The 8 to 5 Club
by The 8 to 5 Club
A podcast for drum majors and leaders across the marching arts. Join Corey Castillo, Jared Geer, and esteemed guests as they share their expertise on all things leadership. Climbing the podium for the first time? Looking to master your section leader responsibilities? The 8 to 5 Club is your place for practical tips, personal experiences, and interactive problem solving to help you succeed this marching season and advance your life of leadership.
Episodes
-
BANDTOBER Day 30 - The Case for Drum Major Coaches (with Peyton Brillhart)
Work with Peyton! https://silentcommand.org/lessons
-
BANDTOBER Day 29 - let me tell you about my best friend (w/ Tyler Autin, BD Rehearsal Assistant ‘22)
→ The 8 to 5 Club podcast is made possible by Silent Command. Visit silentcommand.org for lessons, clinics, and videos.
-
BANDTOBER Day 28 - Leading Through Dismissiveness
→ The 8 to 5 Club podcast is made possible by Silent Command. Visit silentcommand.org for lessons, clinics, and videos.
-
BANDTOBER Day 27 - Showcasing Drum Corps Transparently (with Noah Perry, Carolina Crown Battery ‘26)
Noah is a Silent Command percussion instructor — visit silentcommand.org/lessons to book a private lesson! Connect on Instagram @_noah_perry__
-
BANDTOBER Day 26 - Get to Know Ally Wielinga | Boston Crusaders Color Guard Captain
→ The 8 to 5 Club podcast is made possible by Silent Command. Visit silentcommand.org for lessons, clinics, and videos.
-
BANDTOBER Day 25 - Life After Drum Corps with Wes Booker
→ The 8 to 5 Club podcast is made possible by Silent Command. Visit silentcommand.org for lessons, clinics, and videos.
-
BANDTOBER Day 24 - How to Perform Under Pressure
→ The 8 to 5 Club podcast is made possible by Silent Command. Visit silentcommand.org for lessons, clinics, and videos.
-
BANDTOBER Day 23 - Should We Really Do Everything Like We Do Anything?
→ The 8 to 5 Club podcast is made possible by Silent Command. Visit silentcommand.org for lessons, clinics, and videos.
-
BANDTOBER Day 22 - Ballet, Swimming, Fine Dining Kitchens… and the Marching Arts
→ The 8 to 5 Club podcast is made possible by Silent Command. Visit silentcommand.org for lessons, clinics, and videos.
-
BANDTOBER Day 21 - your generation is annoying AF!
VOTE FOR JARED: https://tophost.org/2026/jared-w-geer Vote for Jared W. Geer to be the next Top Host while supporting a great cause! Cast your free daily vote below, or make an even bigger impact when you vote by donation, supporting the Ryan Seacrest Foundation and their mission to bring...
-
BANDTOBER Day 20 - allow us to humble you (with Makenna Payne, Phantom Regiment Conductor)
→ The 8 to 5 Club podcast is made possible by Silent Command. Visit silentcommand.org for lessons, clinics, and videos.
-
BANDTOBER Day 19 - Catching Up with Jonathan Dominguez, Phantom Regiment Head Conductor
→ The 8 to 5 Club podcast is made possible by Silent Command. Visit silentcommand.org for lessons, clinics, and videos.
-
BANDTOBER Day 18 - your homework assignment
VOTE FOR JARED: https://tophost.org/2026/jared-w-geer Vote for Jared W. Geer to be the next Top Host while supporting a great cause! Cast your free daily vote below, or make an even bigger impact when you vote by donation, supporting the Ryan Seacrest Foundation and their mission to bring...
-
BANDTOBER Day 17 - Drum Corps Audition Tips
→ The 8 to 5 Club podcast is made possible by Silent Command. Visit silentcommand.org for lessons, clinics, and videos.
-
BANDTOBER Day 16 - What Team Cohesion Really Looks Like (in unexpected places)
VOTE FOR JARED: https://tophost.org/2026/jared-w-geer Vote for Jared W. Geer to be the next Top Host while supporting a great cause! Cast your free daily vote below, or make an even bigger impact when you vote by donation, supporting the Ryan Seacrest Foundation and their mission to bring...
-
BANDTOBER Day 15 - we have regrets…
→ The 8 to 5 Club podcast is made possible by Silent Command. Visit silentcommand.org for lessons, clinics, and videos.
-
BANDTOBER Day 14 - Megan Conlan is a Marching Arts Legend!! (with Megan Conlan, SCV DM ‘24-26)
Work with Megan! https://silentcommand.org/lessons
-
BANDTOBER Day 13 - Uncle and Niece Reunion (with Maddy Williams, BD DM ‘25-26)
→ The 8 to 5 Club podcast is made possible by Silent Command. Visit silentcommand.org for lessons, clinics, and videos.
-
BANDTOBER Day 12 - The Mindset of an Auditionee
VOTE FOR JARED: https://tophost.org/2026/jared-w-geer Vote for Jared W. Geer to be the next Top Host while supporting a great cause! Cast your free daily vote below, or make an even bigger impact when you vote by donation, supporting the Ryan Seacrest Foundation and their mission to bring...
-
BANDTOBER Day 11 - How to Choose a Drum Corps
Check out dci.org/corps for links to all World Class, Open Class, All Age, and International groups for 2027. → The 8 to 5 Club podcast is made possible by Silent Command. Visit silentcommand.org for lessons, clinics, and videos.
-
BANDTOBER Day 10 - From the Podium to the Science Classroom (with Peyton Brillhart)
Work with Peyton! https://silentcommand.org/lessons
-
BANDTOBER Day 9 - Drum Majors vs. Conductors
VOTE FOR JARED: https://tophost.org/2026/jared-w-geer Vote for Jared W. Geer to be the next Top Host while supporting a great cause! Cast your free daily vote below, or make an even bigger impact when you vote by donation, supporting the Ryan Seacrest Foundation and their mission to bring...
-
BANDTOBER Day 8 - Taking a Mindful Moment
→ The 8 to 5 Club podcast is made possible by Silent Command. Visit silentcommand.org for lessons, clinics, and videos.
-
BANDTOBER Day 7 - What’s the Rush?? Dethroning Productivity and Hustle as Young Professionals.
→ The 8 to 5 Club podcast is made possible by Silent Command. Visit silentcommand.org for lessons, clinics, and videos.
-
BANDTOBER Day 6 - Embrace Learning as a Beginner
→ The 8 to 5 Club podcast is made possible by Silent Command. Visit silentcommand.org for lessons, clinics, and videos.
-
BANDTOBER Day 5 - Meshing Personalities
Take your personality test: https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test And vote for Jared! https://tophost.org/2026/jared-w-geer 1 VOTE 4 Free: Vote for Jared W. Geer to be the next Top Host while supporting a great cause! Cast your free daily vote below, or make an even bigger impact...
-
BANDTOBER Day 4 - Evaluating Your Level of Care
→ The 8 to 5 Club podcast is made possible by Silent Command. Visit silentcommand.org for lessons, clinics, and videos.
-
BANDTOBER Day 3 - The Inner Game of Tennis
In this episode, Corey discusses The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey, a renown guide to understanding and succeeding in the mental game of sports and life. Why do we execute well in practice, but fumble under the pressure of competition? How do we turn ourselves away from self-doubt,...
-
BANDTOBER Day 2 - Leadership Within a Defeated Ecosystem
When marching band isn’t all sunshine and rainbows… As educators, we give everything to our students — time, attention, energy, money, and passion — with the goal of positively affecting the lives of those we teach. Following an unproductive and frustrating rehearsal (and then some…), Jared opens...
-
BANDTOBER Day 1 - Vignettes from your 2026 DCI Drum Majors
For the first episode of our daily Bandtober series, we bring you a flashback of a pre-Allentown check-in with Phantom Regiment conductors Jonathan Dominguez and Makenna Payne, and Pacific Crest drum major Carissa Slater. The leaders reflect on their 70-day journey leading up to the final push to...
-
Ep. 74 - What Makes Us Successful?
In this episode, Corey spotlights the character traits and values required to live a successful life as outlined in Coach John Wooden’s infamous Pyramid of Success. We learn what to expect on the path to unshakeable skill and confidence, how to plan the “smart” work meticulously to make the hard...
-
Ep. 73 - Reflecting on what made it all great | Tony Gamez: World-Champion Bluecoats Drum Major
Tony Gamez, former Head Drum Major for the 2026 DCI World Champion Bluecoats, sits down with Jared Geer to reflect on the lessons he learned from 2023 to now. He shares what it was like to help lead the corps to a historic finals placement through collaborative delegated teamwork, consistent and...
-
Ep. 72 - So What Now? Just a leader checking in.
For a special debut 🎙️🔥 This week, Jared Geer checks in and reflects on what comes next now that the 2026 DCI season has come to a close. From leadership beyond the field to navigating the next chapter, Jared shares a few thoughts for anyone figuring out what comes after the big moment. → The 8...
-
Ep. 71 - All About the African American Legacy Corps
Following DCI’s recent announcement of the African American Legacy Corps, we answer the questions you may have about the AALC - who can perform, how much it costs to participate, how to get involved, and why it matters! YOU can be on the field with the AALC in 2027! *Stay in the loop* IG:...
-
Ep. 70 - Marching Arts Gratitude
To celebrate the March 4th holiday, Jared reflects on the personal impact of the marching arts community, finding a safe space in the band hall during difficult times, and building life-changing friendships along the way. We are especially grateful for our 8 to 5 Club listeners! → The 8 to 5 Club...
-
Ep. 69 - The DCI Drum Major Summit
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.
-
Ep. 68 - Building Endurance, Mobility, and Strength into Marching Education w/ Josh Davis
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...
-
Ep. 67 - Handling the Ego Within
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...
-
Ep. 66 - Celebrating 2025 and our New Year’s Resolutions
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…
more -
Ep. 65 - Woodwinds in DCI: Meet the Soloists
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...
-
Ep. 64 - The Beginnings of a Band Director’s Career
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…
more -
Ep. 63 - Answering Your Questions on Team Cohesion
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...
-
Ep. 62 - SEASON 6 Preview and 2025 Audition Strategies
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...
-
Ep. 61 - SPECIAL REPORT: First-Year Drum Major Reflections
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…
more -
Ep. 60 - Boston Crusaders 2025 Insights with Wes Booker and Joe Zishka
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…
more -
Ep. 59 - From DCI to the Music Classroom (w/ Keri McCourt)
Former Phantom Regiment Conductor Keri McCourt joins us as a special host this week to talk all about the drum corps skills that have helped her as an elementary school music teacher. From an embedded sense of urgency, the ability to manage multiple tasks at once, and gracefully communication,...
-
Ep. 58 - Leadership Stories
Corey and Jared reunite to share some of their most memorable leadership stories. Hear about what happens when Jared is trusted with the corps credit card, Corey’s maddest moment, and the small gestures that affirmed our positions as leaders. → The 8 to 5 Club podcast is made possible by Silent...
-
Ep. 57 - Corey’s Shower Thoughts on Routine, Habits, and More
From the heart <3 Corey offers his perspective on how to approach work/life balance in the DCI or marching post-season and what he’s gained from moving away from the “Navy Seal Grindset.” He shares the secret weapon that carried him through the 2022 season (SLEEP) and why we should all be intense...
-
Ep. 56 - How to Maintain Mental Resilience on Tour
This week, Jared shares how he’s adjusting and adapting to his new role on the BDB admin team. As he finds “emotional support” to be high on his responsibility list, we found it important to offer our advice on staying mentally healthy during the drum corps season. During those difficult times,...
-
Ep. 55 - Spring Training Updates from our Silent Command DMs
With the end of 2025 spring training fast-approaching, we asked some of our Silent Command drum majors how they’re doing! Jared updates us on all the admin logistics that he’s managing with Blue Devils B. Peyton Brillhart and Spirit of Atlanta have been putting the last dots on the field for…
more
About this show
A podcast for drum majors and leaders across the marching arts. Join Corey Castillo, Jared Geer, and esteemed guests as they share their expertise on all things leadership. Climbing the podium for the first time? Looking to master your section leader responsibilities? The 8 to 5 Club is your place for practical tips, personal experiences, and interactive problem solving to help you succeed this marching season and advance your life of leadership.
Hosted by
The 8 to 5 Club
Categories