What goes on at DCI’s yearly January meeting? Hear about the workshops and activities that the 2026 drum majors participate in at the “Jannuals.”

→ The 8 to 5 Club podcast is made possible by Silent Command. Visit silentcommand.org for lessons, clinics, and videos.

This week, we welcome visual educator Josh Davis to the club to talk about his uniqiue marching endurance and mobility training programs. Through his years as a staff member of the Blue Knights, BK Percussion Ensemble, and many more, Josh witnesses how training performers for strength and stamina positively affects injury prevention and even self-confidence. We learn his approach to building and executing fitness programs for groups of all experience levels and the best ways to train on your own through the preseason.

→ Check out Trailhead Arts at www.trailheadarts.com for high-quality marching arts services.

→ The 8 to 5 Club podcast is made possible by Silent Command. Visit silentcommand.org for lessons, clinics, and videos.

Today’s episode is all about ego’s ugly head. As an advisor and evaluator of hundreds of leaders, Jared has been face-to-face with a wide range of attitudes in the interview room. In the thick of DCI audition season, we talk about why experience grants entitlement to no one and why reacting to disappointment with decorum is always the best option.

→ The 8 to 5 Club podcast is made possible by Silent Command. Visit silentcommand.org for lessons, clinics, and videos.

Wrap up the year with Jared and Corey on The 8 to 5 Club's final episode... of 2025. As the year turns over, we spill on what we've been up to during our holiday break, how we've grown (mostly muscle, in Jared's case), and what we're cultivating in the new year.

Thank you for your continued support and stay tuned for more episodes in early 2026!

XOXO, 

Corey and Jared

→ The 8 to 5 Club podcast is made possible by Silent Command. Visit silentcommand.org for lessons, clinics, and videos.

Meet two of the pioneer woodwind soloists in DCI history here on The 8 to 5 Club! In this special double-feature, we get the inside scoop with Blue Knights oboe soloist Sammy Gonzalez and Blue Devils sax soloist Miguel Flores-Padilla. From the initial surprise of the 2025 rule change all the way through Lucas Oil finals, find out how these performers developed their musicality, dialed their equipment setup, dealt with criticism (and praise), and more!

→ The 8 to 5 Club podcast is made possible by Silent Command. Visit silentcommand.org for lessons, clinics, and videos.

This episode, Jared is joined by three of our Silent Command band directors to discuss their points of growth in the early stages of their careers. Each representing unique schools, locations, and demographics, Quinten Wrenn, Hailey Francoeur, and Dajia Simmons share their band directing struggles and saving graces of past and present. We talk about pursuing personal and professional growth, expecting and owning your mistakes, and being flexible with your techniques and your outlook.

→ The 8 to 5 Club podcast is made possible by Silent Command. Visit silentcommand.org for lessons, clinics, and videos.

In the marching arts, high expectations are placed on teams of leaders, each with their own human quirks and issues. The pursuit of team cohesion is ongoing and requires setting your boundaries while still setting the example. How do you work with an overly-controlling leader? What do you do when your team disagrees? How do you come to terms with unfair or unqualified leader selections? Tune in to get our thoughts collected from our years of marching, leading, and mentoring at all levels of the marching arts.

→ The 8 to 5 Club podcast is made possible by Silent Command. Visit silentcommand.org for lessons, clinics, and videos.

WELCOME BACK to The 8 to 5 Club’s new season, just in time for the start of DCI audition season! Corey and Jared give you a preview of the topics and guests to come. In short, you can expect more variety in different styles! Keep listening to hear our strategies for feeling prepared and confident going into your upcoming auditions, from creating a methodically-simple practice plan to the power of visualization.

→ The 8 to 5 Club podcast is made possible by Silent Command. Visit silentcommand.org for lessons, clinics, and videos.

This week’s episode is a round table discussion with Marley Black (Carolina Crown), Davon McKeever (Spartans), Susannah Wilkinson (Troopers), Emma Shiffer (Spirit of Atlanta), and Makenna Payne (Spirit of Atlanta). Coming off their first year in DCI, these drum majors weigh in on a range of topics from their expectations of “life on the road,” to selecting an audition piece, to managing nerves and mid-season stressors, and more!

→ The 8 to 5 Club podcast is made possible by Silent Command. Visit silentcommand.org for lessons, clinics, and videos.

Fresh off their 2025 DCI win, Boston Crusaders drum majors Wes Booker and Joe Zishka sit down for a conversation about the progress of their season. They talk about their culture of developing leaders early in the season, their relentless rehearsal drive, and how the iconic mellophone feature came to be. Listen to the end to hear their mental approach to the Lucas Oil marathon and their fondest memories from finals week.

→ The 8 to 5 Club podcast is made possible by Silent Command. Visit silentcommand.org for lessons, clinics, and videos.