Caren is on the board of directors of the 501(c)3  and has been the treasurer since the inaugural season.

Mark retired as Music Department Chairman and Band Director of the Lexington Local Schools. He was the treasurer for the American Federation of Musicians Local 159. He is Newsletter Editor for the Central States Judges Association and remains active with them. Mark studied music education at Vandercook College of Music (BMEd) and has a Masters Degree from the College of Mount St Joseph(MEd). He was a long time OMEA member where he served in many capacities and also judged inside as well as marching events. Mark designs drill at CustomDrill.com and serves as a clinician throughout Ohio.

Edward F. Dunlap earned his undergraduate degree in percussion performance at Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music and his graduate degree in percussion performance at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he served as the percussion studio graduate assistant. He was the founder of the I.U.P. Community Music School Percussion Ensemble. Dunlap has completed extensive music research in Havana (Cuba), and in Ghana, where he had the honor of performing for the funeral of the late president of Ghana, John Atta Mills.

Dunlap is enthusiastic about promoting the percussion ensemble as both a genre and art form. He is active in the Percussive Arts Society, serving as a member of the Percussion Ensemble Committee (2021-2026) and publishing articles in Percussive Notes. During the summer of 2019, he completed an internship with the Grammy Award-winning ensemble, Third Coast Percussion. Dunlap is the founder of the Wittenberg University Honors Percussion Ensemble Festival, an annual event for students (grades 7-12). This festival reaches students from all over the state of Ohio and beyond.

Previously, Dunlap served as the percussion coordinator and arranger for the University of Pittsburgh drumline and symphonic band’s percussion ensemble. As a freelance musician and educator, he is active in many genres of music and enjoys performing with regional orchestras and presenting clinics and master classes at colleges and universities. He has participated in coaching and guest conducting at various Pennsylvania Music Educators Association events, including county band percussion ensembles and all-state orchestras. In 2024, Dunlap was selected to perform solo marimba at the National Conference for Percussion Pedagogy in Arlington, Texas. Dunlap is a proud endorser of Sabian Cymbals, Vic Firth Sticks and Mallets, and Black Swamp Percussion products.

Currently, Dunlap is the Director of Percussion Studies at Wittenberg University, Educational Director of Inertia Independent Winds (WGI), and Director of Bands at Emmanuel Christian Academy.

Chris Creswell is an accomplished trombonist, composer, visual designer and educator currently living in his hometown of Jacksonville, FL. Chris has enjoyed the privilege of performing and recording with many of today’s top pop and jazz artist including Mariah Carey, John Pizzarelli, Maceo Parker, Tom Kubis, Arturo Sandoval, and many more.

In 2001 while living in Los Angeles, CA Chris started writing marching band drill design, custom arrangements, and original compositions for high school and college bands across the United States. The business took it’s formal name “Chris Creswell Music and Design” after his move back to Florida in 2005. Chris is a past staff designer for Marching Show Concepts and currently designs for Creative Solutions.

As well as writing and performing, Chris has directed bands at The Orange County High School of the Arts in Santa Ana, CA (2000 – 2005), his Alma Mater Orange Park High School in Orange Park, FL (2005 – 2008) and Fleming Island High School in Fleming Island, FL (2009 – 2012). In 2012 Chris began serving as Artist in Residence and Director of Athletic Bands at Jacksonville University.

Chris still remains active as a trombonist in the southeastern music scene performing at festivals, corporate events, and with various jazz and chamber ensembles. He has also composed numerous original compositions and arrangements for jazz ensemble including a commission for the 2008 Jacksonville Jazz Festival, and arrangements published by Jalen Jazz.

Chris is a graduate of the University of North Florida in Jacksonville and The Manhattan School of Music in New York City where he received his BM and MM degrees respectively in trombone performance and jazz studies. Chris is currently ABD earning a DMA in Music Education at Boston University studying social identity theories and their effect on band director motivation and group-identity. Chris is an alumni of the Disney All American College Band, The Epcot Grammy Collegiate Jazz Ensemble, and The Henry Mancini Institute. Chris is a member of ASCAP, NAfME, CBDNA, and FMEA.

Conner is joining the Inertia Independent Winds staff as a visual instructor. In high
school, Conner participated in marching band, playing clarinet, and jazz band, playing
tenor sax, in addition to other ensembles. Conner spent two years marching in the
University of Cincinnati Bearcat Bands, having the privilege to march under Dr. Terren
Frenz before his retirement. Conner also has two years of marching experience in WGI
Winds with Inertia Independent Winds, and two years of experience teaching visuals at
Westerville Winds. Conner is very excited to bring his knowledge and experience back
to where his winds career began.

Although his professional career has taken him in a different direction, Conner is an avid
lover of music and performance, and still plays his clarinet that he performed with
throughout his musical career.

Tony is thrilled to be a part of the return of Inertia Independent! Tony is an alumnus of Crawfordsville High School, where he participated in the marching band and indoor percussion. Beginning his drum corps career with the Cincinnati Tradition, Tony was a member from 2014 to 2022, winning the DCA A class championships in 2016 and 2017. Tony was also a member of the 2018 Sacramento Mandarins, making DCI championship finals for the first time in their 55-year history. In 2018 and 2019, Tony also performed with Rhythm X Winds, winning the WGI WIW gold medal both years.

Tony currently resides in Cincinnati Ohio, and is on education staff at the Cincinnati Tradition Drum and Bugle Corps as well as Waynesville High School.

Tony’s other teaching experience includes several schools in central Indiana.

Zachary, originally from northern Indiana, has been involved in the marching arts in one form or another for the past 12 years. He got his start in the marching arts during his high school years at John Glenn High School under the direction of Dan Fortlander. He attended Indiana Wesleyan University and earned a B.S. in Music Education with his primary instrument being trombone. During his time at IWU he participated in various ensembles offered, including jazz band, wind ensemble, orchestra, honors brass, and other small ensembles.

In 2015 he went on to march with the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle corps where he marched euphonium. He took two years off to focus on school and returned for his age-out with the Madison Scouts in 2018. Zachary has also worked with numerous other schools with their marching band programs, including Paoli (Paoli, Indiana) and Frankton-Lapel (Frankton, Indiana). In 2022, Tibbs had the opportunity to represent band directors from across the country by being a part of “Saluting America’s Band Directors” marching band and marched with them in the 2022 Tournament of Roses Parade. Tibbs spent the 2023 DCI season with Cincinnati Tradition as a brass tech, working primarily with the baritone/euphoniums. He marched as well as taught in the 2024 DCI All-Age season with Cincinnati Tradition where they earned a Championship title in the inaugural year for DCI All-Age.

As an educator, he taught in South Bend Community Schools for a year before moving to southern Indiana. After moving to southern Indiana, Zachary has been Band Director at Paoli Jr/Sr High, working alongside Bill Laughlin, Mitchell High School, and is currently Director of Bands at Corydon Central where he teaches 6th-12th Grade Band, Jazz Band, and Marching Band. Corydon Central the past two years under Mr. Tibbs direction has made ISSMA Scholastic B finals and the program looks to build with increasing numbers each year. Mr. Tibbs is proud to work with all groups to further his teaching abilities and the abilities of the students under him.

Abby Nickels, is thrilled and eager to represent Inertia this year. With a marching career starting in 2016 with Vandalia Butler High School Color Guard, Interia Independent Winds, and Pride of Dayton (POD) proudly filling several different leadership roles.     Currently, Abby is an Assistant Director and choreographer for the Walter E. Stebbins High School Varsity Color Guard.

Kyle is a musician living in Dayton, Ohio. He studies Instrumental Music Education at Wright State University and plans to graduate in the Fall of 2021. He is excited to be with Inertia again this season!

As a marching musician, Kyle spent nine seasons with various ensembles. He started his drum corps career with Cincinnati Tradition in 2014 on soprano bugle, and went on to march through 2019 with the Tradition, where he was a member of the corps for all six finalist appearances, as well as both Class A World Champion titles. In DCI, he spent two summers with the Colts, in 2016 on contra, aging out as a mellophone in 2019. In WGI, he was a member of the 2017 WIW gold medalist Rhythm X Winds, performing on baritone sax.

As an active educator, Kyle teaches his own private studio, as well as Cincinnati Tradition Drum & Bugle Corps, the Colt Cadets Drum & Bugle Corps, Inertia Independent Winds, and Waynesville High School, where he has served as a brass technician, visual technician, music director, and assistant director. He has instructed other music ensembles in various capacities, with instructional roles in visual, woodwind, and brass captions. The teams he has worked with have been successful in the DCI, DCA, WGI, BOA, MSBA, OMEA, and Track Band circuits in Ohio, Indiana, and Iowa.