Welcome to the 2025 Marching Season!
Whether you are a veteran returning for another season or new to the organization this year, we are excited to have you joining us! Below you will find information to help introduce you to our directors, the board of directors, along with important details about the program for the upcoming season. As always, please feel free to reach out directly should you have any questions by emailing 728cadetsmarchingband@gmail.com.
—-------------------------------------------------------------------—-------------------------------------------------------------------
Get to Know the Directors
Joe Jaeger - Drumline Director
Joe has been an active music educator, director, marching arts show designer, and performer in the Twin Cities area since 2009. He is currently the middle school band director at Prairie View Middle School in Otsego, MN (ISD 728), and the director of the 728 Cadets Marching Arts. He has instructed and arranged for marching band and indoor percussion at Rosemount HS, Eden Prairie HS, 728 Cadets Marching Arts, River Valley Percussion Theatre, Blaine HS, Armstrong HS, Baldwin/Woodville HS, and many more. In 2014 he spent the summer as the percussion caption head for Chops Drum and Bugle Corps and has since been the battery coordinator for Minnesota Brass Drum and Bugle Corps/Indoor Drumline. He was also on staff as a snare technician for the world class DCI corps Seattle Cascades. He has spent many years teaching percussion lessons and classes in a freelance setting, and in schools throughout the Twin Cities area, including Rosemount High School, Rogers Middle School, and Harding High School. Mr. Jaeger has an Associate in Fine Arts/Music degree from Normandale Community College and a bachelor's degree in music education from the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities.
Shannon Curtis - Hornline Director
Shannon is the Director of Bands for grades 9-12 at Zimmerman Middle and High School. His primary duties involve teaching the high school Concert Band and Wind Symphony. He also teaches middle school instrumental lessons and works with students in preparation for Solo and Ensemble Contest and All-State auditions. He is the director of the Zimmerman High School Jazz Band and the Zimmerman Pit Orchestra. He joined the Cadets staff in the summer of 2017. Shannon is a graduate of Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. In his career, Shannon has presented about best practices, support for new teachers, and the marching arts at various symposium events in Iowa and Minnesota, including multiple presentations at the Minnesota Music Educators Association Mid-Winter Conference. When possible, he also performs with the Twin Cities Trumpet Ensemble, and subs regularly in Twin Cities area bands and orchestras!
Savannah Kerns - Color Guard Director
Savannah Kearns has been an active instructor, choreographer, designer, and performer in the marching arts activity since 2010. She began working with the 728 Cadets Marching Arts in 2022 and is now the current color guard director. Savannah’s performing experience is extensive, having marched color guard with groups such as Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps and many different independent Minnesota groups. She has previously directed for the Rosemount High School color guard for multiple seasons and also the River Falls High School color guard. Since 2014, she has instructed and choreographed for groups such as Rosemount High School, River City Rhythm Winter Guard, River City Rhythm Winter Drumline, River City Rhythm Drum and Bugle Corps, Eastview High School, River Falls High School, Lakeville South High School, Champlin Park High School, and 728 Cadets. She continues to choreograph and consult for groups all over Minnesota.
—-------------------------------------------------------------------—-------------------------------------------------------------------
Board of Directors
Lori Motzko - Pesident
Lori has been with the organization since the fall of 2016 when her oldest daughter, Julia started with her first season performing in Delirium. Lori’s youngest, Anna, who is a senior, started in 2021 performing in Hypnotize. Lori began her involvement with the organization when she started volunteering at the home show in 2017 and continued to volunteer throughout the seasons as she became Secretary of the Board in 2021 and then President in April 2023.
Lori has been married to David Motzko for 27 years, and they have 2 children, Julia 21 and Anna 18. She is the Director of IT Operations at a health insurance company headquartered in Minneapolis. When Lori is not working or performing band duties, she enjoys ATVing and Downhill Ski Racing.
Makayla Wijeratne - Treasurer
Makayla has been with the organization since 2022, this being her third season as a board member. Her daughter, Jayanthi, plays clarinet in River Valley Sound and also performs with the 728 Cadets in the summer.
Makayla is a Professional Development and Workforce Manager for a Non-Profit that works within the Early Childhood Profession as well as the treasurer for the Elk River High School Band Boosters Club. Makayla’s family volunteers with Grey Face Rescue so they typically have a senior dog or two living with them as well.
Jennifer Coffman - Secretary
Jennifer’s daughter, Brenna, is active in the River Valley Winter Guard as well as the 728 Cadets summer seasons. This is Jennifer's 5th season with the organization. She started supporting the organization as a parent volunteer and is now a member of the Board. Jennifer lives with her family in Rogers and she appreciates a good carpool to get our students to/from practices.
Amy Monson - Communications
Amy’s first year with the organization was in the summer of 2018 when her oldest, Abigail, joined the organization performing her first season in Out of the Box. Abigail performed each season thereafter until she graduated in 2022.
Now Amy is excited to watch her son, Travis who is a senior this year, perform with River Valley Sound as well as the 728 Cadets. Travis has been with the organization since his first season in 2020 performing with River Valley Sounds Live Wire. Over the years Amy has volunteered as a parent volunteer for several home shows, parades and fundraising events as well as supporting the board in previous years and currently.
Amy is the Plant Administrator for a local concrete manufacturer, having been there for over 11 years. When not at work, she enjoys spending time with her family, hiking and traveling.
Brad Peterson - Vice President
Brad has two children who participate in our programs. Mary who performs with River Valley Percussions Theatre and the 728 Cadets and Kate who performs with River Valley Winter Guard and the 728 Cadets. In addition to helping throughout the year as needed in many aspects, Brad has been serving on the Board for 3 years overseeing all props and equipment for all of the groups of the organization in previous years.
Sarah Ahrens - Performance and Competitions
Sarah’s youngest, Jacob, has performed with the organization for several seasons. Currently you’ll find Jacob on cymbals with River Valley Percussion Theatre
Sarah and Jacob both joined the organization in the summer 2021. Sarah joined the Board that fall supporting communications and has served on the board since.
Sarah is the Administrative Assistance at a local manufacturing company. And when she is not at work or helping with our organization, she enjoys working on small crafts, puzzles and reading.
Sarah Thompson - Merchandise
Sarah has two children, Emma and Lucy, who are involved in the color guard. Sarah has been with the organization for 13 seasons! Her son, Logan, performed with the hornline as well as her daughter, Ellie, on the color guard. This is Sarah’s first year serving on the board but she has volunteered at several events throughout all of her seasons.
Outside of the 728 Marching Arts organization, Sarah has also volunteered on boards and committees for other organizations including Girl Scouts, MOPS and church groups. Sarah also works part time for a church.
Carrie Hegvik - Wizards of Winter Lead
Carrie has been with the organization for several years. Her first year with the program was in the summer of 2022 when her daughter, Bella, started on the color guard. Currently her son, Matthew, performs on the trumpet line with River Valley Sound as well as the 728 Cadets summer program.
Outside of her volunteer time with our organization Carrie is a nurse manager for Hennepin County Medical Center. She also enjoys being creative in her free time whether it be craft projects, gardening or attending events.
Tiffany Gruidl - Fundraising and Grants
Her son, Asher Kraabel, has been a member of the 728 Cadets for 5 years. He's the mello section leader for River Valley Sound. He's also dedicated to volunteering his time to trailer crew, fundraising and community events for the 728 Cadets.
Tiffany has served on the 728 Cadets board of directors since 2022 as the Fundraising and Grant Lead. In 2023-2024 she persistently applied for grants to help with tuition costs for our students and families. In March of 2024 the Central MN Arts Board awarded the 728 Cadets Marching Band with a $20,000 grant for the FY24-25 Community Arts Support. In addition, she enjoys working with the 728 Cadets Marching Arts staff and students as they're committed to community involvement, and volunteer in numerous fundraising and local events.
Tiffany and her family enjoy spending their time visiting National and State Parks, camping, hiking, and spending time with their Great Dane Lily. Trevor and she enjoy traveling and watching performances by the 728 Cadets Marching Arts, and you will often see them hauling the River Valley Sound band trailer to rehearsals, performances and competitions. She has previously served as the Chair of Sponsorships with the American Brain Tumor Association's 5K in MN and was one of four volunteers who brought the ABTA 5K undraiser to the Twin Cities in 2015.
Amanda Hora - Uniforms
Amanda has been with the organization since 2022 when her 2 sons joined and now all three of her kids perform with the various groups, including her daughter. She volunteered to support the board the season after her sons joined and has been serving on the board since. Outside of the 728 Cadets organization Amanda spends her time as a homemaker and enjoys volunteering using her crafting and cooking skills.
Tarah Davis - Public Relations
Tarah has been with the organization since 2018, with this year being the first time as a board member. Her daughter, MacKenzie Bosquez, was with the organization for 5 years.
Currently, her son, Dominic Bosquez plays Alto Saxophone with RVS and the 728 Cadets. She has two other children that will also participate in the organization in the coming years.
Tarah is a supervisor over medical coding with a local Non-Profit Health System. In her spare time, she travels often, hiking at several National and State Parks across the United States.
“I am excited to participate in the organization in a board position! I hope to keep supporting and helping this organization in my role and work closely with the other board members to keep this a successful organization!”
Steve Severin - Trailer
Steve’s daughter, Kylee, is active in the River Valley Winter Guard as well as the 728 Cadets summer season. Steve has supported our organization for several years. He has been a supporting show parent for RVJWG as well as helping with trailer coordination for practices and shows and now is a member of the Board.
Outside of his volunteering with our organization, Steve works in IT for a local insecticides manufacturer.
Jen Tostenrud - Event Planning
Travis Mielke - Equipment and Trailers
Justin Hora - Volunteer Coordinator
—-------------------------------------------------------------------—-------------------------------------------------------------------
Volunteering
You are needed! Many hands make light work, but the work needs to get done either way. If everyone does something, it lightens everyone’s load!
Volunteer opportunities will be available consistently throughout the season. Some areas will be uniform fittings, volunteering to be on a committee for the board to help with props, transportation, or other items that will come up. Keep an eye on the Band App for information on upcoming opportunities to volunteer. With enough volunteers, we can share the load and get great things accomplished.
We are actively looking for people to support the different areas of the board through help on committees. If you are looking for additional ways to help, please reach out, and we can see if there is a committee that would be a good fit for your skills and talents.
You will be asked to help with many events throughout the season and we need all hands on deck to make these events successful. Your involvement is extremely important to the success of each event and we highly encourage everyone to volunteer as often as you are able. We will be asking for volunteers to help at events, competitions, our home shows as well as other events that are scheduled throughout the season.
—-------------------------------------------------------------------—-------------------------------------------------------------------
Fundraising
The 728 Cadets Marching Arts program is a non-profit non-district sponsored program for all 7th-12th grade students within the 728 district. Community events and fundraising are extremely important as they directly impact our kids and the program. The 728 Cadets is not a school funded activity so to help keep our tuition costs low, we need to fundraise.
The 728 Cadets have a lot of fundraising opportunities and can be overwhelming. It is not expected that you participate in every fundraising event, however; we encourage you to help us by promoting these events by having conversations with your friends, families, neighbors, and employers as well as sharing on your social media platforms.
Follow the 728 Cadets: Facebook | Instagram
—-------------------------------------------------------------------—-------------------------------------------------------------------
Practices
A few items to keep in mind when getting ready for practice:
- All practices will be held outdoors unless Directors advise otherwise via the Band App.
- Tennis shoes and socks should be worn at all rehearsals. Because practices involve intricate maneuvers, no sandals, flip-flops, etc. will be allowed. No one will be allowed to practice barefoot.
- Wear comfortable clothes to be able to move around comfortably. Dressing in layers may be helpful as morning practices could be cooler as well as evening practices as the sun sets.
- Don’t forget your sunscreen! A hat or visor is also a great idea as well as sunglasses!
- Eat a healthy meal before coming to practice. Always eat a well-balanced meal consisting of carbs, protein and enough calories to get you through practice. It is always a good idea to pack a healthy snack.
- It is a good idea to begin each day well-hydrated. Drink plenty of water before rehearsals as well as during rehearsals. Students are encouraged to bring a water bottle with them to each practice to also stay hydrated.
—-------------------------------------------------------------------—-------------------------------------------------------------------
Parades, What to Expect
- Itineraries: An itinerary will be posted in the Band App during the week before the parade. Though the specifics are not known very far in advance, a good rule of thumb is to block off the whole day for the event. The itinerary will include all the details of the parade including departure, warm-up, step-off times, etc.
- Busing: Students will travel to most parades on buses. Parades in our home towns (Zimmerman, Elk River, Rogers) will not have bussing. All students are expected to ride the bus both to and home from the parade unless written permission from a parent is received by the director. If other arrangements are necessary, they must be made with the directors ahead of time.
- Parents and Families: Parents, family and friends are encouraged to attend any or all of the parades.
- Be positive and polite. Always be positive about other bands, schools and performances. You never know who is sitting around you.
- Cheer enthusiastically when your group performs. They’ve worked hard to put on the show - let them know you appreciate their hard work!
- Be positive and polite. Always be positive about other bands, schools and performances. You never know who is sitting around you.
- Volunteer: Parent help is always needed the day of parades! If you can volunteer, the groups can always use the help.
- Practice patience. On parade days, there is a lot of waiting and then rush-to-get-things-done.
—-------------------------------------------------------------------—-------------------------------------------------------------------
Band Calendar
The 728 Cadets have a calendar with the seasons scheduled practices, parades and any other items that are scheduled. You can link the calendar to your own calendar as well so your calendar is kept up-to-date as items are added throughout the season.
|
|
—-------------------------------------------------------------------—-------------------------------------------------------------------
Professional Photos
Every student will also take a professional photograph in uniform as well as a large group photo of their group. The photographer will open a store to purchase photos once the photos are ready for purchase.
—-------------------------------------------------------------------—-------------------------------------------------------------------
Merchandise
Each season, there is an “official” show shirt that represents the themes of the group. These shirts, as well as several other logo’ d items, will be available for purchase. The show shirts will be provided to each performer as part of their uniforms. Information about the merch store will be posted on the Band App including the link to get into the store. Typically stores are open for a few days only.
If you have friends or family members who are interested in merch, the link for the store will also be shared on our Website as well as social media for you to share. Stores are not just for participants and their families.
—-------------------------------------------------------------------—-------------------------------------------------------------------
Current Fundraising Opportunities
In addition to our special events that are held, we also have fundraisers that are always open throughout the year. There are no deadlines for these fundraisers.
Powered by Froala Editor