James Ancona
University of Delaware - United States
Overview
James Ancona is the Assistant Director of the Blue Hen Marching Band, Director of the Basketball Pep Band and Co-Director of the Symphonic Band at the University of Delaware. His other responsibilities include teaching basic conducting and 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 several 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, and the 6-time World Champion, Santa Clara Vanguard. His 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 World Champion percussion section. Several of his percussion arrangements appear on Star of Indiana’s “Brass Theater” and “BLAST” (the Tony 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.
He is an endorser and clinician for the Avedis Zildjian Company, Remo, Inc., Pearl and Adams Percussion, and a Signature Artist for Innovative Percussion, Inc. He leads an active performing career in the Philadelphia area and is a member of The University of Delaware’s chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.