MARCHING BAND Staff

Mike Massaro is currently entering his second season as Director of the Kingsway Regional Marching Band and his fifth year as the Band Director at Kingsway Regional Middle School. As Marching Band Director, Mr. Massaro prioritizes creating an environment of excellence where students can shape their work ethic through accountability and attention to detail, as well as perform as a team to gain leadership skills that travel far beyond the field. At Kingsway Regional Middle School, Mr. Massaro directs all curricular middle school bands, including the 7th and 8th grade Concert Bands, 8th Grade Jazz Ensemble, and 7th Grade Introduction to Band, and also teaches music electives including Guitar and Piano class. After school at the Middle School, Mr. Massaro directs the KRMS Pep Band throughout the winter season, and served as the Music Director for the middle school musical from 2022-2024. Previous to becoming Marching Band Director, Mr. Massaro held the position of Assistant Marching Band Director for the 2021-2022 seasons and was a staff member in the 2020 and 2016 seasons.

Mr. Massaro's education includes being a 2016 graduate of KRHS where he was a member of the trumpet section in the KRMB and a 2020 graduate of Rowan University where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Music Education. While at Rowan, Mr. Massaro studied classical trumpet under Dr. Bryan Appleby-Wineberg and jazz trumpet under George Rabbai.  During this time, he also performed in many of the university's premiere ensembles, notably holding the position of lead trumpet and librarian in the Rowan University Jazz Ensemble for three years under the direction of Denis DiBlasio. Mr. Massaro simultaneously worked at Woodstown High School as the director of the Marching Band for two seasons and the Jazz Band for 3 seasons, where he led each ensemble to new heights in competitive achievements. 

Outside of school, Mr. Massaro can be found playing trumpet for Mystery Machine, a 10-piece premiere wedding band of the Tri-State Area, as well as parading the streets of South Philadelphia on trombone with the WhoaPhat Brass Band. In the past, Mr. Massaro marched two seasons on trumpet with the Reading Buccaneers Drum and Bugle Corps in 2018 and 2022, with the corps winning Drum Corps Associates World Finals and High Brass awards both years. In 2023, Mr. Massaro had the honor of conducting South Jersey’s Junior High Olympic Honor Band, leading approximately 100 of the region’s top 6th-8th grade musicians. Mr. Massaro is an avid fan of the Philadelphia Eagles and would also like to shout his dog Ace who just turned 16 and a half!

Tyler is very excited to return to Kingsway for his second season, stepping into a new roles as Assistant Director, Hornline Coordinator, and Music Arranger. Tyler is a well accomplished performer, composer, and educator native to South Jersey. He is currently majoring in Trombone Performance at Rowan University with a CUGS degree in Jazz Studies focusing on Composition. Outside of high school marching band, Tyler has spent 4 year marching with the Bushwackers Drum and Bugle Corps; two seasons on tuba and two as euphonium section leader and trombone soloist. Most recently, he performed with WGI PIW finalists, George Mason University Indoor Drumline as a trombone soloist in their 2024 production of "The Devil You Know". 

Tyler is also a member of WhoaPhat Brass Band where he holds things down in the bass trombone section. Other notable ensembles he's performed with include the South Jersey Pops Orchestra, Atlantic Brass Band, Bay Atlantic Symphony, and the Wind Symphony of Southern New Jersey. While at Rowan University, Tyler was the 2022-2023 Concerto Competition winner, playing Brubeck's Concert for Bass Trombone with the Wind Ensemble. Tyler has previously served on staff for three seasons at the Cab Calloway School of the Arts Marching Band (2021-2023), where they went on to win the title of Atlantic Coast Champions back to back in 2021 and 2022 for the first time in school history.

Bubba Gaffney is honored and excited to begin his first official season on staff with the Kingsway Regional High School Marching. Bubba graduated from Cinnaminson High School in 2010 as a six year member of the marching band. Along with being a member of the marching band Bubba was actively involved in concert band, jazz band, concert choir, chamber choir and many other clubs. Bubba was also a four year participant in the drama club performing in the pit for the Sound of Music, Big Julie in Guys and Dolls, Horace Vandergelder in Hello Dolly, and King Sextimus the Silent in Once Upon a Mattress. 

Bubba was a part of numerous honors bands including All South Jersey, Western Burlington County, Rowan Side by Side, All South Jersey Chamber Ensemble, University of Penn Honors Band, All South Jersey Choir and Olympic Conference Honors Bands. Bubba was also twice awarded the Maestro Award from the Heritage Music Festival in Boston in 2008 and Williamsburg in 2010 for outstanding musicianship. Outside of the marching band, Bubba spent five years marching drum corps, two with Fusion Core and three with the Hawthorne Caballeros. Bubba has also been a guest clinician at the University of Pennsylvania for their Honors Concert Band and Honors Pep Band which he had the pleasure of being a member of when he was in High School. 

Following his high school career Bubba quickly became one of the most sought after Sousaphone players in the tri-state area. Some of the musical groups that Bubba has performed with include Demolition Brass Band- North Arlington, NJ, Ocean Avenue Stompers- Asbury Park, NJ, Big Boy Brass Band- Lancaster, Pa, New Sound Brass Band- Philadelphia, Pa, Black Tie Brass Band- New York, NY, Drumadics Beat n’ Brass Band- New York, NY, Windish Music & Productions performing in The Hershey Park Band & The Oompah Delics and the Brass Animals- San Francisco, CA. Bubba has also done horn work through Windish that has been showcased on Carnival Cruise ships as a live band backing track to some of their acts.

As much fun as Bubba has had performing with all of these amazing groups his heart and soul belong to his main musical group, Whoaphat Brass Band based out of South Philly. Whoaphat can be seen every year in the Mummers Parade as well as numerous parades, weddings, parties and events in the area. Bubba has been performing with Whoaphat since 2015 and has become synonymous with the band. Bubba has been called, “a foundational musician. Someone who blends full tone with raw power to take any arrangement over the top.” - Co-founder and Bandleader Andrew Kruc. “Bubba has a very unique ability to listen, feel and create in any ensemble. His dedication is unmatched in the way he commits to making the best music possible in any situation the band is in.” - Bandmate Sean Blackburn. 

Bubba’s approach to playing the sousaphone and teaching is a unique combination of his own life experiences partnered with an emphasis on his own “Bubba-isms” that will provide a one of a kind instruction for his students. Bubba is currently a substitute teacher at his alma mater, Cinnaminson High School, and is attending Wilmington University to finish his teaching degree. 

Jackson graduated from Collingswood High School in 2016 and went straight into full-time work as a performer and music technician. He currently travels the world with blues legend, Walter Trout, as a member of the band and equipment specialist. He stays busy when he is home in South Jersey as an instrument and audio technician, as well as performing with local acts, including his own group, Jackson Taylor Blues Co.

His marching experience includes six years with Collingswood H.S., playing woodwind and brass, guitar with the indoor percussion ensemble, and spinning weapon in the Winterguard. In and out of high school, he has marched with The Bushwackers 2015, Fusion “Core” 2021, and five-years with the Reading Buccaneers, where he is currently the baritone section leader. Check him out as the featured guitarist in the 2023 Buccaneers Production, “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop”. 

Anthony Dittert is incredibly excited to return  to work with the Kingsway Regional Marching Band as the lead Battery Instructor. He is a 2020 graduate of Kingsway Regional High School where he performed in the school’s various ensembles as a drummer and percussionist. Anthony is a 2024 Graduate of Rowan University where he received his Bachelor of Music in Music Education and his Bachelor of Arts in Education. At Rowan, Anthony performed in the University Wind Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, Percussion Ensemble, Pep/Commencement Band, and had various other performing opportunities as a Percussionist.

During his time at Rowan, Anthony volunteered with the Kingsway Regional Marching Band for the 2020 season and has spent the past 3 seasons teaching the Clearview Marching Band’s Battery and Front Ensemble. In addition to instructing Marching Band, Anthony teaches Percussion at the Friends School of Mullica Hill and privately in South Jersey. In his spare time, Anthony enjoys playing the drums/percussion in various musicals and bands around South Jersey.

Anthony’s extensive teaching and performing experiences give him the wonderful opportunity to share his passion for percussion and inspire the students he teaches!

Dr. Ken played snare in the Mainland Regional High School Marching Band, where he was drum captain for three years. At 16, he made the Crossmen quad line and played two seasons with them. Following this, he was invited to join the Blue Devils quad line, where he played for one season. Altogether, he played in three DCI championships and took 2nd place in I&E as a Blue Devils quad soloist. Following his drum corps career, he spent a year as the house drummer at the Golden Nugget Casino in Atlantic City, where he played eight shows a week, on stage, to a thousand people per show. For 15 years, he played jazz weekly at the 23rd Street Café in Philadelphia, and has sat in with jazz groups around the world. He joined the KRMB percussion staff in 2022.

In his “day job,” Dr. Lacovara is a paleontologist and has unearthed some of the largest dinosaurs ever to walk the earth, including the massive 65-ton Dreadnoughtus, which appeared in the recent film Jurassic World: Dominion. He is a recipient of The Explorers Club Medal, the highest honor in exploration, previously awarded to pioneers such as Sir Edmund Hillary, Jane Goodall, and Neil Armstrong. His TED talk has been viewed by over five million people, and his book, Why Dinosaurs Matter, published by Simon & Schuster, is a winner of the Nautilus Book Prize. Lacovara’s discoveries have landed him three times in Discover magazine’s 100 Top Science Stories of the Year, and he has appeared in over 20 television documentaries. He is founding former dean of the School of Earth & Environment at Rowan University, and is founding executive director of the forthcoming Edelman Fossil Park & Museum, called by Smithsonian Magazine “one of the most anticipated museums in the world.” He recently joined the board of Colossal Biotechnology, a tech company endeavoring to resurrect the wholly mammoth and other recently extinct species.

Andrew is excited to start his second year as an instructor with the Kingsway Regional Marching Band! He is a graduate from Shawnee High School in Medford New Jersey, where he played in the marching band for all 4 years, being drum captain for the last two, and at least one jazz band each year. In addition, he was able to march with United Percussion for the indoor season, the Hawthorne Caballeros Drum and Bugle Corps, and will be touring the country in DCI World Class with the Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps this summer. 

Andrew is from a very musical family in which all of his older siblings performed in marching band, and his parents performed in other bands, choirs, and theaters. His older brother had an enormous influence on his pursuit in music, as he marched with United Percussion and the Hawthorne Caballeros as well before Andrew finally joined him. 

Andrew has been playing drums for most of his life, starting in his fathers theater program when he was only 4 years old. Music has always been a significant part of his life, largely based around the actions and inspiration of those around him. He plans to pursue a career in teaching, hoping to guide and inspire students as his family did for him.

Daniel Piro is thrilled to start his first season with the Kingsway Regional Marching Band! Daniel recently moved to the area from Connecticut and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Physics from the University of Connecticut in 2023. His marching career includes Brien McMahon High School (2015-2019), 7th Regiment DBC (2016, 2019), Connecticut Hurricanes DBC (2017-2018), River City Rhythm DBC (2021), as well as Spartans DBC (2022) and Spartans Indoor (2022-2023), where he was the snare section leader and battery captain. He is also currently marching his second season with the Bushwackers Drum & Bugle Corps and also has some teaching experience, including the Norwalk High School Marching Band for the 2023 fall season, as well as the Kingsway Indoor Percussion for the 2024 indoor season! Daniel is ecstatic to get to teach and grow as an educator with the Kingsway Regional Marching Band! 

Jay Bruner has had the pleasure of participating in the marching arts in the South Jersey area for over 25 years and is entering his fourth year on the KRMB staff.  He is a Washington Township High School graduate, where he was a member of both the marching band and the indoor percussion ensemble for 4 years.  He then went on to receive a BM in Music Composition from Rowan University in 2004 and a MM in Music Technology from NYU in 2006.  Jay returned to WTHS to teach the front ensemble for three years before taking over the front ensemble at Collingswood HS for a further 15 years.  After a short time stepping away from the activity, Jay began teaching, arranging, and audio engineering for Kingsway's Front Ensemble in the 2021 season and just completed his second season as Assistant Director for Kingsway Indoor Percussion.

Ryan is a 2023 graduate of Juniata College, where he earned a BA in International Political Economy with minors in Spanish and Environmental Studies. Ryan is a Kingsway alumni. He was a member of the Percussion Ensemble and Marching Band and was part of the USBands National Championship victory in the 2015 season and Atlantic Coast Championship victory in the 2018 season. Ryan marched one season in 2019 as a marimba for Imperial Dynasty, part of WGI Independent Open Class and one season as a vibraphone for The Cadets in 2022 part of DCI World Class. He was part of several collegiate ensembles at Juniata College, performing on mallet and various other percussion instruments.

Aside from music, Ryan was ranked a top 10 Super Smash Bros. Player in South Jersey for Quarter 1 of 2024. In college, Ryan was a dual-sport athlete, playing catcher for the Juniata College Baseball Team and walk-on starter for the Juniata College Super Smash Bros. Esports Team. Ryan has studied abroad in Seville, Spain and Chiapas, México. During his time abroad, he competed in esports tournaments in Spain, France, and Mexico, was ranked a top 20 player for Season 4 of the Ranked Players League (RPL) in Seville, was a catcher for the Sevilla Red Sox, and learned about the culture of marimba in Chiapas, which played a vital role in the origin and development of the instrument. 

Ryan has worked with the Comisión Forestal Nacional de Gobierno en San Cristóbal and currently works for the NJ Department of Environmental Protection. He looks forward to working with fellow Dragons this season to share his love of percussion and the marching arts. 

Arianna "Ari" Brown is excited to return for her second year teaching with Kingsway's Marching Band! Ari is a Williamstown High School graduate and is currently pursuing her bachelor's degree in Music Education-Jazz at Rowan University for bassoon and percussion. Ari has had the opportunity to march with the WGI Indoor Percussion ensembles Imperial Dynasty and United Percussion well as the DCA corps the Bushwackers and the Hawthorne Caballeros. Ari has also had the pleasure of teaching the front ensembles at Oakcrest High School and Cab Calloway School of the Arts as well as assisting various schools throughout New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware. 

Sasha is an alumni of Rowan University and is very excited to continue to work with the Kingsway Regional Color Guard for his seventh season. Sasha is a West Milford graduate and has extensive experience having marched/taught with Cadets2, Emanon World Indoor Guard, Comotion Indoor Guard, Fusion Winter Guard, as well as Fusion Core Drum and Bugle Corps. Additionally, Sasha is the Founding Director of the Kingsway Indoor Color Guard. Having worked in the activity for over 10 years, Sasha is excited to continue building and developing our color guard program!

Brigette is the Color Guard Co-Coordinator for the Kingsway Regional Marching Band, the Assistant Director for the Indoor Color Guard, and is very excited to begin her fourth year of teaching at Kingsway. Brigette is an Inclusive Educator and graduated with her Bachelors of Education from Rowan University in 2024. Her color guard career consists of five years with Southern Regional High School, followed by the Independent World programs, AMP (2020), and Fusion Winter Guard (2022). She is also currently marching her seventh season with the Bushwackers Drum and Bugle Corps, where she is the captain of the color guard! Brigette is very excited to help lead the 2024 version of the Kingsway Regional Color Guard and Marching Band! 

Jenn graduated from Rowan University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. She is a Haddon Heights High School graduate and has a large variety of experience performing. She began marching with the Haddon Heights outdoor and indoor programs, went on to march two years with Surge Independent, and has been performing with Fusion World since 2018. Jenn is very excited to return for her third season with Kingsway!

Mike Keller is entering his 8th year on staff for the Kingsway Regional Marching Band as the Percussion Coordinator and his 3rd year as Founding Director of the Indoor Percussion Ensemble.  Mike is a 2015 graduate of Williamstown High School where he marched in their indoor and outdoor programs throughout his high school career. Mike has marched with Fusion "Core", Imperial Dynasty, United Percussion, and was the center snare for Spirit of Atlanta for the 2018 and 2019 seasons, holding the position of battery section leader in 2019. Mike is additionally a 2020 graduate of Rowan University where he received his degree in Mathematics.

Mike began his time as Battery Coordinator and Arranger for the KRMB in the 2017 season and is responsible for leading the outdoor percussion section through six straight undefeated seasons, consistently being awarded high percussion at both the region and state championship levels and earning recognition as one of the region's premiere percussion sections. In 2023, Mike became the Founding Director of Kingsway Indoor Percussion, leading the group to a bronze medal in TIA Atlantic Coast Championships in their inaugural season.

Outside of Kingsway, Mike serves as the Battery Coordinator for the Bushwackers Drum and Bugle Corps and has previously served as Ensemble Coordinator for the corps. Mike has also served as a snare technician for United Percussion and is sponsored by Salyers Percussion as a performing artist. In the past, Mike has worked on staff for the Williamstown High School Marching Band, Cab Calloway School of the Arts Indoor Percussion, and Imperial Dynasty.

Matt Blood is a marching arts designer, educator, and consultant based out of Southern New Jersey. He has worked with many marching bands, indoor percussion ensembles, and drum corps on the East Coast and in the Midwest as the sole proprietor of mattbloodmusic.com. Currently, Matt holds the positions of Front Ensemble Coordinator/Arranger/Sound Designer for the Hawthorne Caballeros, Front Ensemble Caption Head/Staff Arranger for the Rutgers University Marching Scarlet Knights, Front Ensemble Arranger for the Jersey Surf Drum and Bugle Corps, and Front Ensemble Caption Head for long-standing WGI World Class finalist United Percussion.

Matt received his Bachelor’s degree in classical percussion performance from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ, where he learned from Joe Tompkins, Kyle Zerna, Mike Truesdell, and Javier Diaz. In addition, Matt has performed as a member of the United Percussion Front Ensemble during their 2012-2014 seasons, and was fortunate enough to work with many amazing educators, including Steve Ballard and Ian Hale.

Matt prides himself on his innovative front ensemble designs, seamless integration with battery and wind scores, and arrangements where musicality comes first.

Chris received his B.S. in Music Performance from of The University of the Arts in 2003. He then toured professionally as a percussionist for multiple performing artists while teaching high school marching band and percussion programs. Chris obtained his music teaching certification through Rowan University in 2005. He is currently a full time Instrumental Music teacher in Cherry Hill, NJ, in his 15+ year of public school teaching / music education, and in his 20+ year of marching instruction. 

In 2011, Chris was a percussion intern / transcriber for The Cadets. Chris also worked with Jersey Surf in 2017 as a percussion tech during their winter camp season.  Chris was the director of percussion education for the Jersey Surf in 2022.

He is the sole proprietor of Custom Marching Drill Designer and serves as a member of the Vic Firth Education Team. Chris continues to develop young percussion students in the Southern New Jersey area both scholastically and privately. He has worked with professional recording producers and engineers, such as David Ivory of Ivory Records. 

Chris has instructed and designed performances that have resulted in many championship percussion awards throughout several associations including BOA, WGI, USBands, TOB and TIA. Chris has a strong love for recording, composing, designing, and performing music. He enjoys sharing his love and passion for music with others. As a musician, Chris always strives to grow as an artist, designer and teacher.