Staff

Michael Carpenter – Director of Bands

Mr. Carpenter has been the director of bands at Plainfield High School since 2012. He is a graduate of the University of Indianapolis where he holds a bachelors degree in music education. Prior to working at Plainfield he spent his first 6 years of teaching at Fishers High School in Fishers, Indiana where he was responsible for teaching marching band, 2 concert bands, pep band, and music theory. He has worked with numerous groups from all over the state at local and national competitive levels including the Lawrence Central Spirit of Central Marching Band from 2005-2007. Mr. Carpenter is a member of the National Association for Music Education, Indiana Bandmasters Association, and Mu Phi Epsilon music fraternity. His major influences are Dr. Tom McCauley, James Beckel (ISO), Randy Greenwell and his Father Melvin Carpenter who was a band director for 35 years. Mr. Carpenter’s hobbies include tinkering with his home theater system, attending concerts, following the Indiana pacers, and spending time with his family. He has been married to his lovely wife, Melanie, since 2004. They have a beautiful daughter named Clara and currently live in Plainfield, IN.

Jason Schmidt – Assistant Director

Jason Schmidt is from Granger, IN and graduated from Penn High School in 2009. He then attended Ball State University and graduated in 2013 with a Bachelor of Science in Music Education. There he studied trombone under John Seidel and performed in the Wind Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, Marching Band, Trombone Choir, and many other large and small ensembles. Jason performed with the Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps from 2010, 2011, and 2012 on baritone where he truly developed his love for the marching arts. He then worked on their Admin Staff in 2013 and performed in the Blue Stars Alumni Corps in 2014.

Carrie Gentry – Color Guard Director
Carrie is a graduate from Plainfield High School and Marian College with a degree in Psychology. She was a cast member of the 1997 WGI IW group Adagio and 2001 Pride of Cincinnati, which won their first gold medal that year. She has been a guard director at numerous schools throughout Indiana over the past 25 years as well as a hired choreographer and clinician for schools in other states such as Texas and New Mexico. Carrie has also been involved with a number of successful Winter Drumline groups including Franklin Central, Center Grove and Plainfield. Currently, she is an active judge for IHSCGA, IPA and as well as states around the country. She is also a current member of the IHSCGA executive board. Carrie maintains a full time career with The Hartford as well as being an adult volunteer for Scouts BSA.

Jeff Gentry – Visual Designer
The year of 2021 marks Jeff’s 36th year involved in the performance arts. He has designed and judged all levels of the visual arts activities.

He has written/designed for Marching Bands, Color Guards, Drum Lines and Drum & Bugle Corps in twelve different states and two provinces of Canada.

His visual designs have been awarded 6 consecutive World Class, 5 Open Class, 1 A Class and 1 AA Class Indiana Percussion Association (IPA) State Championships. This is a unique distinction as he is the only designer to have had groups win all four of IPA’s movement classes and had at least one IPA class Champion for 8 consecutive years. On the International stage he is in rare company having designed for back to back WGI Scholastic World Class Champions in 2005 & 2006.

His marching band designs have accumulated multiple State titles, hundreds of Visual/GE Visual caption awards and been a consistent Indiana State Finalist.

www.drumsinagym.com

Derrick Shannon II – Director of Percussion

Derrick Shannon is a percussion specialist originally from the Chicago-land area. He held the Director of Percussive Arts position at Goshen Community Schools where he oversaw two World Class finalist ensembles that actively competed within Winter Guard International. He started Percussive Soundscapes which offers a variety of services to the marching arts community including custom arrangements for band and winter percussion ensembles. He teaches at Ball State University, judges during the weekends, and consults with numerous groups across the country.

After marching seven summers of drum corps with groups such as the Phantom Regiment and Cavaliers, both in the battery and front ensemble, Derrick has become the Percussion Caption Head for the Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps from Rockford, IL. He received his Bachelors in Music Education at the VanderCook College of Music and his Master’s in Music Technology at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. Derrick proudly endorses Innovative Percussion sticks and mallets, Pearl Drums, Remo drumheads, Etymotic hearing protection products, and BeatRack percussion solutions. To find out more about Derrick Shannon you can visit his website at derrickshannon.net.

Chris Murphree – Front Ensemble Coordinator

Chris is currently a percussion instructor and arranger at Brownsburg High School in Brownsburg,
Indiana. He also serves as an arranger and teacher for the Plainfield Percussion program,
directed by Derrick Shannon. Chris is also serving as the Front Ensemble Caption Head at
Legacy Indoor Percussion based out of Indianapolis, Indiana and the Front Ensemble arranger
for Orange County Independent, a PIO group based out of Costa Mesa, California.

He received his Master’s degree from Indiana University, and his Bachelor’s degree from Middle
Tennessee State University, where he also served as an Adjunct Professor of Percussion in 2014.
During his time at IU he served as the associate instructor for the Marching Hundred Drumline.
His responsibilities included teaching and writing for the drumline throughout the fall season.
His responsibilities at MTSU included teaching private lessons, working with the MTSU drumline,
and teaching percussion ensemble.

Chris marched with Spirit of Atlanta in 2008 and The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps in 2009
and 2010. He also marched with Music City Mystique in 2010. He worked with the Troopers
front ensemble in 2011, Phantom Regiment from 20 12-2014 and is currently on staff with the
Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps serving as a front ensemble manager for the 2017 season.

Throughout his career Chris has performed in several solo and ensemble competitions, most notable
being his performance with the IU Percussion Ensemble PASIC showcase concert in 2013.
He’s also competed in the PASIC marching competition in Keyboard Individuals and Small Ensemble.
He was also a performing member of the MTSU PASIC Clinic Drumline in 2009
(snare) presenting a clinic on incorporating world percussion styles into the drurnline setting. He
has performed as a featured soloist for several groups including the MTSU and Indiana Percussion
Ensembles. His major influences include Erik Johnson, Kevin Bobo, Michael Spiro, John
Tafoya, Lalo and Julie Davila, Alan Miller, and Leigh Howard Stevens.