Instructors

Mr. Bradley Rikard, Music/Visual Technician

Mr. Rikard is currently serving as the Associate Director of Bands at Barber Middle School in Cobb County, GA. Since joining Barber, Mr. Rikard's ensembles have been invited to perform at the Music for All Southeastern Regional Concert Band Festival in 2016, 2018 and 2020, and were an invited featured ensemble at the University of Alabama Middle School Honor Band Clinic in 2016. The Barber Middle School Band was also invited to the Music for All National Concert Band Festival in 2020. Additionally, Mr. Rikard has served as a Visual and Music Instructor for the Kennesaw State University Marching Owls since their inaugural season in 2015.

 
Mr. Rikard earned his Master’s of Music Education from Florida State University in 2015, and Bachelor of Music degrees in Music Education and Saxophone Performance from Georgia Southern University in 2007. His professional affiliations include: National Association for Music Education, Georgia Music Educators Association, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and Tau Beta Sigma.

He currently resides in Acworth with his wife Megan, daughter Riley, and dogs Grainger and Pepper Potts.
 

Mr. Vincent Rose, Music/Visual Technician

Vincent Rose is a band director at Lost Mountain Middle School. He is also on the marching band staff at Kennesaw State University. Before working in public schools, Mr. Rose was an avid freelancer in the greater Atlanta area from 2018-2021. Mr. Rose holds a bachelors degree in music education from Georgia State University and a masters degree in music performance from the University of South Florida. In 2016, Mr. Rose founded Tampa Bay’s premier tuba polka quartet, the “Polkamaniacs.” They perform annually at a German festival in Tampa.

 

 

Mr. Alan Sears, Percussion Caption Head

Alan Sears is a co-founder of Atlanta Quest. He has been the music and program director since the beginning in 2002.

He obtained a Bachelor of Music Degree in Music Education from Georgia Southern University in 1999. While there he performed under the direction of Dr. Daniel Pittman, and studied with Dr. Matt Fallin.  He was a member of the “Southern Pride” Marching Drumline and Indoor Drumline. He instructed and arranged for the group from 1996-1998. He also toured extensively as a performer over the Eastern United States and throughout Europe.

Alan now serves as the Director of Percussion for the Sprayberry High School “Band of Gold”, as well as consults and arranges for many groups throughout the state. His students have been named to the Georgia All-State Band and Orchestra, the Georgia Governors Honors Program, and received scholarships and placement in some of the most prestigious college band programs in the country. He also serves as the Co-Caption Head and Arranger for  Alliance Drum and Bugle Corps. Mr. Sears also has his arrangements published with CounterMotion Inc.

Mr. Sears is member of the Percussive Arts Society and a co-founder of the Georgia Alliance for Performing Arts Education, a non-profit foundation that provides support for Atlanta Quest.

Alan is married to Monna Sears and the proud father of two sons Hayden Alan Sears and Cole Alexander Sears.
 

Mr. Zack Marshall, Assistant Percussion Instructor

Mr. Marshall is an Organizational Communications major at Kennesaw State University. He has served as the Visual Caption Head of Atlanta Quest since 2013. Mr. Marshall spent the summer of 2014 on visual staff for the Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps. He continues to write drill and design shows for Atlanta Quest, as well as many high school programs in the Southeast.

As a performer, Mr. Marshall spent numerous years as a snare drummer competing in WGI, where he marched his last season with Music City Mystique in 2011. He is also a member of the Percussive Arts Society where he competed for the first time in 2014, winning with his original composition, “A Night in the Boro,” performed by the Middle Tennessee State University Snare Ensemble.

Mr. Marshall still continues to pursue his passion of performing as he returns to Kennesaw from his tour of Europe with Blue Devils International.
 

Mr. Zac Carr, Assistant Percussion Instructor

Zac Carr is the Bass Drum Instructor for “The Marching Owls.” Mr. Carr has worked with Alliance Drum & Bugle Corps, Atlanta Quest Independent Indoor Drumline, Roswell High School, Woodland High School in Cartersville, Sprayberry High School, Creekview High School, Woodstock High School, Barber Middle School, Reinhardt University in Waleska, & the University of Alabama “Million Dollar Band.”

While a performing member of the Boston Crusaders Drum & Bugle Corps, Mr. Carr was fortunate to be under the instruction of Christopher Lennox, Ellis Hampton, Chauncey Holder, Jonathan Anderson, & Jonathan Leal. During his time performing with Alliance Drum & Bugle Corps, Mr. Carr was fortunate to learn from Marcus Hawkins, Alan Sears, Larry Summerlin, & Jeffrey Peterson. At Atlanta Quest Independent Indoor Drumline, Mr. Carr was fortunate to learn from Michael Madaio, Marcus Hawkins, Alan Sears, Larry Summerlin, Jeffrey Peterson, & Zack Marshall.

Mr. Carr attended Creekview High School, graduating in 2010. In December of 2014, Mr. Carr graduated from Kennesaw State University with a B.S. in Psychology and a minor in Applied Statistics and Data Analysis. In May of 2018, Mr. Carr graduated from Arizona State University with a M.S. in Business Analytics. He now works full-time as a Data Analyst for Serta Simmons Bedding in Doraville & lives in Woodstock with his wife Cristen Carr.

Ms. Nicole West, Colorguard Instructor and Coordinator

Ms. Nicole West currently lives in Marietta, Ga with her 4 year old son and 9 month old daughter. She is a graduate of Kennesaw State University with a B.S. in Sociology and a double minor in both Native American Archeology and Dance. Her performance career began at Marietta High School where she was in the color guard for four years. After graduating, Ms. West went on to march with the Spirit of Atlanta Drum and Bugle corps for one year and the Carolina Crown drum corps for two years. She was also a member of the Georgia Tech Band for 5 years, eventually becoming an inaugural member of the Georgia Tech winter guard. 

As an educator, Ms. West has taught numerous programs in Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, California, and Wisconsin. For the last 14 years she has been the color guard director of Sprayberry High School in Marietta, Ga. She founded the Reverie winterguard organization 11 years ago and is currently the Executive Director.

 

 

Ms. Madison Norrington, Assistant Colorguard Instructor

Madison Norrington currently lives in Marietta, GA. and is a school counselor at a local school. She is a graduate of Kennesaw State University with a B.S. in Criminal Justice and a minor in Sociology, and got her masters degree from the University of San Diego with a M.A. in School Counseling. Her performing arts career began at Hillgrove High School where she was in the marching band as a trumpet player and on the varsity winter guard for four years . After graduating, Madison attended Jacksonville State University in Alabama, and marched with the Jacksonville State Marching Southerners, on the trumpet line, for two years. She then moved back to Georgia and finished her degree at KSU after a tornado incident in 2018. Madison also marched in the SAPA and WGI circuits with Reverie Winter Guard from 2016 - 2023, taking off 2021 -2022 for school, and was a part of Reverie’s first World Class Guard.

As an educator, Madison has taught at a few programs, in Georgia and California from 2018 to present day. She was a guard tech at Sprayberry HS, Roswell HS, and Whitewater HS. She then went on to be the guard director of El Capitan High School in Lakeside California, before returning to Georgia to work for the Marching Owls and Kennesaw Mtn. High School. Madison loves sharing her passion and knowledge of the marching arts world and hopes to continue her teaching journey with the marching Owls for many years to come.