she frequently performs for swing dances and at renowned Central Florida venues including Timucua Arts White House and the Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts; in 2018 she gave a concert at the New Orleans Jazz Museum. Heather wrote and performs her musical stage show Nostalgia Radio Hour- featuring an original script with classic tunes from the 1920’s- 1950’s, and characters inspired from the Golden Age of Radio. She also leads a jazz quartet at the Sea World Christmas Celebration and subs with the Walt Disney World Orchestra. Heather has performed for the Suncoast Jazz Festival and New Smyrna Beach Jazz Festival as well as several arts festivals and community events all over Central Florida. She regularly features jazz luminaries such as Adrian Cunningham, Ed Metz, and Charlie Bertini as guests with the band. Heather has a private teaching studio of 30 students and is a clinician in several schools along with co-directing the Trinity Prep School percussion program. Additionally, she has given master classes and/or performed at Virginia Tech and the universities of South, Central and North Florida.

Heather has a passionate interest in the history of xylophone and is working with Bill Cahn on a project to digitize and preserve nearly 1500 recordings of xylophone and percussion music from 1898-1929. She has attended the Leigh Howard Stevens Marimba Seminar and was on faculty for the Bob Becker Ragtime Institute in 2014. Her teachers have included Gordon Stout and Bob Becker. Heather proudly endorses Malletech Instruments.