Travis Pardee is the Director of Bands and Chair of the Performing Arts Department at Foothill High School in Henderson, Nevada where he conducts the Wind Symphony, Jazz Ensembles, Marching Band and guides all aspects of the Foothill Band program. Originally from Ponca City, Oklahoma, Mr. Pardee has been teaching at Foothill High School since 2002.

Mr. Pardee holds degrees from the Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas where he received the Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education (BME) as well as the Bachelor’s Degree in Music Performance (BM – Saxophone). In 2002, Mr. Pardee completed the Master’s Degree in Instrumental Conducting (MM) at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Mr. Pardee is the Past President of the Southern Nevada Band Association (SNBA), serves as Clinics Coordinator for the Nevada Music Educators Association (NMEA), is Chair of the CCSD Honor Band Committee, and served as the Director of Operations for the Southern Nevada Indoor Percussion and Guard Association (SNIPGA). In 2015 Travis Pardee was the recipient of the Myra Greenspun Award for Teaching Excellence and was named Music Educator of the Year by the Nevada Music Educators Association. His professional affiliations include the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) and Nevada Music Educators Association (NMEA). Additionally, Mr. Pardee is an adjunct faculty member of the College of Southern Nevada and for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Mr. Pardee has served as an adjudicator and clinician for Music In The Parks and World Strides’ Heritage Performance Programs as well as universities, and school districts, throughout the United States.

Adam Steff is the Director of Percussion and Associate Director of Bands at Foothill High School in Henderson, Nevada where he directs the Percussion Ensembles, Marching Band Percussion Section, the Indoor Drum Line, and Concert Band. He has a Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Central Florida where he studied percussion with Jeff Moore and Jazz with Jeff Rupert. He also has a Master of Music degree with a Concentration in Conducting from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he studied conducting with Tom Leslie. He is currently a Doctor of Musical Arts candidate at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Before moving to Nevada, Adam was the Director of Bands and Percussion Director at both Cypress Creek HS and University HS in Orlando, Florida. During his time he has lead his groups to accolades such as BOA Regional Champions, BOA Grand National Semi-Finalist, WGI Regional Champions, WGI World Championships Finalist, Multiple FMBC State Champions and High Percussion awards, FFCC Championships Gold and Silver medals. Adam’s Percussion Ensembles have performed at the 2012 Florida Music Educators State Conference. They have also been featured as part of the 2012 and 2013 University of Central Florida “Collide Festival” High School Showcase, The 2013 University of South Florida “McCormick Marimba Festival”, as well as World Premiering the percussion ensemble piece Lines: Withheld by Dr. Thad Anderson as a part of the 2012 University of Central Florida “Collide” Composer Concert. His ensembles have also performed as a featured ensemble for the Percussive Arts Society Florida Day of Percussion on multiple occasions.

Adam has been the Percussion Caption Head and Program Coordinator for Teal Sound Drum & Bugle Corps. In addition to his work in public schools, Adam has also been an instrumental clinician for Disney Performing Arts/Magic Music Days at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida from 2003 to 2013 where he has taught workshops for over 200 high school bands a year among many other clinics and workshops. Adam has performed as a professional musician at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida with many groups such as the Magic Kingdom Band, Tapestry of Nations, Cast in Bronze, Rondo Masquerade, and the JAMMitors both in the U.S. and in Tokyo Disneyland in Tokyo, Japan. He has also performed with the Central Florida Brass Band, Orlando Shakespeare Festival, Brevard Symphony Orchestra, and at Universal Studios Orlando.

Adam is proud to endorse Innovative Percussion Sticks and Mallets and SABIAN Cymbals.

Originally from Laramie Wyoming, Lindsay Whelan is a percussionist and music educator who has called Las Vegas home for the past five years. In that time, Lindsay has taught music at both primary and secondary levels, as well as performed and maintained additional side projects of her own.

She has appeared in performance both regionally and nationally, including; performing as a finalist in the Torrance Young artist concerto competition in Torrance, CA., Sin City Opera Company, Las Vegas, NV., the La Croix-Valmer Music Festival in La Croix-Valmer France, and the XI Festival de Marimba y Percusiones de Tabasco, in Tabasco, Mexico.

Lindsay has recorded on the Klavier label under the baton of Thomas Leslie with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Wind Orchestra. Most recently, she performed and served as an artist in residence at the University of Panama in Panama City, Panama. Lindsay was also an integral part in the making of the documentary The Wood That Sings, which details the making of a marimba with Australian master marimba builder James Bailey.

Lindsay holds a Bachelor of Music Education from SUNY college at Buffalo; a Master of Music in percussion performance from the University of Southern California; and a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Lindsay is also an artist with Innovative Percussion.

Originally from Brooklyn, New York, Michael Weber is a trumpeter, teacher, arranger, and drill writer. He is a passionate educator with a specialized interest in brass, marching, and athletic bands. Michael earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 2016, and began his full-time teaching career. Michael graduated with his Master’s in Trumpet Performance from the University of Utah in 2022. While at “the U,” he was awarded a competitive, full-ride graduate teaching assistantship supporting the University of Utah Athletic band programs. With twelve years of teaching experience, Michael has taught every grade from kindergarten through twelfth and supported a diverse range of competitive collegiate, private, and public music programs in Utah, Nevada, California, and Texas.

Within the marching arts, Michael is a proud alumnus of Santa Clara Vanguard (2012-2013) and has served on the Santa Clara Vanguard Cadets brass staff from 2017 to 2022. In addition to performing with SCV, Michael marched with 7th Regiment (2010-2011) and performed with the Blue Devils International Corps for their 2015 inaugural European tour.

Outside of the marching arts, Michael regularly performs with his brass quintet (Twin Peaks Brass) and has played with various groups and artists such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Henderson Symphony, Lady Antebellum, Eric Marienthal, Allen Vizzutti, and many others. Michael has been featured on three studio albums and enjoys working as a freelance musician in addition to teaching and leading a private brass studio.

Lisa Austin has been a part of the Foothill band family since 2000 and has had five of her six children participate in the program. She greatly enjoys her time with the students of Foothill and eagerly looks forward to the upcoming seasons. As Director of Operations, Lisa’s primary responsibilities lie in organizing trips, uniforms, and handling finances and logistics. Lisa was raised in Oregon and went to BYU for a degree in microbiology. She was fortunate enough to be able to play with the BYU Marching Band as a baritone player. Her experiences within the music program have allowed her to raise her six children with an affinity for music. She has been married for over 35 years to Jeff, who has been the band’s biggest supporter and cheerleader. She enjoys running, mountain biking, and spending time with her children and grandchildren (4 and counting).

Eric joined the Foothill team in 2022 as support staff and snare technician for the Foothill Drumline. Originally from Mason, OH he began his music journey at Mason Middle school later completing high school in the Spanish Fork, UT music program. In 2007 Eric performed with the Macy’s Great American Marching Band, comprised of high school students from all across the United States, as a snare player in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

After high school, he continued developing his skills through various DCI Camps and private instruction. He marched with WGI Independent Open Class, South County Indoor Percussion (2011-2012) on snare and later became an instructor after aging out. Eric continued to instruct students at numerous High Schools and privately throughout Salt Lake and Utah counties until 2016 when he decided to take a break from teaching and focus on performing. He marched with the University of Utah Drumline for the 2016 and 2017 school years, later returning for the 2019 season as Center Snare. In 2020, Eric moved to Las Vegas right before COVID hit and got back into the marching activity once competitive circuits were open again. Outside of teaching, he runs and manages his own business in the special FX makeup and prosthetics industry.

Eric would like to personally thank all of the instructors and teachers that helped develop his skills as a performer and educator including Jill Elliott, Michael Sammons, Danny Raymond, Murray Gusseck, Anthony Parrulli, Jared Conder, as well as all his fellow performers throughout the years.

Callie Claridy is an active soloist, concert clarinetist, and music educator. Originally from Las Vegas, Nevada, she has spent the last four years at the University of Arizona studying music education. While at the University of Arizona, she has performed with the University of Arizona Wind Ensemble and the Arizona Symphony Orchestra, the university’s two premiere instrumental ensembles. Along with her concert ensemble experience, she has performed with the Pride of Arizona Marching Band, where she served as section leader for two years. She is also an active participant in chamber settings, having performed and competed with the University of Arizona Clarinet Quartet.

Callie is a passionate music educator. She has instructed students of all ages in both ensemble and private lesson settings. Callie has worked as the section coach for both the University of Arizona Outreach Middle School Honor Band and the Tucson New Horizons Band, where she assisted musicians of varying ability in developing their technical skills and musicality. As a private lesson instructor in both the Las Vegas and Tucson areas, Callie has coached several students to honor band and region band chairs in auditions. Callie recently graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Music in Music Education and is now the music specialist at Lewis E. Rowe elementary in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Chris Ellis is a multi-instrumentalist and alumni of the Foothill Band program. As a UNLV student, Chris actively performs with the UNLV Wind Orchestra and Jazz Ensemble. As the lead alto saxophone of the UNLV Jazz Ensemble, Chris performed recently at the Jazz Education Network conference in New Orleans. He also performed with UNLV at the Jack Rudin Jazz Championship in New York City. Chris has been featured in several albums with the UNLV Jazz Ensemble which received both outstanding reviews from Downbeat Magazine and Grammy Award consideration. Chris is also an avid composer and arranger and most recently released his latest original composition, Introspection, on UNLV’s latest album.

Chris has also performed at various Las Vegas venues with outstanding vocalists including Janien Valentine, Frankie Scinta, and Swing City Dolls. As an educator, Chris has instructed private lessons students across a wide range of instruments and genres. He also held a position as an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant in a cell and molecular biology laboratory at UNLV. Chris is now in his senior year of undergraduate studies at UNLV and is pursuing further graduate education to become a medical doctor.

Ryan Foyik is a visual and marching instructor for the Foothill High School Band, having joined as a staff member in 2015. He works with students to refine marching fundamental skills, visual coordination, and performance. A born-and-raised Las Vegan, Ryan has been educating students in Clark County since 2005 and has worked with numerous programs throughout the valley.

Ryan’s knowledge in the marching arts seeds from his experience as a member of the Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps from Denver, Colorado (Trumpet ‘06 – ‘08). He also credits his time with the UNLV Marching Band, where he served as drum major, for his aptitude in the activity. In addition to the marching band, he also performed with the UNLV Symphonic Winds and Runnin’ Rebel Basketball Pep Band. A graduate of UNLV, he holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Media Studies.

Eric joined the Foothill family instructing the tenor line in 2021. He began his teaching career back in 2012. Born and raised in Las Vegas, Eric has taught at numerous schools across the valley. From 2012-2015, he was a bass/tenor instructor for Silverado High School and Spring Valley High School. Eric then took the next steps in his teaching career and took over as the percussion caption head at Silverado High School (2015-2018). In the same years, he was also a battery instructor for Clark High School and the bass instructor for Vegas Vanguard where they placed 8th in Wgi A class finals (2018). In 2019 he took a break from teaching, but made a strong return in 2021 as an assistant drum instructor at UNLV (2021-2023). Throughout the years, Eric would also make appearances as a guest instructor at Sierra Vista High School, Bishop Gorman High School, and Desert Pines High School.

As a performer Eric has marched locally with Vegas Vanguard Percussion Theatre (2012-2016). His experience with the group were two years on bass drum, earning a bronze and silver medal in Wgi A class finals, and two years on tenor drums during the inaugural years where Vegas Vanguard was promoted to Open class. Eric also marched in UNLV’s marching band (2012-2016). From there he marched bass, snare, and tenors. After aging out, Eric became a core member for Vegas Vanguard Entertainment (VVE), a drum company that did gigs for conventions, private events, and nightclubs. He has drummed for famous celebrities ranging from actors to athletes. Most notably: Ray Allen, Shaq, Kevin Hart, Gordon Ramsay, and many more. Eric’s most notable feats with artists he performed with were: Miley Cyrus’ iHeartRadio Afterparty, Taylor Swift feat Brenden Urie at the Billboard Music Awards (courtesy of Blue Devils Entertainment), and Wisin Y Yandel at the Latin Grammys. In 2015-2020 Eric established himself as a lead drummer/supervisor for VVE and Hakkasan Nightclub where he performed on a weekly basis with Djs like: Tiesto, Steve Aoki, Lil Jon, and many more.

Outside of the marching activity, Eric enjoys making art on his free time and work on art commissions. He attended The Art Institute of Las Vegas where he majored in sound engineering and foley (2011-2014). Most recently, he has been dabbling in the culinary world where he is working to turn it into a career.

Nikko Lopez, a native of Las Vegas, Nevada, is currently the Director of Bands at Mannion Middle School in Henderson, Nevada. Before his appointment to this position, Nikko served as the Director of Bands at Schofield Middle School in Las Vegas, Nevada. While in this position, the band program witnessed consistent growth and student achievement. Students within the Schofield Band Program were appointed to chairs in the Clark County School District (CCSD) Middle School Honor Band, CCSD Middle School Honor Jazz Band, and NMEA All-State Middle School Band.

Nikko is a passionate educator. He has worked extensively as a private lesson teacher with young musicians from around the Las Vegas and Tucson areas, several of whom have gone on to earn honor band, all-region band, and all-state band chairs in auditions. He has also worked as a section coach for the CCSD Middle School and High School Honor Bands, where he further developed and refined the skills of middle-school and high school aged musicians in an ensemble setting. Nikko specializes in working with middle school aged musicians. He is an active member in the CCSD Middle School Band Community, and currently serves as the CCSD Middle School Honor Band Co-Chair.

Nikko is an active performer within the Las Vegas area. He currently serves as Principal Euphonium in the Desert Winds, a local wind ensemble composed of performers and educators from around the valley. Nikko has also performed in concert halls throughout the country alongisde world-class tuba and euphonium artists, including Matt Tropman, Sam Pilafian, and Aaron Tindall, among others. An active soloist, he has competed in several solo competitions at the University and International levels where he has placed as a runner-up and finalist.

Nikko holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from the University of Arizona, where he studied under Dr. Matt Tropman.

Mary is an active performer and music educator in the Las Vegas area. Born and raised in Las Vegas, Mary currently is the Music Specialist at Sheila Tarr Academy of International Studies. She graduated in 2021 from UNLV with a Bachelor of Music Education degree. As an educator Mary has instructed Marching Bands and Drum Lines at several Las Vegas Area High Schools and is currently in her 4th year on the Percussion Staff at Foothill High School.

Mary has extensive performance experience with many groups, such as: The UNLV Symphony Orchestra, UNLV Wind Orchestra, Star of Nevada Marching Band, UNLV Percussion Ensembles, Vegas Vanguard, The Battalion Drum and Bugle Corps, Gold Indoor Percussion, Pacific Crest Drum and Bugle Corps, and POW Percussion. She has also performed with Taylor Swift at the 2019 Billboard Awards and currently performs with the Knightline by Drumbots for the Vegas Golden Knights NHL team.

Originally from Perris, California, Eric Simpson is thrilled to bring his extensive experience and passion for color guard to Foothill High School as the Color Guard Director. After graduating from Citrus Hill High School, Eric went on to march with Watchmen Drum and Bugle Corps in 2018, Gold Drum and Bugle Corps in 2019—where he earned the DCI Open Class bronze medal—and the Troopers Drum and Bugle Corps in 2021. During his age-out season, he marched with the Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps, earning a gold medal at the 2022 DCI World Championships. Eric also spent five seasons with Vox Artium Winterguard from San Diego, CA, including three as captain, culminating in their victory at the 2023 WGI Open Class World Championships.

In addition to his role at Foothill High School, Eric is a designer and choreographer for several programs across the Las Vegas valley and works as a Color Guard Technician at Pacific Crest Drum and Bugle Corps. Outside of the marching arts, he is a recent graduate of the University of California, Riverside, where he earned a BA in Education, Society, and Human Development with a minor in Public Policy. He is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in School Counseling at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Eric is excited to bring his expertise and dedication to Foothill High School and looks forward to inspiring and mentoring the next generation of color guard performers.

Anthony Soleau is a music instructor and performer who specializes in mallet percussion both on the marching field and in the concert hall. His teaching career started in 2002 and has taught at a total of six different high school programs including three in Michigan and three in Las Vegas. 2003 brought about the formation of Motor City Percussion (an indoor ensemble )where he was a co-director up through the 2007 season. During his tenure in Michigan, Anthony was also responsible for arranging multiple front ensemble books for both fall and winter ensembles.

Anthony has a bachelor’s degree in business entrepreneurship, which he obtained at Eastern Michigan University in 2003 with Honors. Anthony has performed with multiple ensembles including G-Force and Eastside Fury percussion ensemble, competing nationally in the WGI circuit from 2002 – 2004 and earning a bronze medal in open class in 2002 and a gold medal in 2004 with Eastside Fury.

Jason Vazquez, originally from Flushing, Queens, NY, is a dedicated trombonist and an accomplished figure in the world of music education. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education with an emphasis on Jazz and Commercial Music from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he honed his musical skills and deepened his understanding of the art performing alongside renowned artists such as Joe Alessi, Wynton Marsalis, Kenny Rampton, Allen Vizzutti, and Elliot Mason.

During his time at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Jason showcased his musical prowess as an active member of the acclaimed UNLV Jazz Ensemble I and the Latin Jazz Ensemble, earning several prestigious Downbeat Music Awards and winning first place in the Monterey Next Generation Jazz Festival. Additionally, he contributed his talent to the Grammy-nominated UNLV Wind Orchestra, further solidifying his reputation as a skilled and versatile musician, performing on both trombone and euphonium within the ensemble.

As a low brass instructor in Las Vegas for over 10 years, Jason emphasizes a positive and encouraging learning environment for his students, making his dedication and proficiency a valuable asset to the world of brass instruction and performance. Jason currently serves as the Assistant Brass and Visual Caption Head at Foothill High School, as well as a Low Brass Instructor for The Academy Drum and Bugle Corps based out of Arizona, utilizing his experience from performing with several independent winter guards and Gold Drum and Bugle Corps to bring expertise in conceptualizing performances, designing, and providing valuable feedback to aspiring musicians and performers.

Passionate about nurturing the musical talents of aspiring brass players, Jason is committed to fostering a positive and encouraging learning environment, aiming to elevate the standards of brass performance within the Las Vegas community. Through his studies, performances, and dedication to excellence, Jason Vazquez continues to make a lasting impact on both his students and the world of marching arts, jazz, and commercial music.

Nick Wideman has been a visual instructor and designer in the Las Vegas valley for numerous successful high school ensembles. His marching arts experience includes many years as a performer, instructor and fan. A Las Vegas native, he graduated from UNLV and performed with the Star of Nevada Marching Band as a horn player and drum major. His performance experience also includes the Bands of America Rose Parade Honor Band as well as the Blue Knights and Blue Devils drum and bugle corps. He truly enjoys sharing his knowledge and experience in the pageantry arts with the amazing Foothill performers who constantly strive for excellence.