Dr. Mark J. Spede is Professor, Director of Bands, Director of Tiger Band, and Conductor of the Symphonic Band at Clemson University, where he administrates the band program (symphonic, athletic, and jazz bands). Dr. Spede is the recipient of the Clemson University 2009 Dean's Award for Excellence in Teaching (College of Architecture, Arts, and Humanities), and three Clemson University Board of Trustees Awards for Faculty Excellence (2008, 2009, and 2012). He teaches a number of courses, including two for the Calhoun Honors College: aesthetics of music and science of music. In 2012, Dr. Spede conducted the Clemson University Symphonic Band at venues in London, England, for the Summer Olympic Games. Also in 2012, he founded the Clemson Faculty Jazz Quintet, for which he plays drums.

Dr. Spede earned a Bachelor of Music from the University of Michigan (1984), and Master of Music from Ball State University (1988), and a Doctor of Musical Arts from The University of Texas at Austin (1998). He has served the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA) in a number of capacities. From 2003 to 2005, Dr. Spede served as state chair for South Carolina. He also served on the CBDNA "New Era Think Tank" from 2005 to 2007, and served as chair of the "Athletic Band Task Force" from 2005 to 2009. He served as President of the Southern Division of CBDNA (encompassing eleven southern states) and was recently elected National Vice President and will rise to National President in 2019. In addition, he has served as president of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Band Directors Association. Dr. Spede previously served on the faculties at The University of Texas at Austin (1998-1999) and the University of Florida in Gainesville (1989-1995) as Assistant Director of Bands. At Florida, he also taught studio percussion.

As a freelance arranger, Dr. Spede has written extensively for high school and college marching bands (over 200 arrangements). His wind band arrangements and transcriptions are published by Peer Music, Shirmer, Boosery and Hawkes, and Carl Fischer, including "D.C. Fanfare" by John Corigliano, "Red Cape Tango" by Michael Daugherty, "Wedding Dances from Bandanna" by Daron Hagen, "Acrostic Song" by David Del Tredici, and "Millennium Canons" by Kevin Puts. He served as Assistant Conductor of the Dallas Wind Symphony, where he also helped produce two of their recordings. His professional performing experience includes orchestra (principal percussion in the Gainesville Chamber Orchestra, Muncie Symphony Orchestra, Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra, Flint Symphony Orchestra), jazz (performing with such artists as Randy Brecker, Ray Brown, Pete Christlieb, Dennis DiBlasio, Duffy Jackson, Dave Pell, Bobby Shew, Marvin Stamm, Bill Watrous, Ernie Watts, and Phil Wilson), as well as at Walt Disney World.

Mr. Tim Hurlburt is the Associate Director of Bands at Clemson University where his duties include Assistant Director of Tiger Band, Director of the Jazz Ensemble, and Director of Basketball Pep Band.

Before arriving at Clemson, Mr. Hurlburt spent 3 years teaching music in Port Huron, Michigan. He still has a great interest in public school music education and continues to work as a clinician for both concert bands and marching bands at every level. Mr. Hurlburt has written several arrangements for athletic bands in both Michigan and Texas, and he continues to write arrangements and drill for high school and college marching bands.

Mr. Hurlburt has performed as principal trumpet in the Texas State University Wind Ensemble, Michigan State University Symphony Band, Spartan Marching Band, Spartan Brass, and was also a member of the Michigan State University Wind Symphony. He earned his Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from Michigan State University in 2003 and his Master of Music degree in Conducting from Texas State University in 2008.

Caroline Wright Pfisterer is a dedicated musician and educator currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts in Wind Conducting at the University of Georgia, where she has maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout both her doctoral studies and her Master’s degree from the University of Alabama. She has excelled in various leadership roles, including Assistant Director of Festival Band and Doctoral Conducting Associate.

Caroline now serves as Lecturer and Assistant Director of Bands at Clemson University, where she works with the Tiger Band and Concert Band. Her conducting experience spans a wide range of ensembles, from the University of Georgia's Wind Ensemble to the University of Alabama's Million Dollar Band, and she has taught courses such as Introduction to Conducting and Instrumental Techniques.

Her teaching and outreach extend beyond the traditional classroom—Caroline has worked with Disney’s Performing Arts Center in Orlando, engaging young musicians from across the country in immersive performance experiences, and has also taught music internationally in China.

She is deeply involved in community music education, having served as a clinician and coordinator for honor bands and workshops.

An accomplished conductor, Caroline has performed internationally and received numerous accolades, including the Osborne Fellowship and the Mike Moss Conducting Grant. With a passion for nurturing young musicians, she combines her extensive teaching experience with a commitment to excellence, fostering creativity and collaboration in her students.

Caroline lives with her husband, Zack, her son, Holden, and their beloved dog, Mr. Beaufort, whose enthusiasm for long walks and rehearsal snacks keeps life full of joy and laughter.

Tanner Leonardo came to Clemson after formerly serving as the Assistant Director of Percussion at East Texas A&M University. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Kentucky, a Master of Performance from Morehead State University as well as a Bachelor of Music in Music Performance from the University of Louisville. As a composer, educator, performer, and audio-engineer, Tanner finds himself demonstrating his talents across multiple facets of music.

Tanner’s professional career spans a wide array of roles including music arranger, adjudicator, and clinician. His marching percussion arrangements have been featured in Bands of America competitions, winning at Grand Nationals, and have contributed to numerous state championships. His compositions for percussion ensembles have been performed on an international stage, with his 2020 piece premiering at The Conservatoire de Musique de Grasse in France. Known for his innovative teaching and passion for advancing music technology, Tanner has presented multiple clinics and co-produced a virtual session for the prestigious Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC).

A recognized expert in live sound design and audio engineering, Tanner’s work includes audio engineering for elite drum corps such as the Blue Knights, Phantom Regiment, Troopers, and Santa Clara Vanguard. His meticulous attention to audio production extends beyond the marching arts, having most recently served as Music Producer for The Collected Few Dance Project, a modern dance company in Lexington, KY, where he developed and produced the original score for their program Veil of Perception.

Tanner’s performance background is rooted in his extensive experience as a percussionist. He has performed with a variety of ensembles, including chamber groups, orchestras, and contemporary percussion ensembles, showcasing his versatility across different genres. His work with the A/Tonal Ensemble, a contemporary chamber group, has been a key part of his career, where he contributed to performances blending experimental and new music. His background in both traditional and innovative performance settings have deepened his understanding of how to bridge live performance and sound design, allowing him to integrate acoustic and electronic elements.

Performing ensembles of which he has been a member include the Louisville Orchestra, Cave Run Symphony Orchestra, Commonwealth Brass Band, Louisville Philharmonia, Orchestra Enigmatic, Music City Drum & Bugle Corps, Louisville Winds, Walden Theater Opera Co., and a wide variety of collegiate ensembles. He has performed at both the World Association of Symphonic Bands & Ensembles Conference in San Jose, California and the Sandy Feldstein Percussion Festival in Indianapolis, Indiana. He regularly performs with A/tonal Chamber Ensemble, and also maintains a freelance performing schedule in the Louisville area. In 2018 he had the opportunity to conduct a self-composed piece for the KMEA District 5 ‘All-District’ Percussion Ensemble.

Mr. Terry Kent was been the instructor for the Clemson Tiger Guard and Winter Guard from 2010-2023. The Tiger Guard performs at all home football games and travels with the full band to away games. The Winterguard competes in the local colorguard circuit, CWEA, and also at WGI events. Mr. Kent is one of the founding members of the CIPA color guard circuit and is a member of the CIPA Hall of Fame.

Mr. Kent has worked for Marching Auxiliaries for 25 years as summer camp staff, traveling, and teaching weekly camps for rifles, flags, majorettes, drum majors and dancers. There, he served as an instructor, division head, and clinic director. While on staff with Marching Auxiliaries, Mr. Kent was on the half time staff for the Citrus, Capital One, Bluebonnet, Alamo, Outback, and Peach Bowls. Duties included instruction of the cast members, choreography design, and game day productions.

Mr. Kent has performed with Infiniti winter guard 1990-91, Corps Vets all-age drum corps 2002-04, 2007, 2009-2010, and Alliance all-age drum corps 2005-06. He was color guard caption head of Corps Vets (2003-04) and Alliance (2005-06). Mr. Kent has placed second in both rifle and flag solo at DCA finals and choreographed the first-place Guard Ensemble in 2004, 2005 and 2009. He was on the staff for Infiniti winter guard (1992-2001) where they were WGI Independent A World Champions in 2001.

After 27 years, Mr. Kent retired from teaching band at Hillcrest Middle School in the School District of Greenville County and is a Graduate of Furman University.

Mrs. Emily Curry has served on the Tiger Band staff since 2018. Emily received her B.A. in Elementary Education from Clemson University and her Masters in Library and Information Science from the University of South Carolina. She has spent 20 years in education and currently serves as a school librarian.

A native of Madison, Indiana, Emily found her way to Clemson through years of baton twirling and participating in competitions across the country. Beginning with her Tiger Twirler audition in 2002, Emily has made Clemson her home. She was a Tiger Twirler for four years and performed in various bowl games, parades, and community events as a member of Tiger Band. After graduation, Emily began teaching baton privately and has worked with dozens of students throughout the last decade.

In her little bit of spare time, Emily enjoys attending Clemson sporting events, crafting, and spending time with her husband, Lance, and two daughters.

Marilla Riggs has served as the Tiger Dancer coach for Tiger Band since 2018. She resides in Spartanburg, SC, with her husband, 3 children, and 2 dogs. Originally from East Tennessee, she began dancing at age three and trained extensively in ballet (Vaganova technique), pointe, jazz, tap, modern, and musical theatre. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from Shenandoah Conservatory in 2014, graduating with honors.

During her time at Shenandoah, Marilla performed in numerous mainstage productions and choreographed works for herself and her peers. After graduation, she worked in Washington, D.C. with a contemporary dance company, teaching in studios and performing professionally, including guest appearances with a Grammy-winning artist.

In addition to being on staff with Tiger Band, Marilla is also a long time dance instructor at Carolina Superstars Baton and Dance studio, and also teaches dance classes at a local preschool.

Jennifer has been an instructor for the Clemson University Tiger Guard since 2021. In addition to her role at Clemson, she has served as the director of the D.W. Daniel High School Color Guard since the fall of 2019. Prior to that, she taught color guard at Pickens High School from 2016 to 2019 while attending Clemson University.

A graduate of Summerville High School, she was a member of the competitive marching band from 2011 to 2015 and performed with the Summerville Open Winter Guard from 2013 to 2016. Other performing experience includes marching with Charlestowne Independent in 2017 and Etude World Guard in 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2023.

Outside of the color guard world, she is a full-time special education teacher at D.W. Daniel High School. She holds a degree in Special Education from Clemson University and is passionate about supporting students both in the classroom and on the field.

After serving as the PA announcer in Death Valley for one year, Dr. Willis has been the voice of Tiger Band since 1994. A native Texan and a graduate of East Texas A&M, the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and the Graduate Theological Foundation, he has served as a College Minister for 31 years, 24 of which have been at Clemson. He has also served as an Intentional Interim pastor, Life Coach, Conflict Consultant and Chaplain at a retirement community. He retired at the end of 2017 after 43 years of ministry. He is married to Lynda and they have two sons, John (deceased) and David.

Christopher Sloan is the co-lead photographer for Tiger Band. Chris became a member of Tiger Band in 1991, and he served as trumpet section leader and Band Commander before his graduation from Clemson in 1997. As a professional photographer and co-owner of Imagine! Studios, Chris has been creating high quality images for Tiger Band since 2006. Chris captures the essence of Tiger Band, from dynamic on-the-field performances to candid moments in the stands to fun times away from the stadium. Chris has spent the majority of his life around Tiger Band, and he loves to tell its stories through his camera. His work can be viewed and purchased online at TigerBandMedia.com and through his studio’s website at ImagineStudiosSC.com

Tamara Sloan is the co-lead Tiger Band photographer and co-owner of Imagine! Studios. She has been a professional photographer since 2010, and she’s been capturing images of Tiger Band since 2015. Tamara is a native of upstate South Carolina, a science teacher at Blue Ridge High School, and a lifelong Clemson fan. She grew up admiring the sounds of Tiger Band during her fall Saturdays in Death Valley. Tamara and Chris have a daughter named Peyton who will graduate from high school in 2027. Tamara has made many memories with Tiger Band and she looks forward to capturing more in the future with her camera!

Zach Arms is a Clemson graduate from the classes of 2017 (Bachelors in Secondary Education & History) and 2024 (Masters in Educational Leadership). He was a member of Tiger Band from 2013 - 2017 where he played trombone for two years, was drum major for two years, and was Tiger Band Commander in 2016 when the Tigers won their second national championship! While at Clemson, he was also a founding brother of Clemson's chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity. Zach currently serves the Fraternity as Province Governor for South Carolina.

Zach served as the Assistant Marching Band Director for the PRIDE of Liberty Marching Band at Liberty High School, SC from 2018 - 2026. While he was at Liberty, the PRIDE broke school records every single season including earning bronze in 2024 and silver in 2025 for the 1A SCBDA State Championships. Zach currently works as an assistant principal at D.W. Daniel High School in Central, SC. He enjoys cooking, hiking, beating Hurly at trivia, and playing with his dog Cooper.