Tim Mikan - Color Guard Caption Head
Based out of Long
Beach, California, Tim Mikan has quickly proven himself to be a veritable force in visual design and instruction. He is actively
engaged in the arts and serves as an educator and clinician in numerous formats throughout the United States. The founder
of In-Step Design, he has been a consultant or clinician for more than twenty organizations that include professional ensembles,
both middle and high schools and colleges. Engaged in drill writing for visual arts ensembles from marching band to indoor
and outdoor color guards, ensembles for which he has written are routinely recognized as upper echelon performers and have
included state and area champion guards.
Tim was the Director of Color Guards for both Palm Desert Middle (2004 - 2008) and Palm Desert High School (2003
- 2008) . His duties included writing for their numerous ensemble, teaching beginning, intermediate, and advanced color guards
as well as directing the high school Jazz Ensemble 1 and teaching improvisation. Students were consistently involved in community
performances and competitions under his guidance and are exposed to guest clinicians and performing artists on a routine basis.
Enrollment numbers in the middle school guards jumped from fifteen to ninety-three within one year of his start in 2004. They
have since medaled four times and recently began competing in high school brackets.
Tim has also served on staff at the internationally revered winter guard
Fantasia since 2005. As an equipment technician, he helped them to reach their goal of World Champion in 2006, silver medal
in 2007 and again World Champion in 2008. Prior to his on-staff appointment, he performed with the ensemble in both 2003 (Bronze)
and 2004 (World Champion). In addition, he has performed with the Riverside Community College Marching Tigers in Riverside,
California as well as the Ancient City Ensemble in St. Augustine, Florida. He is also an administrator for Marching Auxiliaries
as a clinic director and organizes individual programs of instruction for auxiliary camps at universities and high schools
throughout the summer. Tim's music endavors include numerous courses in music and jazz studies, as well as an invitation
to perform at the 1998 International Association of Jazz Educators Annual Convention in New York. His selection was made from
a national pool of applicants to perform with the IAJE Community College All-star Big Band. He has also performed at the Montreux
Jazz Festival in Switzerland as well as a host of other southeastern venues, and has been a dum major instructor and adjudicator
for numerous competitions and auditions.
Tim currently works as a consultant for various programs and teaches at Mission Viejo High School, Los
Alamitos High School and Riverside Community College.
