James Ancona is an Assistant Professor of Music at the University of Delaware. He is the Assistant Director of the Blue Hen Marching Band, Director of the Basketball Pep Band and Co-Director of the Symphonic Band. His other responsibilities include assisting with music education methods courses. James received his Bachelor's Degree in Music Education from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and his Master's Degree in Performance from Indiana University where he was awarded the prestigious Performer's Certificate. His former teachers include Gerald Carlyss, Thomas Hannum, William Roberts, Peter Tanner, and Leigh Howard Stevens.
James is currently the Percussion Caption Head for the 2006 DCI World Champion Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps and Front Ensemble Arranger for the 2008 WGI Silver Medalist Penn State Indoor Drumline. James has many years' experience as an arranger and instructor for world class drum and bugle corps, including the Troopers from Casper, Wyoming; the Boston Crusaders; the Crossmen, Star of Indiana, the Glassmen, Santa Clara Vanguard and Carolina Crown. His other honors in the activity include having been a member of the 1990 DCI World Champion Cadets of Bergen County and having been on the instructional staff of Star of Indiana's (1993) and Santa Clara Vanguard's (2004) World Champion percussion sections. His Vanguard Percussion Ensembles and Mixed Ensembles (with brass) have won at the Drum Corps International Individual and Ensemble Championships. Several of his percussion arrangements appear on Star of Indiana's "Brass Theater" and "BLAST" (the Tony and Emmy Award winning Broadway show) compact discs and are published by Tap Space Publications. James is the co-author of Up Front: A Complete Resource for Today's Pit Ensemble and author of Up Front Etudes. He is an endorser and clinician for the Avedis Zildjian Company, Remo, Inc., Pearl Drums and Adams Percussion, and a Signature Artist for Innovative Percussion, Incorporated. Jim currently resides in New Castle with his wife, Lauren, and three Maine Coon cats, Miko, Maceo and Ozzy.
Web Design & Maintenance
Lauren Siple Ancona graduated from University of Delaware in 2002 with a degree in Music Education (Percussion) and completed a Master of Music Degree in Performance (Conducting) in 2004. She recently began working for St. Francis Hospital in Wilmington as the Design and Web Manager.
A native of Pennsylvania, she began marching drum corps in 1997 as a member of the cymbal line for the Jersey Surf Drum and Bugle Corps, returning for the 1998 season. After beginning percussion study at the University of Delaware in 1999, she became a member of the front ensemble for the Magic of Orlando Drum and Bugle Corps. In 2001, Lauren finished her marching experience with the Santa Clara Vanguard, also in the pit. A member of the UDMB for 3 years, she began instructing the pit during her senior year, and continued through her graduate degree. Her teachers include Harvey Price, Orlando Cotto, Jim Ancona, Jim Casella, Eileen Grycky, Robert Streckfuss, Mallory Thompson, and Allan MacMurray.
Snare/Battery Instructor
Colbert marched snare drum for 5 years, from 2002-2006, with the University of Delaware Marching Band program. He has been teaching the battery for 2 years, 2007-2008. Colbert took off a few semesters during his undergraduate degree to pursue a career and education in film acting at the Michael Lemon Film and Theatre Academy in Philadelphia, PA, and a summer study at the Atlantic Theatre Company Academy in New York, NY in 2008. He has been a percussion instructor for his high school alma mater, William Penn High School of New Castle, DE, for 5 years 2003-2008.
"My goal for the drumline is to always be set for success, all while having fun and looking good doing it."
Snare/Battery Instructor
James Osgood graduated from the University of Delaware in 2003, majoring in Psychology with a minor in Disabilities Studies. James was a member of the UDel Drumline consecutively from the1999-2001 seasons. After working with the snare line during the 2002 season as a tech, he got behind the drum again for his fifth and final year during the 2003 season. James began working with Jim Ancona in 1997 as a High School Sophomore after enrolling in the spring Marching Techniques course. With Jim's instruction and guidance, James went on to become a member of both the Crossmen (1998) and Boston Crusaders (2001) drum and Bugle Corps- having the pleasure of working with some of the finest players, arrangers, and instructors in the activity including James Ancona, Thom Hannum, Collin McNutt, Nick Angelis, Chris Perna, Darrin Hazzlett, Rudy Gowren, Tim Greene, and Rich Viano. After living in the D.C. metro areas for two years, James received his M.A. in School Psychology from James Madison University in 2007 and is currently completing his internship towards his Ed.S.
James' Ideology: This activity requires a unique interplay between both mechanics and the mind. From an educational psych background, I believe in teaching techniques that target both the head and the hands. Having great hands is merely part of the battle. True greatness in this activity is achieved through mental endurance, flexibility, and fortitude. I strive to teach my students not only the skills they need to play, but also how to listen, how to become self aware and critical, and how to become their own teachers- skills that transcend beyond this activity.
Head Battery Instructor/Tenors
Darrin Raetsch is a native of South Carolina, lived in Alaska, and has been living in Delaware since 1991. Darrin attended Cape Henlopen High School and graduated in 1998. He attended the University of Delaware and graduated in 2002, majoring in English with a minor in History. He played tenors in the marching band all four years of his college career and has been teaching the band and tech class since. He is currently pursuing a Masters degree in Information System Technologies at Wilmington University.
Darrin is also serious about his drumset playing. His influences include: Dave Weckyl, Akira Jimbo, Steve Gadd and Marco Minneman. Darrin is currently performing with his band “the Ecliptic” - playing shows in Newark, Wilmington and Philadelphia.
Darrin's Ideology: "I take my position as battery instructor and tenor tech very seriously and put forth as much energy as the students do. My job is to make them sound better, look better and have a good experience marching. The drumline works best when the students have a positive and productive attitude, in addition to a desire to learn and be challenged. The ideas that I stress to them, in order to be successful as a drumline, are discipline, focus and intensity, in that order. I strive to become friends with all members of the drumline to not only better our relationships but to make communication with each other easier."
Bass Drum/Battery Instructor
Chris graduated with a B.S. in Physics from the University of Delaware in 2005 and is now a graduate student at the university continuing his physics education. Chris spent all four of his undergraduate years in UD's marching band playing in the snare line and bass line. In his last two years, he was the bass line section leader. He also marched in the Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps from 2002-2004 in the bass line, serving as the bass drum section leader his age-out year. Chris has been a battery instructor for Glasgow High School in Newark, DE for the past several years, including the current year, and recently took over the percussion section for his alma mater, the Charter School of Wilmington/Cab Calloway School of the Arts Marching Band from Wilmington, DE. In the indoor circuit, he was the bass tech for Aftermath from Coatesville, PA for the 2004 and 2005 seasons. They were a finalist in 2004 and the silver medalist in 2005 in the WGI PIO circuit. Chris' most recent teaching accomplishment was being a member of the instructional staff, again as the bass tech, for the 2005 DCA Champion and High Percussion Trophy winning Reading Buccaneers Senior Drum and Bugle Corps from Reading, PA.
Front Ensemble
Valerie Vassar, originally from New Jersey, is currently pursuing a Master of Music degree in percussion performance at The University of Delaware. She received her Bachelor's Degree in Music Performance, Percussion from Ithaca College in 2007.
Her education has included:
Leigh Howard Stevens Marimba Seminar - June 2004
Brevard Summer Music Festival - summers 2003, 2005
Empire Statesman Drum and Bugle Corps, Rochester, NY - summers 2006, 2007
She is currently teaching and performing with the Bushwackers Drum and Bugle Corps in New Jersey. She will be traveling with the UD Steel Band for a three week tour to Sweden, Israel, and Germany this summer. This will be her second year working with the UD Marching Band and she is very much looking forward to it.
Rich Weaver
Cymbal/Battery Instructor
Snare/Battery Instructor
Nick graduated with a B.A. in History Education from the University of Delaware in 2007 and is now beginning graduate school in the summer of 2008, where he will pursue a M. Ed in Educational Leadership at Delaware State University. He is currently teaching Social Studies at his alma mater, William Penn High School in New Castle, DE.
A native of Ohio, Nick first became involved with the UD program in the spring of 2003 as a High School senior, after enrolling in the spring Marching Percussion Techniques course. Nick spent all four undergraduate years in UD’s drumline, playing the snare drum. During his senior year, he served as the drumline captain. In addition, Nick marched in the 2004 Reading Buccaneers Senior Drum & Bugle Corps from Reading, PA. Nick has written, arranged, and instructed for Washington Township High School in Swedesboro, NJ, Millville Senior High School in Millville, NJ, and William Penn High School, in New Castle, DE. He began teaching the UD percussion section in the spring of 2008. His teachers have included James P. Ancona, Rich Hammond, Chris Feist, Terrell Smith, and Steve Regner.
Nick is tremendously excited to be working with the University of Delaware staff and students and hopes to continue to build upon the program’s recent growth and success.