WINTER GUARD DESIGN TEAM
Cecil Crabtree-Spring
Program Coordinator/Principle Show Designer
Cecil began his teaching career as a graduate/teaching assistant for West Texas A&M University from 2001-2003, assistant band director at Harold Wiggs Middle School from 2003-2004, and at Americas High School from 2004-2012 where he served as an assistant band director, color guard director, and most recently as the high school’s student activities director. Mr. Crabtree studied conducting under Dr. Gary Garner and Mr. Don Lefevre who he also had the pleasure of studying saxophone.
Cecil has been a major contributor in the band and color guard activities creating successful outdoor programs and winter guard shows since 2004. He has also worked with the Glassmen Drum & Bugle Corp and the Blue Knights Drum & Bugle Corp. His programs have consistently medaled or won at every Winter Guard International Regional competition they have attended, won several fall marching show auxiliary championships, and state winter guard championships during his time at Americas High School and Pebble Hills High School. He is also the second color guard director to place a Texas high school winter guard in Scholastic World Class Finals at the WGI World Championships.
Cecil has been a clinician and design consultant for multiple competitive groups all over the state of Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, New Jersey, and many more. He has had the pleasure of working with fine programs such as Haltom High School (WGI Scholastic A Class Finalists & UIL State Marching Finalists), The Woodlands High School, Harlingen High School, Coronado High School, Mansfield High School, Onate High School, Permian High School, Ars Nova World Guard, Americas Independent (WGI Independent A Class Finalists), and many more other fine programs.
This is Cecil's 2nd year with Arsenal Performing Arts, Inc. and he is the Assistant Band/Color Guard Director at Pebble Hills High School in El Paso, Texas.
Jack Pursifull
Drill Designer
Jack has been in the pageantry business for over 30 years as a designer, consultant, and clinician. His groups have won state championships in Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, New Mexico, Florida, and California. Some of his most notable bands include Spring H.S. (TX), Park Vista H.S. (FL), Western H.S. (IN), Ben Davis H.S. (IN), Jupiter H.S. (FL), Seminole H.S. (FL), and Northmont H.S. (OH). In the winter guard activity he has been a designer for Spring H.S. (2014 WGI Scholastic Open Champion) and The Woodlands H.S. (2004 WGI Scholastic Open Champion). In addition, Jack was the designer for the Magic of Orlando (DCI) and Connecticut Hurricanes (DCA). Jack is currently the visual designer for the DCI Finalist Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps.
Tykeem Rainey
Weapon /Choreography
Tykeem Rainey is an active choreographer and the guard director at Ronald Reagan High School in San Antonio, TX.
Tykeem was a member of the color guard at the Madison Scouts from 2008-2011. Upon aging out, Tykeem served as an intern and staff member from 2012-2014. During the off season, Tykeem had the opportunity to march with Impact Independent from Northern Virginia, Virginia from 2008-2012 and won the WGI Independent A Gold Medal.
In 2014, Tykeem had the opportunity to perform in the Tony and Emmy Award Winning production, “BLAST!” that toured many prefectures throughout Japan. From 2015 to 2018, Tykeem performed and choreographed “Mix it Up,” a staged theme show located at Busch Gardens, in Williamsburg, Virginia. In the spring of 2017, Tykeem earned his bachelor’s degree (With Honors) in History (Concentration in Caribbean Slavery) from Virginia Commonwealth University located in Richmond, Virginia. Tykeem’s most recent summer was spent with the 2021 Madison Scouts Color Guard.
Currently, Tykeem is the lead choreographer for the Madison Scouts Color Guard as well as a Co-Director of Origins Open. Tykeem is also a choreographer and technician to color guards and other ensembles such as: Hickory High School, Union High School, Origins Open, Origins World, George Mason World, ONYX World and Santa Clara Vanguard.
Ryan Bender
Choreography
Ryan currently resides in Tarpon Springs, Florida, where he is part of the instructional staff for the Tarpon Springs Outdoor Performance Ensemble and the Tarpon Springs Colorguard.
He began his marching career in 2017 with Pacific Crest Drum and Bugle Corps and returned in the summer of 2018. He then went on to the Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps in 2019 where he received a gold medal, and finished his drum corps career with the Blue Stars in the summer of 2021. Along with his drum corps experience, he was a member of Coronado Independent Winterguard from San Diego, California for the years 2019-2021.
Ryan has worked with several groups throughout California and currently he is a choreographer and instructor for the Tarpon Springs Scholastic World Guard.
Geoff Sperling
Program Consultant
Geoffrey Sperling, originally from Detroit, MI, graduated from Indiana University-Bloomington with a Bachelor of the Arts. Geoffrey has been a performing member, and currently is an alumni of Interplay, Zydeco, and The Pride of Cincinnati Winterguards. In 2011, Geoffrey ended his 8 year DCI career as a performing member with the Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps where he was a part of the George Zingali "Best Color guard" award winning cast. Prior to that, Geoffrey was a marching member with the Cadets (2008-2010), Bluecoats (2007), Hawthorne Caballeros (2009), Capital Regiment (2006), Racine Kilties (2005-2006),and The Pioneer Drum and Bugle Corps (2004-2005).
Geoffrey was an integral part of the design staff at Cedar Ridge High School (Round Rock, TX) from 2012-2013. During his time at Cedar Ridge the marching band made its inaugural appearance in the Bands of America Grand National Finals. The Winterguard received a Scholastic A bronze medal in the Texas Colorguard Circuit (TCGC), and made finals at all WGI regional appearances. From 2014-2017, Geoffrey directed and designed for the New Braunfels High School Band and Colorguard. During his time at New Braunfels, the winter guard was named the 2015 WGI San Antonio Regional A Class Champion, the 2015 T.E.C.A Regional A class silver medalists, and the JV was named the 2016 T.E.C.A novice class champions. In 2017, The New Braunfels Marching Band made UIL Area D finals (placing 7th in 6A) for the first time in school history, the program fielded 3 winter guards (Varsity, Junior Varsity, and Cadet) which contained over 50 students, and The Varsity Winterguard made finals all WGI appearances (including the WGI Southwest Power Regional for the first time in school history). Outside of his involvement with scholastic programs, Geoffrey has served as choreographer for The Spirit of Atlanta Drum & Bugle Corps (2012), The Louisiana Stars Drum & Bugle Corps(2014-2015), Genesis Drum & Bugle Corps(2017), White Gold Winterguard (2012), Industry Independent(2015), and Spirit Independent Winterguard (2016-2018). Geoffrey has judged across the country at various local contests, as well as, for USBands since 2013. In 2018 and 2019 Geoffrey has been a member of the WGI Colorguard Advisory Board. Currently, Geoffrey lives in Austin, Tx where he serves as a co-director for Origins Colorguard (an Independent Open Class winterguard based out of Austin, TX) and serves as a program coordinator and choreographer for schools across the state of Texas.
This is Geoff's 2nd year with Glory Independent as a Design Member/Consultant.