My Name is Alex Gerbic. I am 30 years old and currently live in Fishers, Indiana. I am glad you are here and excited to share my story with you! 

Where It All Began 

My involvement in the marching arts began in 2008, when I joined the Alter Marching Knights as a seventh‑grade percussionist. Prior to that, I had tried many sports- from football, to baseball, to even roller hockey, searching for something that fit me. Marching band quickly filled that hole for me and became a huge part of my life.

While percussion was what got me into band, I was consistently drawn to the color guard. During a rehearsal halfway into my first season, I picked up a rifle and just started spinning. The guard director at the time immediately gave me a rifle to take home to start practicing on my own and boy did I take full advantage. Spinning became a part of my daily routine from then on out!

During my sophomore year, I transferred from Alter High School to Bellbrook High School — a transition that proved to be formative in many ways. At Bellbrook, the color guard program was on the rise. Being immersed in that environment opened my eyes to the activity in a deeper way. I learned more about guard culture, design, and performance simply by being close to it, observing rehearsals, and forming friendships within the program. I wanted to badly to join the guard, even if it was just for winter. At the same time, I was navigating an environment that made it difficult to feel confident putting myself out there in that way. Even spinning a rifle in my driveway often drew comments from neighbors, and peers at school were not quiet about their opinions. That visibility — and the scrutiny that came with it — made it challenging to take a step forward publicly. As a result, I continued performing in percussion while engaging with color guard more privately, spinning and learning on my own for the joy of it.

Despite those challenges, my time at Bellbrook was deeply meaningful. I completed my high school performing career with a Class A National Championship at BOA Grand Nationals in 2013 and a fifth‑place finish at WGI Finals in Scholastic A during my one and only season with the indoor percussion program. It was a strong and fulfilling close to an important chapter of my life.

Laying the Foundation: College, Training, & Early Expereince

Immediately following graduation, I joined Fred J. Miller Inc. as a summer clinic staff member, traveling nationally to support leadership development across the marching arts. 2014 was the first of 5 summers on staff with FJM. Each summer, I staffed approximately six leadership camps across the country, working with student leaders from a wide range of programs and backgrounds. These camps primarily served drum majors, student leaders, and color guard performers. My instructional focus included conducting technique and application, musicianship, and leadership skill development — often facilitating workshops centered on real‑world challenges such as providing effective feedback, navigating difficult conversations, and leading with both confidence and empathy.

Fred J. Miller was profoundly impactful in my life. Through that experience, I developed some of the most important leadership skills I carry today and formed lifelong friendships. I also found myself increasingly inspired by individuals in the color guard world who modeled authenticity and confidence in ways that deeply resonated with me. During this period, my interest in guard intensified — I was continuing to spin daily, teaching myself choreography from routines I admired, studying performances, and immersing myself in the activity as a learner.

This same five‑year stretch also overlapped with my college experience at Bowling Green State University (BGSU). During that time, I strongly considered pursuing winter guard more formally. I auditioned for programs, received interest and callbacks, and seriously weighed committing to that path. At the same time, I became deeply involved in campus life. I joined the cheerleading program, became a resident advisor, served as a campus tour guide, and even joined a business fraternity. While I maintained my involvement with FJM during the summers, I ultimately chose to step back from pursuing guard performance during the academic year to explore other opportunities and focus on building a foundation for my career.

Finding My Footing in Columbus

I graduated from Bowling Green State University in 2018 and moved to Columbus, Ohio, where I began establishing my professional career. Marching remained in the back of my mind, but took a back seat as I focused on growing professionally. After starting my career at Enterprise and later transitioning to CoverMyMeds in 2019, I found myself taking on increasing leadership responsibilities and expanding my scope within the organization. I hoped to eventually return to guard performance, but as my career progressed, the reality of balancing that commitment became more complex.

When the activity paused in 2020, I found space to reconnect with guard in a new way. I spent countless hours studying show design, diving into guard history and archives, watching performances, and discovering music that sparked creative ideas. I began developing concepts daily and building out a growing repository of inspiration that continues to evolve today.

Expansion & Impact (Post-COVID)

When WGI returned in 2022, I volunteered at Championships alongside my close friend Megan, which became a pivotal moment in my journey. It was an invaluable opportunity to be more deeply involved in the activity at its highest level and to see firsthand the behind‑the‑scenes operations that bring Championships to life. That season, I was assigned to social media coverage responsibilities during Finals, an experience that quickly revealed both a passion for and a natural aptitude in content creation. Finding a meaningful, behind‑the‑scenes way to contribute to the performer experience felt both affirming and energizing.

In 2023, after expressing my desire to expand my scope and impact within the guard world to another dear friend of mine, Tori Angel. Tori offered me the opportunity to help design and build the winter guard program at Eastern Hancock High School during its very first season. Eastern Hancock is a small, single‑building K–12 school with approximately 375 students in the high school. We began with just 11 performers and extremely limited experience and resources, focusing intentionally on education, accessibility, and creating a sustainable foundation for the program. Around this same time I met my Boyfriend, Joel, who happens to be a full time dance instructor and performer. I made the move to Indianapolis later that spring to be with him and closer to Eastern Hancock to further my involvement with the program.

Over the next several seasons, the Eastern Hancock program grew steadily — expanding performance opportunities, building confidence, and deepening competitive experience each year. In 2026, the guard reached a major milestone with its largest ensemble to date at 20 performers and earned a bronze medal in the Dirks Division at the IHSCGA State Championships for Regional A. The consistent growth, resilience, and success of this program remains one of my proudest accomplishments and a defining chapter in my work as an educator and designer.

Looking Ahead

Now, I am ready to intentionally expand my involvement and impact within the color guard community. I created Gerbic Content & Design as a space to share what I bring to the activity and to continue growing as an emerging designer and educator.

The guard world is, in many ways, built on relationships and shared experiences. My path into this community has been less traditional, which has sometimes placed me on the outside looking in. While that has meant fewer built‑in connections, it has also given me a unique vantage point. Between my work with WGI, my role at Eastern Hancock, and the opportunity to sit front‑row for hundreds of guard performances each year, I have developed a deep appreciation for a wide range of design approaches, performance qualities, and storytelling methods. Additionally, diving into the competitive dance world alongside my partner Joel has further broadened my creative lens—shaping how I think about movement quality, staging, musicality, and emotional pacing. Together, these experiences have helped solidify my identity and the direction I hope to take my design work within this activity.