PercussioN STAFF
2027
Tony Teleky
percussion caption head
Tony Teleky is excited to begin his first season as Percussion Caption Head for the Reading Buccaneers in 2027. Tony has been drumming for over 20 years, with over a decade in the marching arts as both a performer and instructor. He has served as Battery Percussion Designer and Caption Head for Rowan University’s “Pride of the Profs” Marching Band since 2024.
Tony’s previous teaching experience includes Carolina Crown, where he helped his students earn a DCI Bronze Medal in 2023; United Percussion as a battery coordinator and choreographer; Spirit of Atlanta; Alchemy Independent; and Imperial Dynasty as Visual Caption Head. His scholastic experience includes Petal High School (MS), Cary High School (NC), Green Hope High School (NC), and the Matt Savage Marching Percussion Camp. As Full Percussion Arranger/Designer for Huntingtown High School (MD), his work culminated in a 2018 Tournament of Bands Group II Atlantic Coast Championship.
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As a performer, Tony’s credits include Broken City Percussion, The Cadets, George Mason University Indoor, Cadets Winter Percussion, Imperial Dynasty, and Cadets2. With Broken City, he earned WGI Percussion Independent World Class Silver and Bronze medals. With The Cadets, Tony earned a DCI World Class Bronze Medal and received the corps’ Distinguished Service Award while serving as snare and battery section leader. As part of the Blue Devils Entertainment family, Tony has also performed with the New York Giants Drumline.
Tony holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and a master’s degree in Engineering Management from Duke University. He is also involved in percussion product research and development, including the Tony Teleky Signature Bus Pad developed in partnership with Beetle Percussion. Outside the marching arts, Tony has performed as a drum set artist with jazz bands and college, high school, and community musical theater programs.
Tony is proud to be a member of the Vic Firth, Zildjian, and Beetle Percussion Artist Teams, as well as the National Eagle Scout Association. He is thrilled to begin this new chapter with the Reading Buccaneers!
Grant BUtters
percussion caption consultant
Grant Butters is currently a designer and consultant to numerous groups in the Northeast. Most notably, he is the director of percussion at South County High School in Lorton, VA. After restarting their indoor program in 2014, the ensemble went on to become WGI Scholastic Open Finalist in 2017, 2018, World Class Finalist in 2019 and Independent A Bronze medalist in 2026. He has also worked with the Penn State Indoor Drumline, Fusion Core, the Hawthorne Caballeros, the George Mason University Indoor Drumline and the Reading Buccaneers.
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Grant has performed with the Glassmen, the Hawthorne Caballeros as well as the Mansfield University Wind Ensemble and Jazz Ensemble. He holds a B.A. degree in Music Business from Mansfield University as well as a M.E. in Special Education from George Mason University.
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Grant currently resides in Springfield, VA with his wife and 2 sons and works as a special education teacher at South County Middle School.
He proudly endorses Innovative Percussion, Inc., Pearl Corporation, Remo Drumheads, and DREAM Cymbals.
Adam Benner
battery specialist
Adam Benner, a native of Emmaus, PA, is a proud graduate of the University of Delaware with a degree in Music Management, as well as Lehigh Carbon Community College with a degree as a Physical Therapist Assistant.
Adam has participated as a performing member for many ensembles, including Aftermath Indoor Percussion Ensemble (2003-2006), Penn State University Indoor Drumline (2008), and the Reading Buccaneers Drum and Bugle Corps (2005-2011).
He first began teaching marching percussion in 2005 with the Marching Phantoms of Phoenixville Area High School. Since that time, he has had the opportunity to teach several high school percussion programs, most recently helping with Spring-Ford High School in Royersford, PA. This will be his fifth season teaching with the Reading Buccaneers.
charlie gorham
battery specialist
Charlie Gorham is a percussionist and music educator based in Northern Virginia. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Music Education at George Mason University, where he also serves as a graduate teaching assistant. In addition to his doctoral studies, Charlie teaches elementary instrumental music full-time in Fairfax County Public Schools.
Charlie earned his M.M. in Music Education from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2025, where he served as a graduate teaching assistant with the UMass Drumline. He previously earned his Bachelor of Music in Instrumental Music Education from George Mason University in 2019.
Charlie remains actively involved in the marching arts, currently serving on the percussion staffs of George Mason University Indoor Drumline, Colts Drum and Bugle Corps, and James Madison High School (Vienna, VA). His previous instructional experience includes Phantom Regiment, United Percussion, and South County High School. He has also written percussion arrangements for several programs, including Westfield High School, Hayfield High School, Millbrook High School, and UMass Amherst.
As a performer, Charlie marched with the Reading Buccaneers (2017-2019), Carolina Crown (2020, 2022), and George Mason University Indoor Drumline (2020-2023).
Charlie proudly endorses Vic Firth Sticks and Mallets.
front ensemble
ben kern
front ensemble manager
Ben Kern is returning in 2027 for his fifth year on staff. He is excited to be heading the front ensemble again this year as Front Ensemble Manager.
Ben has been teaching in the marching arts since 2010 and performed as a timpanist for the Buccaneers from 2015 to 2017. He believes the Bucs bring out the best in him and wants everyone he teaches to feel the same way as a Buccaneer. WAGM.
arianna brown
front ensemble technician
Arianna "Ari" Brown is excited for her first season with the Reading Buccaneers!
Ari has had the opportunity to work with Oakcrest Marching Ambassadors since 2019 as well as the Rowan University Pride of the Profs since 2023! Go Profs! During the winter months, she teaches indoor percussion at Edison High School. Currently, Ari is finishing her final year as a jazz education major at Rowan University with a focus on classical bassoon and jazz vibraphone!
Ari had the pleasure of marching with independent WGI groups Imperial Dynasty and United Percussion, alongside with the Bushwackers and Hawthorne Caballeros under DCI All-Age.
caleb pendleton
front ensemble technician
Caleb Pendelton started performing in 2018 with Perkiomen Valley High School up until 2021; since then, he marched at Bushwackers in 2022 and 2023, United Percussion 2 in 2022, United Percussion World in 2023 and 2024, as well as Hawthorne Caballeros in 2024.
Caleb is currently serving as the Percussion Caption Head at Boyertown High School and the Front Ensemble Tech at North Penn High School and Imperial Dynasty for their current season. He is very excited to join the Buccaneers staff this season!
Natalie DiTommasso
front ensemble technician
Natalie DiTommasso is a classically trained percussionist, having earned her bachelor’s degree in Percussion Performance from the University of Delaware in 2023, and master’s degree in 2025 from Oklahoma City University. She has spent several years on the field marching, having aged out with Carolina Crown in 2021, and teaching high schools and community programs around the upper East Coast, Oklahoma City, and South Carolina.
Currently, Natalie is pursuing her Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in percussion at the University of South Carolina as a graduate assistant, directing the Palmetto Pans steel band. This will be her sixth year teaching the Reading Buccaneers front ensemble.
Peter Garcia
front ensemble technician
Peter Garcia is a dedicated music educator/ arranger with an extensive marching arts background. Based in the Philadelphia Area, his drum corps journey began in 2015 playing marimba with the Reading Buccaneers, complemented by his time with Field of View Indoor (2015) and the WCU Incomparable Golden Rams Marching Band (2014–2017). Following the completion of his undergraduate studies, he returned to the Buccaneers to perform on marimba in their 2019 season. He later joined the instructional staff beginning in 2025.
Beyond performing, Peter has lent his expertise to several front ensembles across the tristate area, including Great Valley High School, Imperial Dynasty, and Fusion Core. He holds a Master's Degree in Music Education and is thrilled to rejoin the Buccaneers' instructional staff for another season! Outside of his musical pursuits, he enjoys hiking, cooking, and spending time with family and friends.
BatterY
wes culwell
snare technician
Wesley Culwell grew up in the Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania area and began his marching career at Cumberland Valley High School. Wesley then began his independent marching in DCA by marching at the Hawthorne Caballeros and the Reading Buccaneers. At the world class level, Wesley marched in the George Mason University Indoor Drumline.
In addition to gaining experience in the independent marching world, Wesley has also taught at a multitude of high school and independent programs in his area. Most recently, he has been a battery instructor at Millersville University, The Colts, United Percussion, and the Reading Buccaneers.
Dylan Torres
snare technician
Dylan Torres is from Ocean County, New Jersey. He graduated from Brick Memorial High School after completing 5 seasons with their outdoor marching band. He then earned his Associate's degree in music from Ocean County College while beginning his teaching career with Brick.
Between the years of 2018 and 2024, Dylan marched with various outdoor ensembles such as Encorps, Bushwackers, Carolina Crown, and Boston Crusaders. His WGI background lies with United Percussion.
Dylan began teaching independently with United 2 in 2025, the Raiders DBC in 2026, and has also done some time in front of the Rowan drumline. He is currently finishing his undergraduate degree in Music Education at Rutgers University and is teaching percussion with the John P Stevens High School indoor and outdoor programs.
Patrick Develin
tenor technician
Patrick Develin is a marching percussion educator from the suburbs of Philadelphia.
Patrick began his career in the marching arts at Downingtown West High School, earned a spot with the Reading Buccaneers on the RQ in 2018 & 2019, and moved on to march with United Percussion World for the 2020, 2022, and 2024 seasons, and returned to the Buccaneers for two more seasons in 2024 & 2025, serving as section leader in 2025. Having taught the RQ last season in 2026, this will be his second season teaching with the Buccaneers.
merold saffa
tenor technician
Merold Saffa started his marching percussion experiences in the South County High School drumline program from 2015-2019. While participating in both the outdoor and indoor seasons at South County, he was a member of the Reading Buccaneers Drum and Bugle Corps in 2018 and after graduating high school in 2019. In his college years at George Mason University, Merold then marched in the GMU Indoor Drumline in the 2020 and 2023 seasons. His last marching experience thus far was in the Reading Buccaneers again for the inaugural season of the DCI All-Age division. Within those experiences, Merold is a 4-time WGI Finalist, three times in high school and for the 2023 season at GMU.
He's thankful to have learned from his educators at SCHS (Grant Butters, Benjamin Mitchell, Grayson Ramsey, Robert Brennan, Anthony Khong), at the Reading Buccaneers (Johnny Trujillo, Sarah Fabian, Sean Clendening, Brandon Isham, John Dembowski, Adam Benner, Thom Hildebrand, Tim Scott), and at GMU (Travis Peterman, Dan Schack, Sean McElroy, Matt Penland, Paul Nalesnik, Alex Musliner, Carolyn Drislane, Joe DeLosa, Riley Sophy).
Merold has been a drumline instructor since 2019, having taught at Westfield HS and South County HS. He was also brought onto staff with Spectre Percussion for their 2025 and 2026 competitive seasons. Merold has served as a bass drum tech, battery coordinator, and indoor drumline instructor. Outside of the marching arts, Merold is a graduate of George Mason University, where he majored in Mathematics Education. He currently teaches in Fairfax County Public Schools.
Jacob Cantor
bass technician
Jacob Cantor grew up with music, playing guitar and bass guitar from a young age.
When he eventually joined his high school marching band, however, he was drawn toward the drumline. While learning how to drum, Jacob also picked up the tuba, and in 2018 he filled a tuba spot at the Raiders, beginning his endeavors in the independent marching arts. In 2019, Jacob returned to the Raiders in the bass drum section. He then continued to play bass drum with the Bushwackers in 2021, United Percussion in 2022, and the Cadets in 2022 and 2023. After his age-out with the Cadets, Jacob marched with the George Mason University Indoor Drumline in 2024 and 2025.
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Jacob has taught multiple high school drumlines in Southeast Pennsylvania and has been serving as a bass drum tech at the Reading Buccaneers since 2024. Outside of the marching arts, Jacob works at Steve Weiss Music and is pursuing a degree in Studio Composition from West Chester University. Since aging out, Jacob has been investing his time into practicing drum kit.
andrew lewis
bass technician
Andrew Lewis is excited to join the Reading Buccaneers percussion staff for the 2027 season.
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Andrew’s marching experience includes the Hawthorne Caballeros (2021–2023), Crossmen (2024–2025), and Colts (2026). His indoor percussion experience includes United Percussion 2 (2022–2023), United Percussion World (2024–2025), and George Mason University Indoor Percussion (2026).
As an educator, Andrew has worked with Kingsway Regional High School’s marching band (2023–2024) and indoor percussion program (2024–2026), Cherokee High School Marching Band (2025–2026), and Rowan University Marching Band (2026).
Jarret Gretz
cymbal technician
Jarrett Gretz began his marching career with Hempfield High School from Landisville, PA, in 2015.
Jarrett has spent two years marching at the Reading Buccaneers, both on cymbals, during the 2023 & 2024 seasons. Independent cymbal teaching experience includes Imperial Dynasty 2026 & Reading Buccaneers 2025, 2026.
This will be his 5th year with the organization. Outside of the marching arts, Jarrett is a project accountant for a staging and automation company.
cecelia Foster
cymbal technician
Cece Foster began her marching career with Highland Regional High School in 2019 playing cymbals. She then went on to play cymbals with the Reading Buccaneers in 2023 and 2024, and the Crossmen in 2025. Cece also performed with United Percussion 2 in 2024, Spectre Percussion in 2025, and aged-out with George Mason University Indoor Drumline in 2026.
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In addition to her performance career, Cece has taught at various high schools. Currently, she is on staff with Upper Darby High School and Highland Regional High School. This winter, she will also begin teaching at Old Line Independent Percussion. This will be Cece’s first year teaching with the Reading Buccaneers.