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 has over 20 years of experience as an arranger and instructor for world class drum and bugle corps including The Cavaliers, Star of Indiana, Santa Clara Vanguard, The Glassmen, The Crossmen and Carolina Crown. He is currently a consultant with The Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps and the front ensemble arranger for The Madison Scouts. His honors in the activity include having been a member of the 1990 DCI World Champion Cadets of Bergen County, having been on the instructional staff of Star of Indiana's (1993) and Santa Clara Vanguard's (2004) World Champion percussion sections and having served as the Percussion Caption Head for the 2006 DCI World Champion Cavaliers. 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.
Michael Zellers
Graduate Assistant
Michael Zellers has been a percussion educator in the
Philadelphia area for numerous years. Teaching experiences include the Penns
Grove (NJ) Area School District, Coatesville (PA) Area School District,
Methacton (PA) Area School District and the North Penn School District (PA).
Since 2007, Michael has served as the front ensemble arranger and manager for
The Jersey Surf Drum and Bugle Corps based, in Camden Count NJ. He was also on
the staff of the 2006 Reading Buccaneers Drum and Bugle Corps where the Corps
won their second consecutive DCA World Championship as well as the High
Percussion Award. He recently was named the front ensemble arranger for Juliana
Drum and Bugle Corps from Middelburg, Holland.
Michael is a 2006 graduate of
West Chester University with a B.A. in Music. He is currently working on his
M.M. at the University of Delaware where he is studying percussion performance.
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.
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.
Cymbal/Battery Instructor
Rich Weaver has been a percussion instructor with the
University of Delaware Drumline since 2002. He has also
instructed and arranged for several local high school bands on both a
competitive and non-competitive level. Rich received his Bachelor's Degree in
Music Education from the University of Delaware, where he marched for two years
in the battery and two years in the pit. He is currently persuing a
Master's Degree in Music Composition at UD. Rich has studied percussion with Harvey Price, Tom
Palmer, Orlando Cotto, Jim Ancona and Tomo Azuma. Rich is the
Associate Band Director at Alexis I. DuPont High School in Wilmington,
DE. His travels experiences with the high school include trips to Rome,
London, Canada, Arizona (Fiesta Bowl Parade), and California (Tournament of
Roses Parade). Rich believes that music should be a part of
everyone's life in some form or another. He continually tries to
expose his students to new ways to enjoy, appreciate, and perform
all styles of music.
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.
Web Design
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.