Executive Director – Frank Mastropaolo
Frank Mastropaolo has a wide breadth of experience in teaching and performing drums and a degree in Music with a Percussion Performance emphasis. Frank maintains a full private lesson studio and has taught at several local high schools.
Frank Mastropaolo is the founder of Rhythm Armada Drumline which has been expanded to include many different performance groups and is now a registered non-profit youth education company, Armada Corps, Inc.
Frank is sponsored by Remo, Vic Firth and Zildjian.
Melanie Nelson has been a part of marching band and color guard as both a performer and a coach in the Treasure Valley area since 1998. She has taught gymnastics, jazz dance, ballet, and equipment technique to youth and color guard teams across the valley.
As a performer, she has competed with gymnastics, dance, and color guard teams that won several awards including a WGI regional medal. In addition to her movement and colorguard experience, Melanie has a background in music, participating in choirs and vocal performance groups through high school and college. She attended Boise State University where she majored in Athletic Training, Health Promotion and Exercise Science.
Currently, she lives in Caldwell with her husband and 3 children. Melanie is excited to continue with Armada Corps.
Guard Instructor – Karen Renberg
Karen Renberg is an Idaho native currently residing in Meridian with her husband TC and their two daughters. Karen earned her Bachelors of Science in Nursing from Boise State University and currently works as a registered nurse at a local hospital.
Karen’s passion for color guard began during the summer of 1995 when she watched one of her siblings perform as a member of the Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps. She immediately fell in love with the art form and it’s a passion that is still with her to this day.
Karen has been an instructor of Armada Guard since its introductory season in 2017.
She brings with her nearly 20 years of experience teaching flag, rifle, and sabre technique to award winning teams throughout the Treasure Valley. Over the course of her career she has been a coach to hundreds of teens and young adults with both marching and winter guard seasons. She is very excited to continue being a part of the Armada team!
Guard Instructor – Christopher Torres
Christopher Torres has been involved in the world of dance since the age of 6. Eventually in 2009, he found his true passion: Color Guard. A self taught spinner at first, Chris marched two successful seasons of drum corps and since then has worked with multiple programs along with his home program Fruitland high school. At Fruitland High School, Chris has helped the color guard program grow and established fruitland’s first competitive winter guard.
While at Boise state university, Chris studied Music Education, Music Composition and Dance. After assisting with saber choreography last year with ARMADA winter guard, Chris is ecstatic to join the Aramada family officially.
Chris currently resides in Boise, Idaho with his boyfriend and two cats. When Chris isn’t choreographing or teaching color guard, he is a full time preschool teacher
Guard Instructor – Rachel Loyd
Rachel Loyd has been involved in Color Guard as both a performer and educator for twelve years and is excited to join the Armada family. Her performance experience includes Troopers Drum and Bugle Corp, Fiero Winter Guard, Idaho State Color Guard, and ISU Dance. She began teaching color guard in 2011, and has worked with several high school programs in both Idaho and Texas.
Rachel graduated in 2019 with a B.A. in Anthropology from Idaho State University where she was Captain of the ISU Color Guard for four years, a founding member of the Nu Epsilon chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity, and Program Coordinator for the Fiero Independent Winter Guard. She has training in ballet, jazz, and modern dance, as well as aerial and acro yoga.
Guard Instructor – Sage Moore
Sage has been involved with color guard as a performer and instructor for 9 years and has trained dance in modern, jazz, and ballet. She graduated from Kuna High School, where she was part of the Kuna Gold Color Guard all four years of high school. She spent four seasons performing with Seattle Cascades Drum Corps, two as color guard captain. She also marched one season with Troopers Drum Corps. Sage is an Armada Guard alumni, spending four seasons with the group as a performer. She has instructed at schools in the Treasure Valley since graduation and instructed one year of Armada Minis. Outside of color guard Sage is a full time college student and likes to spend time with her cat, dog, friends and family. She is excited to continue with Armada as part of staff!
Sage has been involved with color guard as a performer and instructor for 9 years and has trained dance in modern, jazz, and ballet. She graduated from Kuna High School, where she was part of the Kuna Gold Color Guard all four years of high school. She spent four seasons performing with Seattle Cascades Drum Corps, two as color guard captain. She also marched one season with Troopers Drum Corps. Sage is an Armada Guard alumni, spending four seasons with the group as a performer. She has instructed at schools in the Treasure Valley since graduation and instructed one year of Armada Minis. Outside of color guard Sage is a full time college student and likes to spend time with her cat, dog, friends and family. She is excited to continue with Armada as part of staff!
