IMPACT Percussion is excited to announce its Caption Heads for the 2020 season!
The continued growth of the ensemble has provided an opportunity to expand IMPACT’s Caption Head Team, ensuring the highest level of focus on all music and movement aspects of the 2020 season.
Although all three caption heads have worked with IMPACT before, they are all new to their positions in 2020.
IMPACT Percussion is extremely proud to announce:
Eliud Ayala as Battery Caption Head.
Eliud Ayala / Battery Caption Head : Eliud Ayala Jr. is a percussion educator in the Tri-Cities area. He currently works at McLoughlin Middle School in Pasco, Washington as a World Drumming and Advanced Percussion Ensemble teacher expanding his students’ musical education and providing opportunities to participate in performances, concerts, competitions, and music festivals in the local community. Eliud is also an instructor and the Battery Percussion Music Designer for the Columbians Drum & Bugle Corps. Additionally, Eliud has worked with IMPACT Percussion as a snare technician/battery instructor since 2016. Over the past decade, Eliud has coached various schools from around the Tri-Cities in marching percussion. Currently, he is the Percussion Caption Head for the Pasco High School Marching Band and Color Guard. Eliud received a Music Liberal Arts degree from Eastern Washington University performing in many music ensembles including Eastern Washington University Jazz Bands, Wind Symphony, Orchestra, Drumline, and a Percussion Ensemble Studio directed by Dr. Michael Waldrop. Eliud was a winner of the EWU concerto competition on marimba in 2012. Additionally, Eliud performed with the EWU percussion ensembles alongside esteemed artists such as Ray Brinker, Brad Dutz, Gregg Bissonette, Alex Acuna, Dave Samuels, and Gordon Stout. Other performance experience includes the Washington Idaho Symphony, Coeur d’Alene Symphony, Mid-Columbia Symphony, and Drum Corps International with the Blue Knights Drum & Bugle Corps from Denver Colorado under Jeff Ausdemore.
Luke DeDominces as Front Ensemble Caption Head.
Luke is an avid teacher, arranger, and performer of both marching and concert percussion in the Pacific Northwest, and recently received his Master’s in Percussion Performance from the University of Oregon. Having lived in the Portland area recently as well as Eugene, Luke has had the opportunity to teach and write for many Oregon school programs, including the University of Oregon (currently), Southridge HS, Beaverton HS, Glencoe HS, Tigard HS, Rex-Putnam HS, Willamette HS, and Sheldon HS. Luke has a Bachelors in Music for Percussion Performance from Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, WA, and currently teaches Sumner HS, Auburn Mt. View HS, Cedarcrest HS, and the Columbians Drum & Bugle Corps. As a performer, Luke has been a part of the Cascades Drum & Bugle Corps, Phantom Regiment, Oregon Crusaders Indoor, Portland Wind Ensemble, Vancouver Symphony, Salem Symphony, and the Newport Symphony.
Kade McKeever as Visual Caption Head.
Kade McKeever / Visual Caption Head : Born and raised in Tri-Cities, Kade has been involved with the marching arts for the past decade. He has been a charter member of the Columbians Drum & Bugle Corps and IMPACT Percussion, as well as an alumnus of Oregon Crusaders and OC Indoor. He has taught several Tri-Cities area high school percussion ensembles and has served on the instructional staff for the Columbians and the design staff for IMPACT Percussion for several years. Kade is excited to be the ensemble’s first Visual Caption Head and is ready to bring IMPACT to its next level in the 2020 WGI season.
“This new caption head team is incredible. We’ve been working hard over the off-season to lay a solid foundation for the 2020 ensemble. Although everyone is new to their roles this year, each caption head has extensive knowledge and passion for the caption they will be taking over. 2020 is going to be an incredible year as we return to Dayton, and we are excited to have these outstanding educators in place to push the ensemble to new heights. We also want to sincerely thank our 2019 caption heads – Tyler Figueroa (Front Ensemble) and Kade McKeever (Battery) for their amazing work and dedication to the ensemble. Kade and Tyler have truly laid the groundwork for greatness in 2020,” says Josh Peterson, IMPACT Percussion Director.
“As IMPACT’s first Visual Caption Head, I’m very excited to help bring this ensemble to a new level of excellence this season. All the experiences this group has given me over the last five years has helped prepare me to take on this new role and give our members an exceptional visual and movement experience,” says Kade McKeever.
Auditions for IMPACT Percussion’s 2020 season will be held September 22nd, October 6th, & October 20th in Pasco, WA. Join our Facebook Interest Group to stay up to date as audition details are released!