Dedicated experts with a proven record of success.

Shad Johnson
Assistant Director of Bands

Mr. Johnson joined Campo Verde this fall as the Assistant Director of Bands. Prior to that, he taught U.S. History at Arizona Connections Academy for eight years and was the Director of Bands at Queen Creek High School for 10 years. While at QCHS, Mr. Johnson tripled the size of the marching band and initiated the guitar class program.

Mr. Johnson was a member of the Arizona State University Marching Band, the Pride of the Southwest, where he played mellophone and trombone. During his tenure with the ASUSDMB, they received the prestigious Sudler Trophy which is “awarded annually to a college or university marching band which has demonstrated the highest musical standards and innovative marching routines and ideas.” After graduating from ASU, Mr. Johnson joined the U.S. Navy as a Hospital corpsman (medic). During boot camp, Mr. Johnson was part of the recruit band where he preformed at boot camp graduations and local parades. After graduating boot camp, Mr. Johnson went to Hospital Corps “A” School serving as one of the classes Education Petty Officers. During his Navy enlistment, Mr. Johnson was assigned to U.S. Marine Corps units where he served as a line corpsman for 3rd LAR, and 3rd Bn 4th Marines Weapons Company Heavy Weapons Platoon, and later as the battalion’s head line corpsman. The last two years of his enlistment, Mr. Johnson was stationed at Navel Medical Center San Diego where he oversaw the enlisted personal for the pediatric nursing department. After leaving the U.S. Navy, Mr. Johnson began his teaching career at Queen Creek High School. While teaching at QCHS, he received his Master of Arts in Education – Administration and Supervision.

Mr. Johnson believes that arts education is essential for a well-rounded education. During his free time, Mr. Johnson enjoys riding and working on his motorcycles, and watching t.v. with his dog, Sasha.

Riley Smith, Percussion Caption Head

Riley is an active clinician, educator, and adjudicator-in-training in the state of Arizona. He graduated from Grand Canyon University (GCU) in the spring of 2020, and is currently a general music teacher in the Tempe Elementary School district. Riley is a Vic Firth/Zildjian educational artist. 

An Arizona native, Riley began studying percussion in middle school under Jeremy Kane where he started to delve in to the percussive arts. After middle school, Riley went on to Hamilton HS where he studied under Chris Holley, Louis Boudreau, Gary Juarez, and Sam Santisteven. After high school, Riley set his sights on a music education degree under Dr. Paul Koch and Col. Frank Dubuy. During his time at GCU, Riley performed/arranged with the Thundering Heard Pep Band, Thunderstruck Percussion Ensemble, played in numerous senior recitals, and was a co-principal percussionist in the GCU Wind Ensemble where he was also the principal timpanist for the fall concert series in 2018. 

In the marching arts, Riley marched under Wardell King, Taylor-Willis Highers, and Rob Davis at Vision Percussion (PIO) playing snare drum from 2016 to his ageout season in 2018. He has taught for Santan Jr. High, Hamilton HS, Agua Fria HS and Millennium HS serving under various battery tech/coordinator roles. He also arranged the percussion book for the Westwood HS marching band for the fall of 2021. 

Currently Riley is a consultant with Phoenix Union Indoor (PIA), lead front ensemble staff member at Breakthrough Indoor Percussion (PIO), and the current co-caption head for Campo Verde HS (AZMBA 3A, PSA) Riley has held these positions for the last few years and intends to be in these roles for a while. He is excited to continue to grow the state of Arizona in percussion education and achievement by bringing a holistic approach to the percussion idiom

Kaitlyn Misch, Visual Caption Head

Kaitlyn Misch is a visual and dance-focused marching band educator native to Arizona who has taught a varied visual package in the fall and winter seasons at numerous Arizona High Schools. 

Over the last few years she has become the Lead Visual Technician at Breakthrough Indoor Percussion, Assistant Director and Visual Designer for Foreword Indoor Winds, and has been teaching visual for the Academy Drum and Bugle Corp. She is also proud to be the Winds Liaison for Winter Guard Arizona. 

Kaitlyn received her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Arizona State University as well as a Minor in Dance. Now she is pursuing her Master’s Degree in Communications and strives to apply her education to her teaching methods. 

Josh Burchard, Brass Caption Head

Josh Burchard has been on staff as the Brass Caption Head with Campo Verde High School since the 2020 Fall season.

Josh is a euphonium player whose marching career includes the Academy Drum and Bugle Corps in 2018, the Sun Devil Marching Band in 2019, and Carolina Crown in 2020 before aging out during the COVID-19 pandemic. Before this, Josh was the Principal Trombonist from 2014 to 2017 with the Tucson Philharmonia Youth Orchestra, where he received the Outstanding Musicianship Award. In 2017, Josh was a featured trombone soloist at Carnegie Hall while playing with the Canyon Del Oro High School Orchestra.

Josh briefly taught the Phenom Drum and Bugle Corps as a low brass technician and staff member of the Arizona Academy of Performing Arts before the corps' 2022 season was cut short.

Outside of teaching, Josh is a full-time Materials and Process Engineer at Northrop Grumman Space Systems in the Launch Vehicles Division. Josh graduated Magna Cum Laude from Arizona State University, Barrett, the Honors College, with his Bachelor of Science Engineering in Materials Science and Engineering and a minor in Business. In 2022, he received a Master of Science degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Arizona State University.

Bonson Lee, Woodwind Caption Head

Bonson Lee is a Graduate Teaching Assistant at Arizona State University. Throughout Lee’s musical career, he has performed at saxophone camps, clinics, Las Vegas Saxophone Day, NASA Regional/Biennial Conferences, as well as has being named as a multi-award winning musician in many solo and chamber competitions of the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA), the North American Saxophone Alliance (NASA), the Coltman Chamber Music Competition, the American Prize Competition, the Medici International Music Competition, the Manhattan International Competition, the Long Island Conservatory Music Competition (LISMA), American Classical Young Musician Award, Charleston International Music Competition, the Marker and Pioneer International Music Competition, the Royal Sound Music Competition, the North International Music Competition, the Valencia Awards Music Competition, as well as the Annual Fischoff National Competition, respectively.

In addition to numerous solo performances within the US and abroad, Lee has great experience in chamber/ensemble music playing and collaboration in many wind ensembles and saxophone ensembles, as he has gained recognition from being awarded several prizes and medals in notable competitions such as NASA and Fischoff Chamber Music Competitions.  Being an advocate for chamber music, Lee is also the baritone chair of the saxophone quartet, Kodachrome. Through chamber music, Lee has been able to educate and perform at numerous high schools and universities in the Southwest region of the US. Other notable ensembles that Lee has played with include the Las Vegas Young Artists Orchestra, the Chandler Symphony Orchestra, and the Phoenix Symphony.

 As an educator, Lee has been teaching throughout the Las Vegas and Phoenix Valley including being a Visual Technician/Saxophone Technician for the ASU Sun Devil Marching Band as well as Campo Verde High School. Lee also maintains teaching a saxophone studio of his own here in Phoenix, as well as students in Las Vegas, Hawaii, etc. Lee also regularly does educational outreach by teaching and leading various masterclasses and workshops to other schools.

Lee is currently finishing up his Doctorate of Musical Arts degree at Arizona State University under the direction and guidance of Dr. Christopher Creviston. Lee obtained a Master of Music from Arizona State University Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts School of Music and a Bachelor’s of Music at the University of Nevada Las Vegas School of Music. His current and former saxophone teachers include Dr. Creviston, Mark McArthur, John Seaton, and Eric Maine.

Lee is an endorsing artist for Silverstein Works, LefreQue Sound Solutions, and ReedGeek Inc.

For more information, please visit his website at https://www.bonsonlee.com/

Brian McCormack, Colorguard Caption Head

Brian McCormack was born and raised in New Orleans, LA. He attended the University of Louisiana and studied Graphic Design and Elementary Education. Brian has been designing and contributing to the Pageantry Arts for over 25 years. He moved to Arizona in 2009 and began working with The Academy Winter Guard that later transitioned to Fenix Independent. In 2012, Fenix Independent went on to win a WGI Open Class Bronze Medal. Brian continued working with the Sun Devil Marching Band as well as Fenix Independent World and A Class teams for eight years. In 2017, Brian was inducted into the Louisiana/Mississippi Colorguard and Percussion Circuit Hall of Fame. Brian also worked with numerous high schools in the Arizona valley, including Mountain Ridge HS, Boulder Creek HS, and many more. In 2018, Brian was the Co-Director for Mountain Ridge HS Colorguard when they became the first Arizona high school to make WGI Open Class semifinals. He is currently the owner and creative director of Bleudog Designs where he fabricates custom props, carts, and other types of metalwork for clients across the country. In his free time, Brian enjoys spending time with his partner, Afsoon, and their two kids, Ellis and Addison. Brian is excited to continue his creative journey at Campo Verde High School with the Coyote Pride.