A Parkston, South Dakota native, Brooke Bigge graduated from South Dakota State University in 2020 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education. She is currently the Assistant Band Director at Ben Reifel Middle School in Sioux Falls, SD where she instructs band students in grades 5-8 and directs the BRMS Jazz Band. During her time at SDSU, Brooke was involved with many musical ensembles and served as section leader for the Pride of the Dakotas Drumline and the SDSU Wind Symphony percussion section. She is currently a member of the 147th National Guard Army Band and enjoys sharing her passion for music with students in Sioux Falls and the surrounding areas through private lessons and her involvement with SuFuDu.

Kevin Kurtz graduated from South Dakota State University with a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education. Since graduating, he has taught 4th-12th instrumental music in Parkston, SD, substituted in the Sioux Falls area and is currently the assistant band director at Jefferson High School where he directs the concert bands, the Marching Cavaliers, Jefferson STEEL, and performs with the pep band and pit orchestra.

Kevin has a long history of working with drumlines in the area. He worked with the Brookings High School drumline while he attended SDSU. After 2 season of working with the ensemble, he was a member of the staff who founded the first competitive indoor drumline in South Dakota. After graduated SDSU, he began working with Brandon Valley High School marching band and was a member of their drumline staff during the inaugural indoor drumline season as well. He has been a clinician for the marching bands in West Central, Mitchell, and Sioux Falls.

Kevin may be new addition to the SuFuDu instructional staff but he has a history with SuFuDu. He was a member of the organization from '09-'13, the section leader in '13, and now is not only on the instructional staff but is on the SuFuDu board as their Social Media representative. Because of his involvement in SuFuDu, he decided to pursue music education as a career. This led him to performing in ensemble such as the Pride of the Dakota's drumline, Pioneer Drum & Bugle Corps, Minnesota Brass (Soundsport). He is currently still performing in and writing for the M4 Quartet, a marimba quartet that he and others founded that perform at wedding ceremonies.

When Mr. Kurtz is not in front of a music ensemble, you can find him spending time with family, friends and his German Shepherd, Stormy.

Devon Melillo is an active music educator from Sioux Falls, SD. Mr. Melillo graduated from South Dakota State University with his Bachelor of Music Education and minor in Spanish, where he led the SDSU Pride of Dakotas Marching Band Drumline, as well as served as principal percussionist in collegiate-level Wind Ensembles and Intercollegiate Bands. Mr. Melillo currently directs the Middle School Bands in Brandon, serves as Assistant Director of the Marching Band, and directs Brandon Valley Indoor, a national finalist competitive indoor drumline.

Mr. Melillo has taught with SuFuDu since 2019 and has served as Artistic Director for two years. He’s been an instructor of Brandon Valley’s percussion since 2015; before joining BV full-time, he student-taught at Rosemount High School in Rosemount, Minnesota, and after became the High School and 5th Grade Band Director in Lennox, SD.

Additionally, Mr. Melillo marched in River City Rhythm Drum & Bugle Corps in 2015 and 2018. In his senior year of college, he was awarded the Schultz-Werth Research Grant Award based on his published paper, The Impact of Percussion from John Cage, and he was named SDSU School of the Performing Arts Honoree. Mr. Melillo has been a teacher and clinician for both indoor and outdoor marching programs in the Sioux Falls and Twin Cities area and was invited to present performance clinics at Minnesota’s 2020 “Day of Percussion” event. He is also a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. In his free time, Mr. M enjoys finding new recipes in the kitchen, tending to the vegetable garden, and spending time with his family.