J. Brian Kraft is the Visual Caption Head of the Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps. Brian began his drum corps career as a marching member of first the Glassmen and then the Madison Scouts where he aged out in 1992. In 2002 Mr. Kraft returned to the drum corps activity joining the visual staff at Capital Regiment where he worked from 2002-2003 serving as the Visual Caption Head. From 2004 to 2006 Brian was a part of the visual staff for the Santa Clara Vanguard. Mr. Kraft has also been a marching instructor, since 1989, for many of the best high school marching programs in the Cincinnati/Dayton/Northern Kentucky Area including Beechwood, Campbell County, Kings, Milford and William H. Mason. As well he has worked with several Cincinnati Area winter guard and winter percussion programs. Additionally Mr. Kraft has often served as a visual adjudicator for marching band in Kentucky.

Brian attends Northern Kentucky University where he is a Music Education/Music Composition student. Brian has enjoyed much success as a young composer, having studied with award winning composer Phillip Koplow, and has had many works performed by ensembles at NKU and around Greater Cincinnati. In April of 2005 Brian was selected as one of two composers to have a composition (Margaret, set to the award winning poem of the same name by J.K. Long) performed at Margaret Garner: In Music, Art, and Words, an event jointly held by The Cincinnati Opera and The NKU Freedom Studies Department.

From 1996 to 2002 Brian, as DJ James Kraft, enjoyed a career as a very popular and successful DJ having performed as a resident DJ at many of the most popular nightclubs in Cincinnati and at events around the Midwest. Brian continues to make appearances as a guest DJ at nightclubs and events in and around Cincinnati.

Brian currently resides in Ft. Wright, KY, just outside of Cincinnati, OH with his three Great Pyrenees dogs: Ash, Arya, and Puck. When not busy with musical and marching activities Brian passes his time playing hockey, watching hockey, and playing computer games. Mr. Kraft is a huge Cincinnati Bengals fan.

"I am very excited to join the Blue Stars as visual caption head. I'm looking forward to being a part of a corps with so much tradition and such a long rich history. I'm really looking forward to joining this very talented staff and bringing my experience to help the corps continue its amazing growth."