Administration
Paul PG LaFlamme
President
Paul LaFlamme has been involved with the drum corps for most of his life. Starting at a young age he followed his Uncle, Father and Grandfather as they ran the Corps. Participating as a member from 1986-1994, Paul learned drum corps operations from the ground up. A member of the Board of Directors from 2000 to present, he helped lead the organization through a tumultuous time and was appointed Executive Director in 2008 during which a complete reorganization changed the title to President.
In private industry, Paul has owned and operated a number of for profit businesses including Real Estate, Title Insurance and Property Management. Paul also served for two terms in the NH House of Representatives from 2000-2004. He lives in Nashua with his wife, Kathryn and two children Julia and Andrew.
Richard Rigolini
Corps Director
Richard earned his Bachelors degree in Sociology from Boston University. He has been at the center of the corps’ vision for many years. Under his direction, the Spartans enjoy continued success.
Ann Prendergast
Operations Director
Ann began as a proud parent of a Spartan member in 1998. Since that time, she has remained an integral part of our team.
Anthony Montesion
Assistant Operations Director
Anthony is a Spartans alumnus. He taught Fitchburg & Nashua North HS bands, and currently teaches Shepherd Hill HS band. Anthony earned his degree from Fitchburg State, and is the Dean of Students of Sizer School.
TJ Kelly
Marketing Coordinator
TJ earned his degree in Communication from UMass Amherst. He is an alumnus of North Andover HS, UMass Drumline, and Madison Scouts. He taught UMass Amherst, North Andover HS, the Spartans, and currently teaches Oakmont HS.
Chris Alvarez
Administrative Assistant
Design Team
Richard Rigolini
Corps Director
Richard earned his Bachelors degree in Sociology from Boston University. He has been at the center of the corps’ vision for many years. Under his direction, the Spartans enjoy continued success.
Gilles Ouellette
Visual Design
Gilles is the mastermind behind our drill and visual design. His genius is the driving force behind what you see in our shows every year.
Lennie Machado
Color Guard Design
Lennie’s résumé boasts an impressive run of consecutive DCI Open Class color guard championships.
Matt McGuire
Music Coordinator & Front Ensemble Arranger
Matt is the band director at Mansfield High School and has extensive experience teaching DCI, WGI, and high school.
Don MacTaggart
Design
Don serves as the chief judge for the Mass Instrumental & Choral Conductors Assoc (MICCA).
Andy Kim
Battery Design
Andy is an alumnus of King Phillip HS, the Spartans, UMass Amherst, and Carolina Crown. He also teaches at King Philip HS.
Aaron Goldberg
Brass Arranger
A native of Boston, Aaron Goldberg holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from UMass Lowell and a Master’s degree in Music Performance from Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. He is currently the director of athletic bands and a lecturer in music at Boston University. Aaron was a cast member of the Tony and Emmy Award-winning Broadway show “Blast” on its 2005-2006 US tour performing on euphonium, baritone, trombone, percussion, and voice. He has been involved in the drum & bugle corps activity for almost twenty years, having served on the Crossmen brass staff from 2002-2010 and has also taught the horn lines of the Blue Stars, Boston Crusaders, 7th Regiment, Connecticut Hurricanes, Jersey Surf, and Troopers Drum & Bugle Corps. Aaron has arranged music for drum corps, high school and college marching bands, and he is the current winds arranger for the Boston University Athletic Bands. He has been a music adjudicator for USBands, the New England Scholastic Bands Association (NESBA), Great East Music Festivals, and has been a clinician in the marching music idiom around the country.
Steve Barnhill
Consultant
Steve Barnhill is very proud to be joining his good friends with Spartans for the 2019 season. After serving as the brass caption head and corps manger from 2007-2011 with the Vanguard Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps, he became director of the corps until his retirement at the end of the 2018 season. During his tenure, the Vanguard Cadets were a perennial top competitor collecting 5 gold medals and truly helping to shape the direction of the DCI Open Class Division.
Mr. Barnhill has been the Evergreen Valley High School Director of Instrumental Music in San Jose, CA since 2006 and conducts four concert band ensembles, a string orchestra and a marching band. After 35 years he will retire from teaching and is looking forward to consulting and mentoring band directors and band programs both locally and outside of California for the years to come.
Bruno Zuccala
Consultant
Instructional Staff
Battery
Andy Kim
Battery Designer
Andy teaches the snare drums. He is an alumnus of King Phillip HS, the Spartans, UMass Amherst, and Carolina Crown. He also teaches at King Philip HS.
Jabari Tovar
Battery Caption Head
Jabari teaches the snare drums. He is an alumnus of Spartans. He earned his bachelors in Music at Salem State University. He also teaches at Salem HS and Westford Academy.
Cullen Ryan
Battery Instructor
Cullen teaches the tenor drums. He is an alumnus of Norwood HS, the Spartans, and The Cadets. He also teaches King Philip HS.
Corey Watkins
Ian Merski
Joe Weber
Kevin Thompson
Brass
Brian McCullock
Brass Instructor
Brian is an alumnus of UMass Lowell and the Spartans. Outside the Spartans, is a music teacher in Worcester and teaches and writes for several high school bands in Massachusetts.
Don MacTaggart
Brass Instructor
Don teaches the mellophones. He serves as the chief judge for the Mass Instrumental & Choral Conductors Assoc (MICCA).
Jamie Fortier
Brass Instructor
Jamie teaches the baritones. He is an alumnus of UMass Lowell band, the Spartans, Citations & Bluecoats. Jamie holds a degree in Music Business from UMass Lowell. He is the assistant to the Dean of Students at the Sizer Charter School in Fitchburg, MA. Outside the Spartans, Jamie is the visual caption head & drill writer for North Andover HS & Oakmont Indoor Percussion.
Ben Owens
Brass Instructor
Cassie MacDonald
Brass Instructor
Color Guard
Lennie Machado
Color Guard Caption Head
Lennie is a long-time Spartans staff member. His résumé boasts more than a few DCI Open Class color guard championship titles.
Addison Kaeterle
Color Guard Caption Manager
Addison is excited to join the 2018 Spartans as a member of the guard design team. He is currently the director at Dartmouth High School from Dartmouth, MA. They were the WGI 2017 SA Silver Medalist. Addison is a former alumni of the Spartans. Addison is currently a TA in a Special Education classroom and goes to Bristol community college as a behavioral science major.
Julie Brown
Color Guard Instructor
Julie is an alumna of Shepherd Hill HS, the Citations, the Spartans, and Blessed Sacrament. She also teaches Shepherd Hill HS marching band and winter guard.
Alicia Druid
Color Guard Instructor
Alicia is an alumna of Reading HS, St. Brendan’s color guard & the Spartans. She holds a psychology & elementary education degree from Merrimack College & teaches elementary school in Waltham, MA. Outside the Spartans, Alicia teaches St. Brendan’s color guard, Reading HS & North Andover HS.
Ryan Bronner
Color Guard Instructor
Ryan is an alumnus of the Cavaliers. Before joining the Spartans staff, he taught the Bluecoats Drum & Bugle Corps.
Elaina Druid
Color Guard Instructor
Elaina is an alumnus of the Bluecoats, Spartans, St. Brendan’s, and Reading Memorial High School color guards. She also acts as the caption head at North Andover High School. After graduating from Curry College with a B.A. in Communication, Elaina now works as an assistant digital manager at a Boston-based public relations firm.
Kevin Couture
Color Guard Instructor
Alumnus of the Spartans and performing member of Blessed Sacrament World Guard.
Alex Grover
Color Guard Instructor
Alex comes to us as an alumni of the Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps and Alter Ego Winter Guard. Alex is pursuing his degree in business management.
Front Ensemble
Matt McGuire
Music Coordinator & Front Ensemble Arranger
Matt is the band director at Mansfield High School and has extensive experience teaching DCI, WGI, and high school.
Mark Sachetta
Front Ensemble Instructor
Mark earned a degree in Music Education & History from Boston University. Outside drum corps, he taught Everett HS band. Mark is the Percussion Director at Dedham HS and adjudicates for USBands.
Ryan Enos
Front Ensemble Instructor
Ryan is an alumnus of the corps where he performed for 4 years. He currently studies Music Education at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell. Ryan also works with local high schools bands.
Patrick Tanguay
Electronics Consultant
Visual
Gilles Ouellette
Visual Caption Manager
Gilles is the mastermind behind our drill and visual design. His genius is the driving force behind what you see in our shows every year.
Adam St. Jean
Visual Instructor
Adam holds a PhD from UMass Amherst. He is an alumnus of the J’s of Leominster & East Coast Jazz. He has written drill for several New England bands. Outside Spartans, Adam teaches the Mansfield HS & Gardner HS bands.
Brian Strobel
Visual Instructor
Brian marched and aged out with the Spartans. He holds a degree from WPI in addition to previously teaching the marching band there. Aside from Spartans, he also teaches the King Philip Marching Band.
Sam Hanson
Visual Instructor
Justina Patch
Visual Instructor
Alumnus of the Spartans.
Vanessa Savy
Visual Instructor
Board of Directors
Our directors oversee corps operations and direction. We’re blessed to have a dedicated, hard-working team of experienced professionals and educators ensuring our long-term success and growth.