IGNITE Performing Arts

Shelby County, Indiana

Staff

Board of Directors

  • Mari Ryhal, president
  • Dana Waggoner, secretary
  • Carol Bossingham, treasurer

Percussion Staff

Douglass Gaking, Director

Doug Gaking teaches business and technology at Avon High School. He is a certified music educator in the state of Indiana with 13 years of experience as a music educator, including directing the band and choir at Southwestern High School for 8 years. He has his BM in Music Education from Butler University, where he studied percussion with Jon Crabiel and Craig Hetrick, and MBA from Southern New Hampshire University. He marched at St. Edward High School in Lakewood, OH and at Butler University. He performed with Matrix Indoor Percussion Ensemble at WGI World Finals in 2002. He directed the Muncie Central Percussion Ensemble from 2011-2014. He directed the Triton Central drumline in the 2010 and 2011 marching seasons and has assisted the band and percussion program occasionally since then. Mr. Gaking was one of the founding board members of IGNITE Performing Arts in 2020, was on the 2022 percussion instructional staff, and took over the percussion director role in the 2023 season.

Robert Clark Stevens, Assistant Director

Robert Clark Stevens is an engineer, educator, and consultant from Monrovia, Indiana. As a performer, he marched with the Monrovia Bulldog Brigade (2006-2011), Cloverdale Independent (2012), Purdue’s All-American Marching Band (2013-2015), and Cavaliers Indoor Percussion (2016), as well as performed in a number of local bands, musicals, and orchestras. Mr. Stevens began teaching in 2014, and works with several high school programs in Central Indiana. He holds degrees in Mechanical, Systems, and Industrial Engineering, as well as an MBA from Purdue University, as well as owns Research, Development, and Execution, LLC, a design, fabrication, and automation firm based in Monrovia, IN. He enjoys spicy food and spending time with family, friends, his partner, Megan, and their black cat, Boba.

Garret Hartman, Visual Coordinator

Mr. Hartman teaches low brass and visual fundamentals for bands across Central Indiana. Prior to IGNITE, Garret has been a marching band director, visual caption manager, or winds technician in some capacity since 2016.

Outside of the marching arts and low brass sectionals, Garret has been operating a private low brass studio for a few years. When not instructing, Garret enjoys petting his cats and playing PlayStation or Xbox when possible.

Participating in indoor percussion is an amazing, life-changing experience, and Garret is excited to give back to the community and continue to build something special in the Shelby County community.

Additional Staff, Including Advisors, Techs, & Clinicians

  • Jeff Winchester
  • Andrew Phillips
  • Sean Meaden
  • Tricia Trimble
  • Todd Trimble