Mr. Zachary Fruits - Director of Bands 
Zachary Fruits is a native of Columbia, Missouri where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education and Performance Diploma (clarinet) from Missouri State University. Mr. Fruits has taught public schools in both Missouri and Colorado, where he has developed award-winning concert, marching, and jazz bands.

In 2015, Mr. Fruits received a Master's Degree in Wind Conducting from Colorado State University, serving as a graduate assistant with the CSU Marching Band, the basketball pep bands, and as director of the Presidential Pep Band. In addition, he served as guest conductor of the Wind Symphony, the Symphonic Band, and the Concert Band. Under his direction, the Colorado State University’s new music ensemble performed the world premiere of Kevin Olsen’s When I Am Silent, I Have Thunder Hidden Inside. During his time at CSU, he was selected to participate in the Frederick Fennell Memorial Conducting Workshop, hosted by the Eastman School of Music.

With the Rock Canyon Bands Mr. Fruits instructs and manages all aspects of a diverse music program which includes a symphonic band, concert band, jazz ensemble, pep band, color guard, a CBA competitive marching band, a musical pit orchestra, and digital music production classes. His pedagogical objectives involve providing young people with well-rounded musical experiences, inspiring excellence at the highest level.
 
Mr. Fruits’ conducting mentors include Dr. Rebecca Phillips, Dr. Belva Prather, and Professor Jerry Hoover. In addition, he has studied with Dr. Kevin Sedatole, Dr. John Lynch, Dr. Steven Davis, and Dr. Mark Scatterday. He has been a clinician throughout Missouri and Colorado and was guest conductor of the Springfield Community Band and CSU Pueblo University Band. As a clarinetist, Mr. Fruits won the Missouri State Concerto Competition in 2009 and performed Krommer’s Concerto for 2 Clarinets with the Missouri State Symphony. He has also performed internationally throughout Europe as Assistant Principal Clarinetist with the World Youth Wind Orchestra Project.
 
Mr. Fruits is a member of The Conductors Guild, National Association for Music Education (NAfME), National Band Association (NBA), Colorado Music Educators Association (CMEA), and the Colorado Bandmasters Association (CBA). He also is a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia National Music Fraternity and Kappa Kappa Psi National Band Service Fraternity. 
Mr. Joey Glassman - Director of Percussion/Front Ensemble
Joey Glassman is a professional jazz vibraphonist, percussionist, educator, and composer. Joey’s studies in music began at a young age, born into an already musical family. Those studies progressed into his formative years, resulting in a Bachelor of Music in Classical Percussion Performance from The University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music under scholarship. During his undergraduate studies, Joey received awards such as Outstanding Undergraduate Senior in Performance (awarded to only one senior in the music program), Outstanding Senior Percussion Recital, Outstanding Junior Percussion Recital, as well as a Downbeat award for Best Classical Group as a part of the Lamont Symphony Orchestra. In May 2019, he completed his graduate studies at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. He majored in Jazz Vibraphone performance under the direction of Chip Stephens, during which time he was also a teaching assistant for the music theory department, overseen by Heinrich Taube, Stephen Taylor, and Carlos Carrillo. 
Joey has played with artists such as Chip Stephens, Chip McNeill, Tito Carrillo, Larry Gray, Joel Spencer, Donnie Heitler and with groups such as The Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonia da Camera, Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra, Boulder Symphony Orchestra, Fort Collins Symphony, Wyoming Symphony Orchestra, Denver Philharmonic Orchestra, and Denver Brass. Joey’s most recent endeavor is his quartet dedicated to the music of Radiohead. As well, he performs nationwide as a soloist with Louis Colaiannia.
As an educator, Joey has seen success teaching as a private and ensemble instructor at The Conservatory of Central Illinois, Performance Play Music School, Eaglecrest High School, Cherry Creek Academy, St. Edward High School, and Dakota Ridge High School. He has taught ages 3-74.
Composing music has always been very important to Joey, with beginnings as early as grade school. His most significant works include the score for Carrie O’Toole’s documentary Forfeiting Sanity: What if Love is Not Enough, the score for her short film Little: A Bullying Story, and many jazz songs.
As a professional musician, Joey Glassman continues to strive for excellence in all that he plays, teaches, and writes. He currently lives in Castle Rock, Colorado with his wife, Katie and their cats, Genji and Winston Barrington.
Ms. Marguerite Buhr - Director of Color Guard


​Marguerite Buhr is a native of Colorado Springs, CO, and has been involved in the Color Guard activity for over a decade. She has performed internationally with independent groups based in Colorado and has worked with multiple groups qualifying for WGI World Championships for multiple years, herself earning semifinalist and finalist commendations. Ms. Buhr has been dancing with OPE (Oracle performance ensemble) since 2014, performing an array of different styles including jazz, modern, ballet, contemporary, and lyrical.  She also has experience with the Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps, recently performing in the opening ceremony of the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Bahrain and the BK Alumni performance at "Drums Along the Rockies." Ms. Buhr is passionate about her craft and strives to develop the future of the activity through teaching. Ms. B has been involved in the Rock Canyon Bands Program since 2016.
Ms. Gina Bliss - Woodwind Specialist


​Gina Bliss is a classically trained clarinetist who performs a wide range of musical works from classical to new music. Currently residing in Denver, Gina is an active performer and subs with local musical ensembles including Arapahoe Philharmonic, Denver Philharmonic, Jefferson Symphony and the Colorado Wind Ensemble. She is also involved with musical theatre companies such as The Venue Theatre in Conifer, CO.

Gina has a well established and successful clarinet studio with students coming from all over the Colorado Front Range. Her students have placed first chair in Douglas County Honor bands, as well as in Cherry Creek Honor Band, Citywide, and Continental League Honor Band. Her students range from middle school through high school. In addition to her clarinet studio, Gina is an elementary band teacher for the Highlands Ranch High School booster program, Elementary Band and Orchestra Program (EBOP). Her newest endeavor is working with the Rock Canyon High School Marching Band as their Woodwind Coach. Gina holds a Masters’ Degree in Music Performance from the University of Denver and Bachelor’s Degree in Music Performance from Northern Arizona University.

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​Mr. Joshua Butts   -   ​Brass/Visual Specialist
Joshua Butts brings his decade of experience in the marching arts to Rock Canyon as both a Brass and Visual Specialist. As a drum corps member, Josh marched for two seasons with the Blue Knights. He used this experience to hone his musical and visual creativity, and has taught at several established high school programs across the state including Evergreen High School and Columbine High School. Josh feels blessed to have had passionate instructors who pushed him to be a stronger musician and performer, and hopes to do the same for generations to come.​
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​Ms. Rose Martin   -   ​Percussion/Front Ensemble
Rose Martin is a burgeoning composer, percussionist, and teacher. Her compositional work is founded on the intersection of voice, movement, and percussion. This manifests in Lace (2018) for marimba, wood, and speaking voice, and Two Scenes (2019) for flute and speaking voice. Her newest quartet Bury Me In The Sky (2019) for flute, violin, bassoon, and percussion will be premiered by members of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra and the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra in September, 2019.
Rose has been studying with composer Stuart Saunders Smith since 2014, and has given performance lectures on his percussion theatre music to high schools and universities, most recently the University of Denver Lamont School of Music. In May 2018, Rose world-premiered TRACKS (2017) for multiple-percussion by Christian Wolff and Clay Singing (2005/2016-17) for percussion and speaking voice by Stuart Sunders Smith.
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Rose holds a Masters of Music from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Denver, Lamont School of Music. Her teachers include John Kinzie, Dr. Sarah Morelli, master drummer Johnson Kemeh, master xylophonist (gyil) Aaron Bebe Sukura, Ayano Kataoka, and currently, Stuart Saunders Smith.