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 Concert Band, Concert Orchestra, and Jazz Band. He is also the director of the Spirit of Arcadia Marching Band which has won 10 state championships in both the ABODA and AzMBA circuits. Nate has designed music, drill and choreography for the last several years in for programs like McClintock High School, Liberty High School, Agua Fria High School and Arcadia High School. 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 Baniqued (Gio)

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.