Get to know the musicians of the SHAPE International Band.
Sergeant Devin Thomas
Sergeant Devin Thomas received his Bachelor of Music degree in Saxophone Performance with an Emphasis in Jazz Studies from California State University Long Beach in 2013. There, he shared the stage with prominent jazz artists, John Fedchock, Gary Smulyan, and Eric Marienthal. In 2014, Sergeant Thomas enlisted in the United States Army and has previously been stationed at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, USA. He has received numerous accolades in and out of the military, to include the Downbeat Student Music Award, Army Music Performance Team of the Year, and the Colonel Finley R. Hamilton Outstanding Military Musician Award. Sergeant Thomas serves in the SHAPE International Band as a staff arranger and saxophonist for Task Force X and the NATO Jazz Orchestra.
Specialist Ian Rictor
Specialist Ian Rictor is a native of Denver, Colorado, USA and received his Bachelor of Music degree in Music Performance from the University of Colorado in 2015. There, he had the opportunity to perform alongside prominent jazz artists to include Rufus Reid, Dave Douglas, Greg Gisbert, Dave Liebman, and Stan Sulzmann. In 2015, Specialist Rictor joined in the United States Army as a military musician and has previously been stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, USA. He has performed at multiple events to include the Bansko International Jazz Festival, the Tournai Jazz Festival, and the Wigan International Jazz Festival. Specialist Rictor serves in the SHAPE International Band as a saxophonist for the NATO Jazz Orchestra, the NATO Jazz Combo, and as an upright bassist in NATO Unplugged.
Corporal Terrance Peters
Corporal Terrance Peters is a native of Jacksonville, Florida, USA and earned his Bachelor of Music degree from Jacksonville University in 2013. He enlisted in the United States Army as a military musician in June of 2013 and has previously been stationed at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, USA. He has shared the stage with multiple jazz artists to include, Dianne Reeves, Roy Hargrove, Gordon Goodwin, Wycliffe Gordon, Bob Reynolds, Phillip Lassiter, Vincent Gardner, and Chris Potter. Corporal Peters serves in the SHAPE International Band as an arranger and saxophonist for Task Force X, the NATO Jazz Orchestra, and NATO Unplugged.
Specialist Brent Kelley
Specialist Brent Kelley was raised in Troy, New York, USA, and earned his Bachelor of Music Degree in Music Industry with Saxophone Performance Honors from Syracuse University. He enlisted in the United States Army in 2015 and has previously been assigned to Fort Riley, Kansas, USA. He has experience performing in myriad settings as a military musician and has been featured at events such as the Armed Forces Bowl, an invitational performance at Chimay Castle in Chimay, Belgium, and the United States World War I Centennial at the National World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, Kansas, USA. Specialist Kelley currently serves in the SHAPE International Band as a saxophonist in the NATO Jazz Orchestra.
Staff Sergeant Dylan Kruziki
Staff Sergeant Dylan Kruziki was born in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, USA. He has earned multiple degrees in music culminating in a Doctor of Music in Trumpet from Indiana University. Staff Sergeant Kruziki enlisted in the United States Army in 2010 and has since been assigned to Fort Bliss, Texas, USA; Fort Knox, Kentucky, USA; and as the trumpet instructor at the Army School of Music at Little Creek Amphibious Base, Virginia, USA. Staff Sergeant Kruziki has performed alongside jazz greats such as Michael Brecker, Byron Stripling, and Lewis Nash. He has been featured at the Montreux-Detroit Jazz Festival, the University of Wisconson Eau Claire Jazz Festival, and is a winner of the Indiana University Concerto Competition. Staff Sergeant Kruziki serves in the SHAPE International Band as a trumpet player in the NATO Brass Ambassadors and the NATO Jazz Orchestra.
Technical Sergeant Laura Kluga
Technical Sergeant Laura Kluga was raised in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, USA. She graduated from the SUNY Potsdam Crane School of Music with her Bachelor of Music Education degree and Performance Certificate. She went on to receive her Master of Music degree in Trumpet Performance from Florida State University in 2004. She has collaborated with such notable musicians as the Canadian Brass and Allen Vizzutti, and was a semifinalist in the National Trumpet Competition in 2003 and 2004. Technical Sergeant Kluga enlisted in the United States Air Force in 2005 and has been assigned to Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, USA; Ramstein Air Base, Germany; and Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, USA. She has performed for former President George W. Bush, at the Texas Music Educators Association Conference, and for the Texas Bandmasters Association. Technical Sergeant Kluga serves in the SHAPE International Band as a trumpet player in the NATO Jazz Orchestra and as a trumpet player and musical director of the NATO Brass Ambassadors.
Sergeant Nicholas Tolman
Sergeant Nicholas Tolman is an Idaho native, raised in American Falls, Idaho, USA. He received his Bachelor of Music Education degree from Idaho State University and went on to teach middle school and high school band at Rocky Mountain Middle and High School in Cowley, Wyoming, USA. He has experience performing in the Idaho Falls Symphony and has also shared the stage with Andy Martin and Denis DiBlasio. In 2015, he enlisted in the United States Army as a military musician and has previously been stationed at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, USA. Sergeant Tolman serves in the SHAPE International Band as a trombonist in the NATO Jazz Orchestra and the NATO Brass Ambassadors, and as vocalist, guitarist, and musical director for NATO Unplugged.
Sergeant First Class Tony Williams
Sergeant First Class Tony Williams was born in Stony Brook, New York, USA and enlisted in the United States Army in 2002. He has since been stationed at Fort Totten, New York, USA; Fort Benning, Georgia, USA; Fort Bragg, North Carolina, USA; and as an instructor at the Army School of Music at Little Creek Amphibious Base, Virginia, USA. During his service, he has performed for Vice President Dick Cheney, Pope John Paul II, and with the West Point Band. SFC Williams serves in the SHAPE International Band as the Director of Operations, as a trombonist, vocalist, and musical director of Task Force X, and as a trombonist in the NATO Jazz Orchestra.
Sergeant Jonathan Johnson
Sergeant Jonathan Johnson is a native of Lake Forest, Illinois and studied at Columbia College of Chicago. He has extensive experience performing in innumerable settings and has shared the stage with artists such as the Ben Folds Five, Robert Randolph and the Family, Parliament-Funkadelic, the Rebirth Brass Band, The New Mastersounds, Daughtry, the Headhunters, Toots and the Maytals, and many more. In 2010, he enlisted in the United States Army and has been stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas and Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Sergeant Johnson serves in the SHAPE International Band as a guitarist in the NATO Jazz Combo, the NATO Jazz Orchestra, and Task Force X.
Specialist David Newcomb
Specialist Newcomb was born in Arlington, Virginia, USA. He earned his Master of Music Degree from West Virginia University and his Doctor of Musical Arts from James Madison University in 2012. During his academic career, he has composed music which has been performed internationally. He enlisted in the United States Army in 2014 and has previously been stationed at Fort Eustis, Virginia. He has performed at the Wigan International Jazz Festival, the Bansko International Jazz Festival, and the Tournai Jazz Festival. Specialist Newcomb serves in the SHAPE International Band as a drummer for the NATO Jazz Orchestra, the NATO Jazz Combo, and Task Force X, and as a cajonist in NATO Unplugged.
Staff Sergeant Brian Mackie
Staff Sergeant Brian Mackie is a native of Melbourne, Florida, USA. He has fifteen years of collective experience in the United States Army and has been previously stationed at Camp Zama, Japan; Fort Riley, Kansas, USA; Basra, Iraq; Fort Jackson, South Carolina, USA; and Yongsan, Korea. Staff Sergeant Mackie has a wealth of performance experience, having shared the stage with Warrant, Matchbox Twenty, Seven Mary Three, and Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. He has also worked as a musician for Pleasure Island Park and with USO Armed Forces Entertainment, touring throughout the Middle East. Sergeant Mackie serves in the SHAPE International Band as a bass player for the NATO Jazz Orchestra, Task Force X, and the NATO Jazz Combo.
Staff Sergeant John Kaczmar
Staff Sergeant John Kaczmar is a proud native of Chicago, Illinois, USA, and earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Audio Arts and Acoustics from Columbia College. He has previously worked as an audio engineer for established performers such as Jay Leno, Christian McBride, and Barnum and Bailey Circus. Staff Sergeant Kaczmar enlisted in the United States Air Force in 2012 and has been previously stationed at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, USA. He serves in the SHAPE International Band as a communications specialist and Audio Engineer.