Design Team

Adam Tharp is currently the Director of Bands at Innovation High School in Orlando, Florida, the newest high school within Orange County Public Schools. In this role, Adam continues to apply his passion for music education, building the band program from the ground up while working to guide students through their musical journeys.

Prior to joining Innovation High School, Adam served as the Director of Bands at Space Coast Jr/Sr High School in Port St. John, Florida, from 2019 to 2024. During his tenure, his focus on recruitment and retention allowed enrollment to nearly double, with the 5 of his 6 ensembles participating in the Florida Bandmasters Association’s Music Performance Assessments (MPA).

Outside of the classroom, Adam directed the pit orchestra for the Brevard Public Schools Summer Fine Arts Program for three summers, from 2022 to 2024. Additionally, he has participated in ensembles across Brevard county, currently playing trombone in a brass quintet made up of educators from across Brevard and Orange counties.

Prior to moving to Florida, Adam was a member of Fusion Core as a Drum Major from 2014 to 2016 and served on the brass staff of the Cadets2 for the 2017 season. He is excited to return to the organization that started his drum corps career and help bring drum corps back to Florida!

Jay Garey is currently the Instructional Band Coach for the Brevard Public Schools. In this position he is in direct contact with middle and high school band directors, assisting them with instructional concepts and educational needs within their programs.

Prior to this position he had a successful career as a band director and music

educator in Ohio for 30 years. Upon his retirement in Ohio, he moved to Florida

and has held positions as the Associate Director of Bands at Melbourne High

School, and Director of Bands at Eau Gallie High School. His bands, marching,

concert, and jazz have consistently received superior ratings at the district and state

level.  In addition to his instructional position, he has worked with several marching band programs in the space coast over the past 10 years.

He is a member of FMEA, OMEA, and FBA, along with being elected into Phi

Beta Mu honor fraternity as well as ASBDA. He is an FBA adjudicator for S&E,

concert band, and all areas of marching band.

He resides in Satellite Beach, along with his wife Tammie, a retired teacher in the

area of art education. He is excited to have the opportunity to be involved with

Fusion's first year in Florida and looks forward to its journey as a DCI All Age Drum "Core".

Chris Creswell is a versatile trombonist, composer/arranger, visual designer, and educator based in Jacksonville, FL. Since 2001, he has composed and arranged extensively for marching ensembles across the United States including numerous state champions, WGI champions, BOA regional finalists, and a USBands National Champion.

Chris serves as Artist in Residence and Associate Director of Bands at Jacksonville University, where he directs the Marching Band, Jazz Orchestra, and coordinates music education. He also remains active as a professional trombonist performing for jazz and corporate bands across the southeast. 

Chris holds degrees from the University of North Florida, The Manhattan School of Music, and is currently ABD for a DMA in Music Education at Boston University.

Dr. Raymond A. Donato holds a Bachelor of Music in Education and a Master of Arts in Music from Florida Atlantic University, as well as a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Central Florida. After his collegiate musical studies with Seth Wexler of the Florida Philharmonic and Dr. Michael Parola of The Harid Conservatory, he gained 13 years experience as a percussion instructor and arranger for various South Florida school music programs, before moving to the Orlando area.

Dr. Donato was a member of the Florida Wave Drum and Bugle Corps from 1989-1990, and the Concord Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps from 1991-1992. He then served as front ensemble technician and/or arranger for: Suncoast Sound, Florida Guardsmen, Heatwave Senior and The Magic Drum & Bugle Corps, which included the role of Caption Head for the 2006 competitive season.

Previously, Dr. Donato served as the Marching Band Director and Percussion Coordinator at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida, followed by Director of Bands at Eustis High School and Music Director at Groveland Elementary School in Lake County, Florida. Currently he is the Music Specialist at Round Lake Charter School in Mt. Dora, Florida.

Dr. Donato is one of the four initial founders of STRYKE Percussion, which is a WGI Independent World Finalist as well as a former Open Class Bronze & two-time Silver Medalist. Over the course of 10 seasons, Dr. Donato served in such roles as Ensemble Director, Board Member, Show Designer, Music Arranger and Program Coordinator. Additionally, Dr. Donato served as the Program Coordinator/Music Arranger for RPT Percussion and Program Coordinator/Front Ensemble arranger for INFINITY 3, the 2016 WGI Percussion Independent A Class Silver Medalist. Most recently, he served as the Front Ensemble Arranger at Unity Percussion from Gainesville Florida, the 2018 WGI Percussion Independent A Class Silver Medalist and 2019 WGI Percussion Independent A Class Gold Medalist.

Dr. Donato is a member of The Florida Music Educators Association, The Florida Elementary Music Educators Association, The Percussive Arts Society and The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). Dr. Donato is also endorsed by Vic Firth Drumsticks and is a member of their Education Team as a Marching Percussion Specialist. He is an active Music and Percussion Adjudicator with the both the Central States Judges Association, where he served as the Percussion Caption Head from 2009-2012, as well as the Florida Federation of Judges Association.

Mike Marino has over 20 years of experience as a percussionist, educator, and 

composer. He marched in the University of Florida Drumline from 1997-1999, and the Crossmen Drum & Bugle Corps in 2000, returning in 2024 with the Crossmen Alumni Corps.

From 1998-2016, Mike taught and/or wrote for multiple high school drumlines 

throughout the state of Florida, earning multiple percussion titles and state FMBC 

championships. He also spent six seasons with Infinity Percussion, serving as Battery Coordinator (2008-2010) and later as Co-Ensemble Director, Music Arranger (battery and front ensemble), and Sound Designer (2011-2013). He was the Battery Arranger for Infinity 3 from 2016 to 2017, earning a WGI PIA Silver Medal in 2016. In 2018, he worked with RPT Percussion as the Battery Arranger, and from 2019-2020, he was a Show Design Consultant for Unity Percussion, where the ensemble won a WGI PIA Gold Medal in 2019.

For nearly two decades, Mike has been a full-time musician throughout the Walt Disney World theme parks as well as Universal Orlando, SeaWorld Orlando, and SeaWorld San Antonio. During this time, he’s been a part of multiple Disney recording sessions for various projects used around the world. He’s also assisted with show and music creation for various theme park shows, one of those shows receiving a 2019 Brass Ring Award for Best Atmosphere/Street Show Performance from the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA).

Outside of the marching percussion world, Mike regularly writes for numerous 

production music libraries. His music has earned thousands of placements across 

hundreds of shows and sporting events around the world. His credits include: ABC, 

CBS, NBC Sports, CBS Sports, MTV, Discovery, Bravo, BBC One, NFL Network, 

Netflix, and many more.

Mike is a member of Broadcast Music, Inc (BMI), the American Federation of Musicians (AFM), and is part of the Vic Firth Education Team as a Marching Percussion Specialist. He currently resides in Orlando, FL with his wife and children.

Kevin studied Business Management and Marketing at The University of North Florida. He has served as an entertainment performer and stage manager for the Walt Disney Company for over 24 years. He toured as a Disney Entertainer and worked for 12 months on board the Big Red Boat representing Disney.

Kevin wrote and created the Auxiliary workshop “Auxiliration” for Disney’s Magic Music Days, in addition to hiring and training all color guard clinicians for the workshop.

He is a color guard adjudicator for Heritage Festivals, OrlandoFest, and Festival Disney Music Competitions. Kevin is a also a color guard adjudicator for the Florida Bandmasters Association and a winter guard equipment judge for the Florida Federation of Judges Association.

Kevin serves as Color Guard Director for the University of Central Florida Marching Knights and WGI Open Class Gold Medalist Pegasus Winter Guard. He is a sought-after color guard Director and Designer for numerous outstanding high school visual programs. He was a member of the Bronze Medal Winning Alliance of Miami Winter Guard in 1991 as well as a twenty-five year member and instructor in Winter Guard International and Drum Corps International.

Kevin is excited to join the Fusion Core Family as they continue their journey in his hometown State.

More info coming soon!