OUR TEAM
PETE HANSEN
Executive Director
Pete is the founder and executive director of Groove Inc, he also teaches private percussion lessons, Over the last ten years, his students have marched in DCI with The Phantom Regiment, Crossmen, Carolina Crown, Colts, Pioneer, and Americanos, and in WGI with The Blue Knights winter ensemble, Chopstix Percussion, and Groove Impact and Pursuit. Pete has conducted percussion clinics for several tri-state area high schools: Sioux Falls Lincoln, Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Sioux City North, Sioux City, Iowa; Spirit Lake, Iowa; Southwest Christian, Edgerton, Minnesota; Lennox, South Dakota; Pella, Iowa; Pierre, South Dakota; and Northern State University, Aberdeen, South Dakota.
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Pete is married to Sarah and they have 4 kids; Maddie, Oscar, Ira & Archer who are also involved in several of the Groove groups.
DAN SAILER
Academy Coordinator + Instructor
Dan Sailer is from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Dan is also the percussion arranger for Lincoln HS Patriot Marching Band, and an adjunct Professor of Percussion at Dordt University (Sioux Center, IA) and Northwestern College (Orange City, IA) where he also conducts the Women’s Choir. Dan is the Principal Percussionist of the Northwest Iowa Symphony Orchestra and also plays with the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra.
Dan graduated from Concordia University, St. Paul in 2014 with a double major in K-12 Vocal and Instrumental Education and a minor in Lutheran Confessionalism. At CSP, Dan was involved in the Christus Chorus directed by Dr. David Mennicke, Concert Band and Percussion Ensemble directed by Aaron Isakson, composition lessons with Abbie Betinis, as well as being involved in musical theatre and acting.
Dan was a snare line member of the world champion Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps from 2007-2010 (Rockford, Il) and the Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps from 2011-2012 (Santa Clara, CA). He has received awards in many snare drum solo contests, most notably the Drum Corps International Individual and Ensemble Competition (5th place, 2011), and the Percussive Arts Society Snare Drum Competition (2nd place, 2010). Dan has been a percussion staff member for Irondale HS, River City Rhythm Indoor and Drum Corps, Minnesota Brass, the Boston Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps, and the Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps.
Dan spent the 2014-2015 school year teaching in New Amsterdam, Guyana, South America at the Guyana Lutheran Music Academy. He was one of three pioneering teachers who helped start GLMA, a community music program that teaches students of all ages and backgrounds how to play, read, sing, perform, and create music. The GLMA motto is “enriching lives through music education for all.”
Dan graduated with his Master’s Degree in Percussion from the the University of North Texas in May of 2019. His professors include Mark Ford, Paul Rennick, Christopher Deane, Ed Smith, and Eugene Corporon. Performance credits include the Texas Music Educators Association Convention Showcase Concert with the Canadian Brass, recording with the North Texas Wind Symphony Ryan Anthony, principal trumpet of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and master classes with Frederic Macarez, Andy Narell, and Wei-Chen Lin.
JASON RAETHER
Instructor
Jason is a school nurse for the Sioux Falls School District. When Jason is not nursing, he has a passion for percussion. At 7 years old, his passion began with banging on pots and pans and progressed through college playing at SDSU and in a variety of bands and recording. Now Jason is giving private percussion lessons and helping out on the marching band field at various schools in the community.
Jason is currently assisting with the programs at Patrick Henry Middle School, Pipestone High School, West Lyon High School, and Lincoln High School. He also consults on sound for several schools in the region. This will be Jason’s fifth year as an instructor for Groove, Inc. Jason lives in Sioux Falls with his wonderful wife Nancy and their 5 kids: Ben, Alex, Josh, Will, and Abby. Jason is excited to be back and that Will and Josh will be Groove members as well.