Our Team
Nate Conell
Director of Instrumental Music
Nate Conell is a Music Educator, multi instrumentalist and Marching Arts Designer currently based in Phoenix, Arizona. Nate is the Director of Instrumental Music at Arcadia High School in Phoenix, Arizona where he conducts the Wind Ensemble, Concert Band, Concert Orchestra, and Jazz Band. He is also the director of the Spirit of Arcadia Marching Band which has won 11 state championships in the ABODA and AzMBA circuits, including a recent first place finish at the ABODA State Finals in 2025. Nate has designed music, drill and choreography for the last several years for ABODA Finalist programs like McClintock High School, Liberty High School, Agua Fria High School and Arcadia High School. Before graduating, Nate performed with the Academy Drum and Bugle Corps, The Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps, and Flux Indoor Percussion. Nate received his Bachelors of Music Learning and Teaching from Arizona State University with an emphasis in Clarinet, go Devils!
Kai Benedict
Color Guard Caption Head
Kai has been doing color guard for just over 4 years, starting out in marching band at arcadia high school in 2021. They began dci (drum corps international) in 2023 at Pacific Crest, and marched there again in 2024.
On top of color guard, kai is currently a canine coach at dogtopia arcadia, and is currently attending ASU for pre-veterinary medicine. Kai is very excited to be making this their second season teaching at arcadia!
Dylan Moreno
Visual Caption Head
Dylan Moreno is from Chandler, Arizona and is excited to join the Arcadia Marching Band staff as Visual Caption Head! Dylan was in the ASU Clarinet Studio and received his Bachelors of Music Learning and Teaching from Arizona State University in 2023. Dylan previously marched with the Academy Drum and Bugle Corps in 2022, worked with the Eastmark High School Marching Band from 2019-2020 and is currently also a Visual and Woodwind instructor for the Casteel High School Marching Band. He is currently an Elementary Band teacher at Gilbert Public Schools since 2023.
Giovan “Gio” Baniqued
Visual Technician
Hailing from the Chandler/Gilbert area, Giovan Baniqued is a recent graduate from Basha High School. Having done 9 seasons of indoor drumline and fall marching band combined as well as a summer with the Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps, Gio is a well trained visual performer. With his diverse background marching various brass and percussion instruments such as cymbals, mellophone, and trumpet, he is thrilled to be serving as a Visual Technician for the Spirit of Arcadia this fall!
On top of serving as a Vis Tech, Gio attends Chandler Gilbert Community College and plans to transfer to ASU to pursue a degree in secondary music education with aspirations of becoming a band director.
Garret Parnaby
Brass Technician
Garrett Parnaby is a trombonist from Sierra Vista, Arizona, where he graduated from Buena High School in 2024. Garrett is currently pursuing his Bachelors of Music in Tenor Trombone Performance at Arizona State University, studying under Dr. Bradley Edwards. He performs regularly with the ASU jazz bands, combos, wind bands, orchestras, trombone choir and other chamber groups.
Dr. Julia Lougheed
Woodwind Caption Head
Dr. Julia Lougheed enjoys a multi-faceted career as a clarinetist, music educator, and arts administrator living in Phoenix, Arizona. She is passionate about bringing people together through music, making art, and solving problems. She fulfills all three of these passions in all her work as a musician.
Dr. Lougheed has been teaching clarinet lessons for the past decade, and always centers students’ individualized goals in her teaching. She seeks to inspire musical and personal independence in her students, giving them the instrumental technique and critical thinking skills to express themselves and find their voices – both on and off the instrument. Dr. Lougheed’s students are successful. Many audition into prestigious university studios, win solo competitions, place into regional and state-level honor bands, and hold coveted leadership positions in their school ensembles. All of Dr. Lougheed’s students perform well, exude great stage presence, and enjoy sharing music with their communities. In addition to her studio at Rosie’s House, Dr. Lougheed is the Instructor of Clarinet at Scottsdale Community College, coaches sectionals for Phoenix Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Scottsdale Unified School District, and the Paradise Valley Unified School District, and teaches private lessons to students from all over the Phoenix Metro Area.
As a performer, Julia frequently appears as a recital soloist, chamber musician, and improviser in venues across the Phoenix Metropolitan Area, as well as joining local professional orchestras as a substitute musician. She performs a broad spectrum of repertoire, but specializes in contemporary music. She loves working with living composers to create new clarinet music that comments on current events. In the summer of 2023, Julia embarked on a solo tour around the Western United States, performing music for bass clarinet and electronics written specifically for her. Julia is in the final production stages of an album of this music, set to be released in December 2023. Other recent performance accolades include high praise for performance at the inaugural International Clarinet Association Low Clarinet Festival, recognition as a finalist in Black House Collective’s New Music Soloist Competition, participation as a fellow in the selective Ensemble Evolution Residency at The Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, appearances at Oh My Ears, Omaha Under the Radar, New Music Gathering, and the Darkwater Women in Music Festivals. In 2024, Julia has performances planned in Virginia, Texas, Mexico City, and Ireland.
As an arts administrator, Julia runs the Oh My Ears New Music Festival in Phoenix, AZ, and works as Event Coordinator at Phoenix College. She is proud to share that her festival is now in its tenth year of operation, and pleased to take part in building the relationship between Rosie’s House and Phoenix College.
