Taylor Yozwiak
Interim Director of the Towson University Marching Band
Percussion Clinician
Taylor Yozwiak is an active percussion performer, educator, arranger, and clinician based out of Baltimore, Maryland. Taylor has established a unique perspective on the percussive arts that combines his background as a jazz drumset player with his passion for solo performance and rudimental technique. Taylor is currently entering his eighth year at Towson. This fall, he will be working as the Interim Director of Athletic Bands and Director of Marching Percussion at Towson University.
Taylor received his Bachelor of Music Degree in Percussion Performance from the University of Massachusetts in 2013. While at UMass, Taylor had the privilege of studying with professors Ayano Kataoka and Thomas Hannum, and was a proud member of the UMass Minuteman Marching Band. Taylor then completed his Master of Music Degree in Percussion Performance from the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami. During this time, Taylor studied with world-renowned percussionist Svet Stoyanov, directed the Miami “Frost Band of the Hour” Drumline, and performed throughout the rich musical scene in Miami.
After graduating from The University of Miami, Taylor moved to Orlando, Florida to work as the Assistant Director of Bands/Director of Percussion Studies at William R. Boone High School. During this time, Taylor maintained an active performance schedule throughout central and southern Florida while appearing with groups such as the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, the Southwest Florida Symphony, and the Gulf Coast Symphony Orchestra.
Throughout his performing career, Taylor has won numerous awards for outstanding musicianship. These awards include the 2012 Vic Firth Scholarship, the Chancellor’s Talent in the Arts Scholarship from the University of Massachusetts, and the “Semper Fidelis” award for Musical Excellence presented by the Marine Corps League. During his two years as the Timpanist for the Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps, Taylor won a World Championship with the Corps in 2011 and was awarded the Cadets Distinguished Service Award in 2012. Taylor was a prize-winning soloist in the 2015 Atlanta Modern Snare Drum Competition and has been featured as a Vic Firth artist and educator.
Alongside his performing career, Taylor serves regularly as a percussion clinician, adjudicator, and educator throughout the country. Taylor has led and arranged for marching percussion programs at the high school and collegiate level, and is actively involved with Drum Corps International. Starting in 2013, Taylor spent four years as a percussion staff member with the Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps. During Taylor’s first year as a Cadet staff member, the Cadets percussion section won the Fred Sanford trophy for high percussion performance. Taylor is currently in his eighth year on staff with the Boston Crusaders where he serves as the Front Ensemble Manager.
Having worked as a musician, educator, and arranger throughout the country, Taylor originally grew up in Columbia, Maryland. Towson University played an important role in Taylor’s music education at that time. In addition to his role with the Towson University Marching Band, Taylor is also the faculty advisor for the Sigma Tau Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. Taylor is endorsed by and proudly supports Vic Firth Sticks and Mallets, Zildjian Cymbals, and Remo Drum Heads.
Erick Von Sas
Wind Clinician
Erick Von Sas currently serves as Director of Bands at Crofton High School (Crofton, MD) in Anne Arundel County. Ensembles under his direction have consistently received praise from adjudicators for their musicality, creative direction, and commitment to quality performance. Prior to Crofton High School, he held teaching positions at Old Mill (MD) High School, Annapolis (MD) Middle School, Greenville (OH) City Schools, and Sandusky (OH) Central Catholic School.
Mr. Von Sas is an active arranger and drill writer, and is a sought-after designer in the pageantry arts. His design clients have been incredibly successful at the local, regional, and national levels, and he frequently serves as a guest clinician for marching ensembles throughout the region. Marching Ensembles under his direction have not only been successful competitively, but are regularly praised for their kindness, cleanliness, and esprit de corps.
Von Sas has presented on issues of repertoire diversity, teaching high-needs populations, and equity in the large ensemble at the local and state level. As a tubist, Mr. Von Sas performs with the Category 5 Wind Ensemble (Laurel, MD), and is a freelancer in the greater Baltimore area. He is regularly sought out as a guest conductor and clinician for ensembles in the I-95 corridor.
Erick is a graduate of the University of Dayton (BM), and of the American Band College of Central Washington University (MM). In August of 2024, he will begin work on a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Wind Conducting from the University of Maryland, and study with Dr. Michael Votta Jr. His research interests include repertoire, score study, diversity and inclusion, psychology, and group dynamics.
He currently lives in Linthicum Heights, MD with his wife Chelsea, and their son Luca.
Layne Thompson
Color Guard Clinician
Layne Thompson is from Oakville, MD where he participated in many aspects of the performing arts. As of 2023, Layne has participated in 40 seasons of color guard!
He began his color guard career in 8th grade
in 2009 with Chopticon High School in St. Mary’s County. He spent 5 years with the program and was captain of the color guard in 2012 & 2013. After graduating, Layne has had the opportunity to work with Chopticon High School and Great Mills High School, during their outdoor season and Great Mills High School during their indoor & outdoor seasons. Layne is currently the Caption Head of the Leonardtown High School Color guard.
Aside from high school color guard, Layne has marched with numerous other winter guard and drum corps units. In 2011, he began his DCA career with Shenandoah Sound Drum & Bugle Corps from Manassas, VA. In 2013, he began marching with the Reading Buccaneers Drum & Bugle Corps from Reading, PA. Layne has been a member of the RBCG for the past 7 consecutive seasons & has been the Captain of the Color guard since 2018.
In 2010, Layne began his indoor career with Leonardtown High School’s Scholastic A winter guard. Since then, he has spun with 4 other indoor units including: In Theory Youth Services Independent A winter guard from Baltimore, MD (2013 & 2015), The Classics Independent A winter guard from Allentown, PA (2017), and Field of View Independent World winter guard from West Chester, PA (2018). In 2019, Layne aged out of the Independent Open class with George Mason University winter guard from Fairfax, VA, placing First in WGI finals in Dayton, OH.
Outside of the activity, Layne is an Elementary School Special Education Paraeducator in Great Mills, MD, where he assists students on the Autism Spectrum. He is now a seventh year Paraeducator in St. Mary’s County.
Layne brings high quality design and technique to our program and he is ecstatic to be back with the TUCG. He hopes to challenge all members of the TUCG to improve their knowledge and abilities in the all areas of the marching arts.
Christina Donall – Lebovitz
Drum Major Clinician
Christina is an educator and clinician currently residing in Baltimore County. Also an Alum fromTowson University, she earned her Bachelor of Science inMusic Education in 2019 and earned her Masters in Instructional Technology, Education Concentration in 2022.
She is originally from Northfield, NJ where her musical and marching arts career started at Mainland Regional High School. Her band director, Keith Hodgson, set the standards high of the positive impact a teacher can have towards their students. Throughout high school, she had many memorable experiences including participating in jazz band festivals, pit orchestra, marching band competitions, and the NJ State Gala with the wind ensemble. She was also an active participant in NHS and Tri-M Honor Societies. The summer after she graduated, Christina spent three weeks with theAmerican Music Abroad Gold tour performing across 5 different countries. Outside of music, she was alsoa track and field athlete, setting the school discus record and competing in the NJ Meet of Champions in 2013.
Throughout college, she was very involved with the marching arts and the Towson University MusicDepartment. She was an employee under the athletic band director, Mr. John Miliauskas, for four years as well as serving as one of the Towson University Marching Bands’s Drum Major for two years. She also was a flag and dance member of the TU Winter Guard in 2017. During this time, Christina became a brother of the Iota Delta chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi, Honorary Band Fraternity, operating as the Treasurer, President, Convention Chair, and Parliamentarian. Christina was involved in the Cadets2 Drum and Bugle Corps as a mellophone player (2015) and as a drum major (2018) for their final season.
After graduating, Christina spent three years teaching middle school band and orchestra in Washington County and Baltimore County. Christina is now in her second-year teaching at Dulaney High School. Christina is co-director of the Dulaney Lions Roar Marching Band and a marching and drum major tech of the Westminster Owls Marching Band. She is serving as the Vice President of the Maryland Marching Band Association. This will be Christina’s sixth year being a Drum Major Clinician at the TU Marching Arts Camp
Scott Engel
Drum Major Clinician
Scott Engel is the band director and general music teacher at Boonsboro High School in Washi
ngton County (‘20-present), and formerly of Perry Hall High School in Baltimore County (‘06-‘20). Under his direction both school’s marching bands won state championships (’12 and ’22). Selected as one of the “50 Directors Who Make a Difference” in the December 2015 issue of School Band & Orchestra Magazine, Scott hopes to spend the rest of his career making a difference in the lives of his students and colleagues. Scott earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Music Education from Towson University, and while at TU, he wasa member and drum major of the marching band. Scott currently serves as President-Elect of the Maryland Band Directors Association.
Carol Cox Forbes
Drum Major Clinician
Carol Cox Forbes currently directs the Bodkin ES instrumental music program in Anne Arundel County as a National Board Certified teacher. She graduated from Towson University with her B.S. in Music Education and from Gratz College with a MAEd with a concentration in classroom management and climate. She has received an Outstanding Music Teacher Award for Excellence from MMEA in 2020 as well as nominations for Teacher of the Year in AACo in 2014 and for the 2016 Music & Arts Teacher of the Year Award. She is also a marching arts consultant and clinician, having had the pleasure of working with drum majors and student leaders at Towson University, the TU Marching Arts Camp, Stevenson University, Urbana High School, and numerous other programs in the mid-Atlantic region. Highlights of her experience include doubling the enrollment in her previous two elementary school position, marching with the 2006 Crossmen Drum & Bugle Corps, working for more than a decade at the AACPS Overnight Summer Music Camp including a year as a camp manager, and continuously contributing to the county and state music programs in which she was raised. She lives in Pasadena, MD, with her husband, Scott, and daughter, Evelyn.
Jayson Hart-Smith
Percussion Instructor
Jayson has been a Drumline instructor for the past 16 years helping numerous programs across Maryland and Pennsylvania. These programs include The Bushwacker’s Drum & Bugle Corps, The Baltimore Marching Ravens, as well as the World Famous Towson Marching Band where he is entering his 4th year on staff. As a performer, Jayson played bass drum for the Bushwacker’s, Reading Buccaneers, Crossmen Drum & Bugle Corps, and United Percussion. During that time, Jayson also gained a wealth of knowledge about the entire percussion section from the incredible people he had the pleasure of marching, learning, and teaching with over the years. His goal is to pass down the knowledge he’s gained, so the next generation of drummers are provided with the tools they need to succeed at the next level.
James McGarvey
Percussion Instructor
James McGarvey is a band director and percussion teacher, and has 28 years of teaching experience. Originally from Pennsylvania, James received his Bachelor of Music Education fromIndiana University of Pennsylvania, studying under Gary Olmstead and Jack Stamp. He has served as band director for Moriarty High School (NM), Carver Center for the Arts (Towson, MD), Hereford High School (MD), and Susquehannock High School (Glen Rock, PA). In 2013, he received his Master of Music Education from Lebanon Valley College.
While at Susquehannock High School, James created a percussion program, which developed into a championship indoor percussion ensemble, receiving many awards in the KIDA and WGI circuits. Under his direction, the high school marching band has achieved success in the Tournament of Bands and Cavalcade of Bands.
In 2008, James took over as elementary band director for Southern York County Schools, and directs bands in grades 4 through 6. He also created a youth jazz band program called the Warrior Cadets. In addition, he continues to serve the Susquehannock High School Band, as percussion director for the Susquehannock marching band and indoor percussion programs, winning numerous championships and high percussion awards.
James also teaches privately in his studio in Glen Rock. He is a member of the National Association for Music Education, the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association, and the Percussive Arts Society.
