Josh Nelson

Executive Director

Josh Nelson is an active teacher and arranger, visual designer, adjudicator, and clinician currently residing in Old Hickory, TN.  Mr. Nelson is the driving force behind Music City Mystique (MCM), a Winter Guard International (WGI) Percussion Independent World (PIW) 8-time world champion winter drumline, based in Nashville, Tennessee. Mr. Nelson’s involvement with MCM began in 2000 as a marching member and later member of the instructional staff. Today, Mr. Nelson serves as MCM’s Executive Director, a position he has held since his appointment in 2006.

Austin Young

Assistant Director

Austin Young is the coordinator for the administrative staff of Music City Mystique, helping to take care of the behind the scenes responsibilities for running the ensemble. Originally from Kentucky, Austin received his BS and MA in Architecture. Currently living in Nashville, Austin works for an Architecture firm during the week, helping to design the future of Nashville’s skyline. He is a former front ensemble member for Music City Mystique, 2018-2019. Taking on the role of assistant director allows him to stay connected and involved in the marching arts and Mystique, both of which continue to inspire him even in his daily life of working in architecture.

Don Click

PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD / Design Team /
Ensemble Consultant / Co-Founder

Don is the co-founder and former Director of McM. Don actively designs, consults, and teaches many high school marching bands, indoor groups, and independent drumlines. When not involved in music instruction or consultation, Don works for the Artist Relations Department of D’Addario & Company, Inc. He currently lives in Houston, Texas, with his wife, Stephanie, and their two children, Avery and Piper.

Lenny Keesee

VICE PRESIDENT

Lenny Keesee joined the McM Board of Directors in October, 2016 and assumed the roll of Vice President in 2022. Previously, Lenny held administrative rolls as the Operations Director for Wake Forest Independent and he also spent three years as the Percussion Coordinator with the Atlantic Indoor Association. Keesee directed the marching percussion programs at Ledford High School in Thomasville, NC for 12 years. As a performer, Lenny was a member of the Virginia Helmsmen (WGI PIO) from 1998 through his age out year in 2002. He is the President & Owner of River City Systems, Inc. which supports IT, Security, Fire Alarm and Audio / Video solutions for clients across Virginia and North Carolina. Lenny currently resides in Danville, Virginia with his daughter Layla Cadence and son Luke.

Chris Finen

Treasurer / Co-Founder

Chris Finen is the treasurer of McM’s Board of Directors, a position he has held since 2006.  Before joining the Board, Chris co-founded the Music City Mystique organization in 1995 with Don Click and has fulfilled various roles since then, including Director of Indoor Percussion (1995-2003), Caption Head (1995-1999), and Battery Arranger (1995-1998).  Chris is an Electrical Engineering graduate from Vanderbilt University and has worked for Eaton Corporation as an Application Engineer since 1994.  Additionally, Chris has taught percussion for the Vanderbilt University “Spirit of Gold” Marching Band, as well as numerous high schools throughout Tennessee, and performs with the popular Nashville coverband, Guilty Pleasures.

Michael Chester

secretary

Michael Chester joined the MCM Board of Directors in October, 2016. His involvement with Music City Mystique began in 1999 as a performing member. Since his age out in 2002, He currently serves as a member of the faculty of Stewarts Creek High School, where he works collaboratively in guiding all facets of the band program. Prior to this position, he served as a graduate teaching assistant in the School of Music at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He previously served the Middle Tennessee School Band and Orchestra Association for two elected terms as a member of the executive board. In 2011, he was inducted into Phi Beta Mu International Bandmasters Fraternity. He earned his Bachelor of Music degree from Middle Tennessee State University and a Master of Music Degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Jello

BOARD MEMBER

Angelo Outlaw, Jr. (Jello) is a native of Philadelphia, PA. Angelo started playing in drum corps front ensembles in 2004 with DCA’s The Bushwackers before marching with DCI’s Kiwanis Kavaliers in 2005, the Crossmen in 2006 and 2007, and lastly, with the Bluecoats in 2008 and 2009. Since aging out of drum corps, Angelo has spent the past four seasons as a member of the front ensemble staff with the Blue Knights. Angelo has been involved with Music City Mystique since 2008, playing vibraphone for 2008 and 2009 and then marimba from 2010-2012. He was also served as the section leader for 2011-2012. Since 2013, Angelo has been an active member of the teaching staff at Music City Mystique. Angelo joined the MCM Board of Directors in 2020.

Keith Potter

program coordinator / visual designer

Keith began his pageantry career as a saxophone player and drum major for Center Grove High  School in Greenwood, IN. After graduation, he became a drum major instructor at FJM clinics  and later went on to join the Cadets of Bergen County as a member of the color guard from  1991-1993. He also performed with Pride of Cincinnati and Escapade winter guards during this  same time period.  

Once wrapping up his performance career, Keith quickly turned to education and design and  has been serving as a color guard or program designer, at some capacity, for over 34 years. His  previous design work includes: Carroll High School, Center Grove High School, Avon High  School, Carmel High School, Arcadia High School, Escapade, Pride of Cincinnati, The Cadets of  Bergen County, The Cavaliers, Carolina Crown, and is currently in the role of Artistic Director for The Boston Crusaders.

Colin McNutt

battery arranger

Colin McNutt is Director of Percussion for the Boston Crusaders and has been in this position since 2017.

 Colin served prior as the Cadets Percussion Director and designer from 2007 - 2016. 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 yearspan. 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. and Pearl/Adams. He also writes music for marching bands in the United States, Canada and Japan.

Matt Jordan

front ensemble ARRANGER

Matt Jordan has been the front ensemble arranger for McM since 2014. Matt marched 6 years in the organization, from 2000-2005, and has served on the instructional staff in various capacities since he aged out. Outside of McM, he teaches percussion at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and works in artist relations and product development for Pearl/Adams Instruments. Matt is also currently the Music Coordinator and Electronics Designer for the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps. Additionally, Matt is finishing his DMA from Florida State University. For more information on Matt, visit his website, www.mattjordanpercussion.com.

Lee Allman

music designer

Lee Allman is a freelance music arranger and educator, currently serving as the front ensemble arranger for The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps and the Director of Percussion at Avon High School, where he also arranges for the front ensemble.

An experienced arranger, Lee has written for programs including American Fork High School, Bentonville High School, the Yokohama Inspires, the University of Alabama Million Dollar Band, and the Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps.

Lee resides in Avon, Indiana, with his wife, Vi, and their dog, Kari. In his free time, he enjoys watching the Indianapolis Colts, the Indiana Pacers, and Scuderia Ferrari. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Percussion Performance from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. He is a proud endorser of Innovative Percussion and Avedis Zildjian.

Nina Chamberlin

Front Ensemble caption head

Nina Chamberlin is a Chicago area native, now residing in Nashville, TN. She began her WGI career marching two seasons with Pioneer Indoor, (2014-2015) and Gateway Indoor (2016). She performed with Music City Mystique from 2017-2022, and joined the front ensemble staff in 2023. Nina performed with Legends Drum and Bugle Corps from 2014-2018, and joined the front ensemble staff in 2019. She has served on the Colts Drum and Bugle Corps front ensemble staff since 2021.

Nina graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in K-12 Music Education. She currently teaches K-5 Music at Lakeview Elementary, in Mt. Juliet, TN.

Dean Johnson

Front Ensemble

Dean Johnson is excited to return as Front Ensemble Co-Caption Head in his sixth consecutive season with Music City Mystique. Beginning in 2006, Dean’s marching career has included performing with the Drum Corps World Class Finalist Blue Stars Drum & Bugle Corps from 2011 to 2012 and going on to earn the silver and bronze medal in Percussion Independent World with Music City Mystique in 2012 and 2013 respectively.  Since aging out, Dean has remained active in the marching activity. Along with teaching at Music City Mystique, Dean has worked with award winning high school marching programs such as Woodford County High School, Fred J. Page High School, Stewarts Creek High School, and BOA Grand National Semifinalist Fishers High School. In Drum Corps, Dean has also consulted for Music City Drum and Bugle Corps, and served as Front Ensemble Coordinator for Spirit of Atlanta for the 2018 and 2019 seasons.

Joseph Reed

Front Ensemble

Joseph was a member of Music City Mystique in 2017 on drumset. From 2011 to 2012, he marched with Music City Drum and Bugle Corps also on drumset. He then went on to march with the Bluecoats from 2013 to 2015 where he aged out as front ensemble section leader. Additionally, he was a member of the Ole Miss “Pride of the South” drumline from 2012 to 2016. Joseph currently resides in Memphis, TN working as a Continuous Improvement Engineer.

Matthew Ball

Front Ensemble

Kyle Ramsey

Front Ensemble

Kyle is a percussionist and educator from Murfreesboro, TN. He performed with Audio Theater Indoor Percussion in 2017 and Music City Mystique from 2018-2020. As an instructor, he has also worked with McGavock HS, Oakland HS, and Siegel HS. He currently serves as the percussion director for Siegel High School in Murfreesboro, TN.

Alex Gray

Front Ensemble

Alex is a Nashville local and has been involved with Music City Mystique for nearly a decade. Although his primary career is in logistics, Alex works with various high schools in the Greater Nashville area improving their programs with instruction and instrument fabrication.

Ben Heidrich

battery caption head

Originally from Cornelius, North Carolina, Ben earned a degree in Music Industry Studies from Appalachian State University. He was a member of Music City Mystique, Carolina Crown, and the Bluecoats. He joined the Mystique instructional staff in 2019. Since 2019, he has also worked on the sales team at Pearl Drums, supporting artists, ensembles, and programs across the marching arts.

Ben’s approach to drumline is straightforward and results-driven. He doesn’t rely on gimmicks or over-complication. His focus is on clarity of timing, accuracy of rhythms, and creating a unified ensemble sound.

Outside of battery percussion, Ben enjoys cooking, skiing, piano, home improvements, and spending time with Natasha and their two cats, Holly & Marge.

Dan Twiford

snares

Dan is a Nashville, TN based music educator, performer, recording artist, and designer in both the marching arts and commercial music. He has proudly been a member of the Music City Mystique educational staff since 2017, and has previously taught at successful programs such as Rhythm X, Father Ryan High School (TN), Adair County High School (KY), and Spring-Ford High School (PA). Since falling in love with Drum Corps and WGI in the early 2000s, Dan has remained heavily dedicated and involved. Dan is a proud endorsing Artist for Pearl Drums, and Innovative Percussion.

Chris Nichols

Snares

Jakob Alexandrian

snares

Jakob Alexandrian is a returning member for Music City Mystique’s snare staff. He is an arranger, musician, and educator, currently working with multiple different schools in Northeast Georgia. Jakob serves as the Band Director at Riverside Preparatory Academy in Gainesville Georgia, taking on the responsibilities of the percussion program, as well as the ensemble as a whole. Along with Riverside, he adopts educational roles assisting other schools in the region with their marching percussion programs. Jakob has aided the fall marching band and indoor percussion seasons of East Hall HS, Flowery Branch HS, North Gwinnett HS, Forsyth Central HS, and North Forsyth HS. In addition to his work with marching programs, he has worked as a percussion specialist for several other high school and middle school concert programs in the area.

In the realms of WGI and DCI, Jakob is active as an educator with a few groups. This notably includes his role as a batterie technician for the Colts Drum and Bugle Corps in the summers. As a performer, he marched seasons with Palmetto Percussion, Equinox Percussion, Spirit of Atlanta, Music City Mystique, and The Cadets.

Jakob currently resides in Oakwood, Georgia. 

Chandler McCoy

Quads

Chandler joined Mystique in 2016 as a quad drummer and performed with the group for 4 years before aging out in 2019. He currently lives in Huntsville, AL where he spends his time outside of work teaching percussion and enjoying hobbies with friends such as disc golf and chess.

Sean Stepnowski

Quads

Sean is a percussion educator and performer originally from Atlanta, GA. After pursuing his career in the marching arts at several acclaimed organizations and becoming an alumni of Music City Mystique, he has been involved with several Independent and Scholastic programs for the last 5 years, including groups in all three classes of DCI, WGI and BOA. Currently residing in Nashville, TN, Sean helps spearhead the Page High School program, performs with McM Productions, as well as various artists here in the Nashville area. His passion, dedication and excitement for percussion is a key factor in the infectious energy and personality that he brings to the table.

Roman Schefano

Bass Drums

Roman was a member of Music City Mystique for the 2021 and 2022 seasons playing bass drum, and is excited to stay with the home team to teach his first year of indoor. Roman has also served as a bass drum technician for The Colts in 2022. His drum corps career started with Music City Drum and Bugle Corps in 2018, followed by two years with The Cavaliers, serving as the bass section leader in 2021. Residing out of Chattanooga, Tennessee Roman spends his time teaching, bouldering, hiking, and serving the residents of a local retirement home.

Neo Greiner

Bass Drums

Justus Marotz

Bass Drums

Born in Austin, Texas, Justus began his marching career at Lake Travis High School. After graduating, he marched drum corps with Genesis, Colts, and Boston Crusaders as well as indoor with Rhythmic Force and Music City Mystique.
Justus’ teaching career started with multiple high school programs including Lake Travis High School, Glenn High School, McCallum High School and Rouse High School. Justus is also on staff at the Colts Drum and Bugle Corps.
Outside of band, Justus is enrolled at MTSU as a Biology major. He enjoys hiking in nature, speedrunning video games, and spending time with his loved ones!

Dillon Jensen

Bass Drums

Dillon’s marching career started in 2014 with West Forsyth high school. He would later go on to be apart of many ensembles such as Equinox Percussion, The Spartans Drum and Bugle Corps, Music City Drum and Bugle Corps, and age out with The Colts and Music City Mystique. During his time home he enjoys hiking the mountains of north Georgia. 

Alex Queen

Cymbals

Alex marched with the Indiana University Marching Hundred, Legends Drum and Bugle Corps, and Legacy Indoor Percussion before finding his way home to Music City Mystique for the 2017-2018 seasons. After aging out and moving to the educational side, he began teaching organizations including Oregon Crusaders and Veritas, before joining the 2022 staff of Music City Mystique. Alex currently lives in Nashville with his dog Kap, remotely working as a software engineer and teaching cymbals at Middle Tennessee State University outside of Mystique. 

Ian Bracy

Cymbals / staff coordinator

Ian is a native of the Nashville, Tennessee area, growing up in Franklin, TN. He marched with Music City Mystique for the 2011 and 2012 seasons. Since autumn of 2010, he has worked with multiple Nashville area high schools, spending most of his time with Mt. Juliet High School. His drum corps teaching career began with Music City Drum Corps, where he taught in 2013 and 2015. He joined the staff of Spirit of Atlanta in 2016, where he remained until 2019. In 2024, he made a return to MCDC as well as joined the staff of McM. In addition to teaching cymbals, Ian has taken on the additional role and responsibility of Staff Coordinator for McM. A role he is both excited and honored to have.

Natasha Hagan

visual ensemble caption head

Natasha is originally from Lexington, Kentucky where she graduated from the university of Kentucky with an interior design degree and moved to Nashville to pursue her design career. Natasha is a long time performer, starting in WGI Independent A and progressing to WGI World Class. She has performed with Lexis World Guard from its inaugural year in 2011 through 2014, 2019 & 2020, Pride of Cincinnati in 2017, as well as a DCI member of Carolina Crown in 2014 and ‘15. She has held leadership positions and accrued many accolades throughout her years with a top 3 medal in each independent class. On the other side of the gym floor and football field, Natasha has taught color guard since 2012 with various high schools, Legends Performing Arts Association, and Eklipse World.

Outside of the marching arts Natasha enjoys staying busy with home projects with Ben and Holly cat, laughing with friends, checking new experiences or places off her “want to try someday” list and exploring Nashville.

Meagan McPherson

visual ensemble

Meagan is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University with a degree in Photography and dance. Her marching career includes Phantom Regiment, Eklipse Winter Guard, and Paramount Winter Guard. she has spent the last 10 years teaching in and out of the Middle Tennessee area, spending the majority of her time with Mt. Juliet High School. Groups she has worked with previously include: Carolina Crown, Eklipse Winter Guard and Music City Drum Corps.

Outside of the marching arts, Meagan enjoys working with Frozen Exposure Photography as a wedding photographer, and spending time at home with her pets.

Marina Troxel

visual ensemble

Nick Van Den Bogaerde

visual ensemble

Nick Van den Bogaerde, originally from Sacramento, California, is a passionate music educator and multi-instrumentalist based in Nashville, Tennessee. They earned their Bachelor of Music Performance degree from the Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University, where they studied trumpet under the world-renowned artist José Sibaja. Outside of Blair, Nick marched snare drum in Vanderbilt’s Spirit of Gold Marching Band, serving as the drumline’s visual captain in 2023 and the center snare in 2024. 

In between school years, Nick marched four seasons of drum corps, first with the Santa Clara Vanguard from 2020-2022, then with the Phantom Regiment in 2023. During their final season of drum corps, Nick was the featured trumpet soloist in Phantom Regiment’s production entitled “Exogenesis.” After aging out of drum corps and graduating from college, Nick joined Music City Mystique in 2025 as a member of the visual ensemble, better known as the “MoshPit.”

Without skipping a beat, Nick transitioned to the teaching side of the marching arts and joined the brass staff at The Academy Drum and Bugle Corps for the 2024 season. After spending a season with The Academy, they joined the brass staff at Phantom Regiment for the 2025 season. In addition to teaching drum corps, Nick freelances in Music City, dividing their time between teaching private brass lessons and teaching visual for several local marching bands. Nick strives to be an influential artist while cultivating people’s love of music and passion for the marching arts through dedicated education. 

Ella Burton

admin

Liset Garcia

photographer

D’Antoine “D” Newsome

videographer

D’Antoine (“D”) Newsome is a professional videographer originally from Nashville, TN, and a Computer Science graduate from Stevens Institute of Technology. D has participated and performed with multiple percussion ensembles since 2015, including Audio Theater, the Tennessee Titans, and Music City Mystique (‘18-’19). His journey as a videographer and photographer began in 2015 when he took videos on his cell phone of his older brother, D'Angeleau, performing with Mystique. From picking up his first camera in 2019, he's gained a passion for creating authentic, impassioned experiences through the digital medium.

He currently has professional video experience from working with Audio Theater, Triple Crown Indoor Percussion, The Cavaliers, Winter Guard International, Music City Drum and Bugle Corps, Music City Mystique, and is working with the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps for their 2024 season. D’Antoine currently works at IBM as a Senior Salesforce Consultant in Washington, DC.