INTRODUCING THE 2020 RAIDERS DRUM CORPS
The Raiders Drum and Bugle Corps is pleased to introduce the percussion education team for the Raiders’ 2020 production.
Scroll to learn more about our talented and dedicated educators.
The ⋆ denotes a Raiders or East Coast Percussion alumnus.
Meet The 2020 Raiders Percussion Team
Alejandro Gallo ⋆
Percussion Caption Head
Chris Cossuto
Battery Coordinator / Snare Technician
Morgan House
Snare Technician
Jason Phillips ⋆
Quads Technician
Joey Scanlon
Quads Technician
Christian Negri
Bass Technician
Deondre Smiles ⋆
Cymbals Technician
Hope Vasquez
Front Ensemble Coordinator
Michael Cheng
Front Ensemble Technician
Spencer Kpakiwa
Front Ensemble Technician
Zach Nash
Electronics Technician
Alejandro Gallo ⋆
Alejandro Gallo’s performance experience includes both drum corps and indoor percussion. He marched with the Hawthorne Caballeros (2011, 2013-2016, 2018), the Dansville White Sabers (2017), and the Raiders (2012). All of his winters were spent with WGI World Class Finalist United Percussion (2014-2016).
Alejandro’s instructional experience includes serving as the battery coordinator for the WGI Independent A Class Finalist East Coast Percussion (2017, 2018), along with several high school groups in Northern New Jersey. He is currently the percussion caption head at both the Parsippany Hills High School and the Passaic County Technical Institute.
During the week he is the director of the Community Charter School of Paterson Indoor Percussion Cougars, where young musicians aging from 4th through 8th grade learn to perform during the competitive USBands Indoor season.
Morgan House
Morgan House is excited to be returning as a second-year member of the Raiders Drum and Bugle Corps educational team, where he will be continuing his role as the snare technician in the 2020 season.
Morgan was introduced to drumming and marching band in high school. He attended school at Towson University, where he was a member of the Towson University Marching Band from 2013-2016.
After his first season with the band, he became a member of the Bushwackers Drum and Bugle Corps, where he marched during the 2014, 2016, and 2017 seasons. Additionally, he was a member of multiple independent WGI groups, including Field of View’s Indoor Percussion Ensemble, the Imperial Dynasty Arts Program, and the George Mason University Indoor Drumline, where he aged out in 2018.
Morgan graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Cultural Anthropology, currently works in Baltimore at an employment services agency, and works with the Towson University Marching Band’s drumline as a member of their Professional Staff.
Morgan is excited to be able to work with the instructional team at the Raiders, and is looking forward to the summer.
Joey Scanlon
Joey Scanlon, from Fairfax, VA, is a percussion educator in the Northern Virginia area and has been working with many marching bands and percussion ensembles in the area for years along with teaching private lessons.
Joey also has many years of experience performing with various Drum Corps and WGI ensembles. Beginning his career in DCA with the Hawthorne Caballeros (2015-2016) and Cadets2 (2017). He then moved on to march his DCI age-out with the Colts the following summer.
In the WGI arena Joey was a founding member of Matrix Open (2016-2017) then spent the 2018 winter with WGI World Class Finalist George Mason University, and will be aging out this winter with Matrix World.
This will be Joey’s second season on staff with the Raiders and he is very excited to get the season started.
Christian Negri
Christian Negri was born and raised in Brick, New Jersey where he first found his love for music and percussion through his high school band program.
Christian went on to march in the Rutgers University Marching Band from 2012 to 2016 where he was taught by their world class percussion staff. Most recently, he marched with the Hawthorne Caballeros in 2017 and 2018.
In 2016, Christian accepted a position with Gallant Entertainment Inc. and currently performs with their various drumline ensembles.
Since 2015, Christian has been the percussion instructor and arranger for the Brick Township High School Marching Band. In 2017, he took on the additional role of Assistant Band Director and began working with their indoor color guard. He is additionally a bass tech for United Percussion 2.
Christian’s passion for performing and the marching arts can be seen in his teaching and he looks forward to bringing that passion to Raiders Drum and Bugle Corps.
Hope Vasquez
Hope Vasquez is a percussion performer and educator from San Antonio, Texas. She graduated with her bachelor’s degree in Music Education from West Texas A&M University and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Percussion Performance from Boston Conservatory at Berklee.
Hope began her DCI career in 2014 with Blue Knights and aged out with The Cadets in 2016. Since then, she has taught and coordinated percussion programs at several high schools across Texas. She is looking forward to a great first season with The Raiders Drum and Bugle Corps!
Spencer Kpakiwa
Spencer Kpakiwa’s post-high school performance experience includes Penn State Indoor (2015), Hawthorne Caballeros (2016), Imperial Dynasty (2017), Reading Buccaneers (2017), George Mason University Indoor Drumline (2018), and the White Sabers (2018-19).
Spencer’s educational experience began with Carlisle High School in 2015. He then went on to help with Central Dauphin Indoor drumline in 2017 and eventually helped them gain promotion to WGI Open Class during the 2019 season. He is currently instructing at Central Dauphin High School, Central Dauphin East High School, and Aftermath Percussion.
Chris Cossuto
Christopher Cossuto, 22 from Norwalk, CT, is a percussion educator currently residing in Amherst, Massachusetts where he is finishing his bachelor’s degree in music education. At the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Chris has been fortunate to study under DCI hall of fame member Thom Hannum through the university’s marching percussion program and Marimba Bands.
Chris also has five years of drum corps experience under his belt. Beginning in 2013, Chris spent two years with the Connecticut Hurricanes Drum and Bugle Corps then moving on to march two consecutive summers with Cadets2 Drum and Bugle Corps capturing a DCA Open Class gold medal and high percussion award in 2016.
This past summer Chris aged out with the Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps where he had the privilege of being taught by Michael Mcintosh, Brett Kuhn, and many other great educators. Chris is thrilled to be joining the brand new educational team at the Raiders.
Jason Phillips ⋆
Jason Phillips is a performer and educator based in Akron, Ohio. He started his drum corps career with the Raiders in 2014 and went on to march Mandarins Drum and Bugle Corps in 2015 and 2016.
He also marched for four years with Matrix Performing Arts in the world class ensemble from 2016 to 2019, serving as the quadline section leader for two seasons.
Jason is also the battery technician for Nordonia High School in Macedonia, Ohio and is currently attending Kent State Stark for Music Technology. Jason loves his dog with all his heart and hates rims and weak diddles. This will be Jason’s second season with the Raiders as a quad technician.
Deondre Smiles
Deondre Smiles has been involved in the marching arts over the last 15 years as a performer, instructor and designer. Deondre has performed with groups such as Pioneer Drum and Bugle Corps, Minnesota Brass Drum and Bugle Corps, and River City Rhythm indoor drumline.
He has worked with ensembles across the Midwest and South including Legacy Open, Tates Creek Indoor Ensemble, and Chops Drum and Bugle Corps.
Deondre currently lives in Columbus, Ohio with his fiancée, where he is completing a Ph.D. in Geography at The Ohio State University.
Michael Cheng
Michael Cheng is currently pursing a master’s degree in Marimba Performance in Boston Conservatory at Berklee. He received his degree in Music Education from Lamar University under the direction of Dr. Francisco Perez, Dr. Matthew Holm, and Travis Fife.
As a performer, Michael performed with Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps in 2016. He was also selected to as an semi-finalist in the Great Plains International Marimba Competition (Oklahoma City, OK) in 2018 and International Artist Competition (Orange, CA) in 2019.
As an educator, this will be his second season with the Raiders Drum and Bugle Corps. He also previously served as the front ensemble instructor for Klein Forest High School in Houston, TX for three years.
Zach Nash
Zach Nash is starting his career in DCI this season as the Electronics Technician and sound design. He is an instructor at EPIC Percussion in Williamsport Pennsylvania and has taught with various successful High Schools in Central Pennsylvania.
He has been a member of the Penn State Indoor Drumline in 2014 and 2015 and with DCA’s White Sabers Drum and Bugle Corps in 2017. In 2018, he took in the roll of electronics technician for the White Sabers. He was the sound the sound designer for the 2019 White Sabers and worked with the 2019 and 2020 South County High School Indoor Drumline.
Don't miss this exciting season!
Be a part of the Raiders Drum Corps 2020 production.
