Admin Team

John Strada, Executive Director of United Percussion and Arts, Inc.
Chad Moore, Esq., Owner, Co-Executive Director, Design Coordinator
Alex Beltran, United Percussion World Director/Program Coordinator
Michelle Solla, United Percussion World Assistant Director, Marketing & Financials
Chuck Grigg, Director of Operations
Alex Santa, United Percussion 2 Program Director
Jessica Hourani, Administrative Assistant, Logistics
Anthony Miranda, Media

Scroll below for biography information

John Strada

Executive Director Of United Percussion And Arts, Inc.

John has served as Executive Director for United Percussion since its inception in 2003. He is currently the percussion caption head and arranger for Buena Regional High School. John served as the director for Eagle Percussion from 1999-2002. John's educational background includes a Bachelor of Science-Accounting; Bachelor of Science-Finance; and a Bachelor of Science-Marketing from Drexel University. John also attended Rowan University and received a Post-Bachelor Certification for Secondary Education. John's other teaching experience includes Haddon Heights High School from 1999-2001 and Collingswood High School from 1996-2000.

Chad Moore, Esq.

Owner, Executive Director, Design Coordinator

Chad began his marching career with the 15-time Atlantic Coast Champion Middle Township High School Marching Band. In 1993, Chad marched snare with the Jersey Surf Drum and Bugle Corps. Chad currently teaches and arranges for Middle Township High School. During his span with MTHS, they won 15 Atlantic Coast Championship titles including 7 straight seasons, 4 percussion titles and 8 top three percussion placements. MTHS also won 3 TIA titles during that span, including 2 undefeated seasons. In 2001, Chad joined the two time WGI PIO finalist Riptide Indoor Percussion Ensemble as the battery instructor. From 2002-2003, Chad served as the percussion caption head and arranger for the 2002 WGI Mid-Atlantic Regional finalist and 2003 TIA PSO bronze medalist Archbishop Ryan. Chad has been with United since its inception. In that span, United has won 3 World Championship medals, including the 2007 Independent Open World Championship. Chad has been a member of the WGI Percussion Advisory Board since 2003 and is a current member of the Vic Firth Education team. Chad's educational background includes a B.A. and J.D. from Rutgers University. He practices civil law in New Jersey and is the managing partner of the law firm Hoagland, Longo, Moran, Dunst & Doukas.

Alex Beltran

United Percussion World Director/Program Coordinator

Alex Beltran is an active writer, teacher, performer, and clinician based in New England. He holds a Masters Degree in music history from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst where he also received an undergraduate degree in percussion performance. While at UMass Alex has worked as teaching assistant to Thom Hannum, studied under Ayano Kataoka, and currently teaches and arranges for the UMass Minuteman Marching Band.

Alex’s marching career began with the Connecticut Hurricanes from 2008-2010 before marching in the quad line at The Cadets from 2011-2014. During his time at The Cadets, the group won the 2011 DCI Championship and the 2013 Fred Sanford high percussion award. He was battery section leader from the 2012-2014 seasons. Alex was also a member of the UMass quad line from 2010-2013, where in addition to the full Marching Band schedule he performed at PASIC 2011 and the 2013 Macy’s Day Parade. He was both quad line and battery section leader for the 2013 season.

After aging out Alex has ingrained himself working with top drum corps and percussion programs, teaching The Cadets battery during the 2015 and 2016 seasons. While pursuing his Masters studies, Alex maintained an active schedule working with and writing for schools across the United States and putting on clinics both with the UMass percussion program and as a stand alone presenter. His writing resume includes UMass, top competitive Indoor Percussion ensembles, marching bands across the country, and DCI corps.

Alex is currently the battery coordinator for the Boston Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps, where he handles the day to day teaching, equipment, and logistical needs of the battery. He is ecstatic to be re-joining the team at United Percussion, and continue the tradition of amazing work that makes the group so special.

When he is not traveling or teaching, Alex enjoys exploring scenic Western Massachusetts, involving himself in the local live music scene, and learning about the history of Roman and Western Culture.

Alex proudly endorses Vic Firth Drum Sticks, and Zildjian Cymbals.

Michelle Solla

United Percussion World Assistant Director, Marketing & Financials

Michelle was a 4 year member with United Percussion from 2008-2011 and played Keyboards, Vibraphone and Sampler. In the fall of 2011, she joined the marching band staff at Quakertown High School teaching their Front Ensemble. Her marching career started in 2002 as a member of the Wissahickon High School marching band and indoor percussion ensemble. While there, she was a Drum Major and awarded the John Philip Sousa Band Award and the Semper Fidelis Award for Musical Excellence. She then continued her education at Drexel University, earning her Bachelors of Science in Business Administration. After aging out, she continued her journey with United Percussion on staff as the Electronics Coordinator in 2012 and 2013 and had served as Assistant Director from 2014-2018, and Director of United Percussion in 2019. Michelle recently completed her MBA in Strategic Management at Temple University.

Chuck Grigg

Director of Operations

Chuck began his marching career in 1972 as a Tenor Drummer in Black Watch Drum and Bugle Corps from Willingboro, NJ. During his performing years at Black Watch, he was instrumental in the success of the corps winning several championships culminating in the DCI Class A championships in 1979. In 1981, Chuck moved into an instructional role with Black Watch until the corps folded in the spring of 1985. In May of 1985, Chuck joined the snare line of the Sunrisers Sr. Drum and Bugle Corps and marched as section leader from 1986 thru 1990, winning DCA World Championships in 1987 and 1988.

Chuck’s teaching and writing career began with Black Watch in 1981. He has worked with several of South Jersey’s finest high school programs including Pennsauken HS, Willingboro HS, Gloucester City HS, Eastern Regional HS and Cherokee HS, where he held roles from Battery Tech to Percussion Caption Head.

Chuck lives in Marlton, NJ with his wife Sue and sons Jarad and Jordan. Chuck works as a Network Administrator for the Philadelphia branch of a multi-office Accounting Firm. Along with his love for marching percussion, Chuck spent several years volunteering as a Youth Bowling Coach for the Big Event (Playdrome Cherry Hill) Travel Teams. Chuck has been a member of the admin team since 2018.

Alex Santa

United Percussion 2 Program Director

Alex began his marching career in 2012 with the Hawthorne Caballeros and was a member of Matrix Indoor Performance Ensemble in 2013 as a snare drum performer. He has studied at West Chester University, focusing on Music Education. At West Chester, Alex was a member of the Incomparable Golden Ram Marching Band for two years performed as a snare drummer and as the Tenor section leader. He has studied under Rob Ferguson, Darren Hazlett, Ralph Sorrentino, and David Nelson.

Alex has taught many different scholastic programs in southeast Pennsylvania, and was most recently the Director of Percussion for Hempfield High School. Along with teaching scholastic programs, Alex has spent time teaching Penn State Indoor Percussion, The Connecticut Hurricanes, and was the snare tech/ Battery Coordinator at Jersey Surf Drum and Bugle Corps from 2014- 2018. In 2019, Alex joined the 7th Regiment staff and currently is the Front Ensemble Manager there.

Alex is very excited to return to United Percussion and begin his second year as Assistant Director of United Percussion 2.

Jessica Hayhurst

Administrative Assistant, Logistics

Jess started her marching percussion career for Haddon Heights HS on bass drum.  She also marched with the TOB All-Star Band in the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day parade in 2013. Jess performed with the Bushwackers Drum and Bugle Corps Front Ensemble in 2016 and then again in 2019. In 2018, Jess marched with East Coast Percussion and her age-out season with the United Percussion Front Ensemble on Rack and as an honorary member of the UQ. Most recently she volunteered with the Boston Crusaders for the 2024 season. 

 Outside of her percussion life, Jess has been an Infant/Toddler teacher since 2017 and got married to her husband Dan in June of 2024. 

Jess is thrilled to continue to be apart of the United Administration Team!