- Directors
- Taylor Yozwiak – Director of Athletic Bands, Director of Marching Percussion
- Tim Mason – Associate Director of Athletic Bands, Director of Marching Winds, Adjunct Professor of Music Education
- Megan Schreck – Athletic Bands Coordinator, Director of Color Guard
- Color Guard Staff
- Paige Detwiler – Color Guard Instructor/Choreographer
- Percussion Staff
- Jayson Hart-Smith – Battery Coordinator/Bass Drum Technician
- Morgan House – Snare Drum Technician
- Jordan Brooks – Snare Drum Technician
- Adam Seymour – Tenor Technician
- David Bailer – Bass Drum Technician
- Andrew Pretzello – Front Ensemble Co-Coordinator/Technician
- Natalie Pretzello – Front Ensemble Co-Coordinator/Technician
- Nathan Robino – Front Ensemble Technician
- Michael Sheets – Front Ensemble Technician
- Nick Gingerich – Audio Coordinator/Sound Designer
- Additional Staff
- Scott Boerma – Music Arranger
- Heidi Sarver – Drill Designer
- Kanji Takeno – Photographer Emeritus
- Delaney Curry – Media Production Specialist
- Olivia Evans – Volunteer Coordinator
(Scroll down for Bios!)
Taylor Yozwiak
Director of Athletic Bands/Director of Marching Percussion
Taylor Yozwiak is an active percussionist, educator, arranger, and clinician based out of Baltimore, Maryland. Taylor has 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 the Director of Athletic Bands at Towson University where he directs the “World Famous” Towson University Marching Band and Pep Band.
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 South Florida.
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. In 2017, Taylor moved home to Maryland to begin his work at Towson University.
Throughout his performing career, Taylor has won numerous awards for outstanding musicianship. These awards include the 2012 Vic Firth Scholarship and the Chancellor’s Talent in the Arts Scholarship from the University of Massachusetts. 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. In 2015, Taylor was a prize-winning soloist in the Atlanta Modern Snare Drum Competition. Since then, Taylor’s notable concerts include performing alongside Italian Pop Tri “Il Volo” at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, and alongside Norwegian DJ “Kygo” at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland.
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. 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 10th year as a staff member with the Boston Crusaders where he serves as the Front Ensemble Manager. In 2025, the Boston Crusaders won the DCI World Championship. They also won the Fred Sanford trophy for high percussion performance with a perfect score.
Taylor is endorsed by and proudly supports Pearl/Adams Percussion, Vic Firth Sticks and Mallets, Zildjian Cymbals, and Remo Drum Heads.
Tim Mason
Associate Director of Athletic Bands/Director of Marching Winds
Tim Mason is the Associate Director of Athletic Bands at Towson University. Director of Marching Winds for the 225-member World Famous Towson University Marching Band, he also co-leads the Pep Band program for Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball. Prior to his arrival at Towson, Mason earned a Master of Music in Wind Conducting Degree from the University of Delaware, where he was a teaching assistant for the University of Delaware Marching Band and was a student of Lauren Reynolds and Heidi Sarver.
As a new music educator in the Maryland region, Mason has been invited to conduct honor bands, adjudicate assessments, and clinic various high school ensembles in and around the state. He made his European conducting debut in 2023 with the American Music Abroad Gold Tour, and remains an advocate for music performance travel, leading various programs as a tour specialist, including a selected performing ensemble tour for the 2023 Midwest Clinic, two Rose Parade tours, and additional tours to Florida, California, and New York. He is also on staff at American Music Abroad, an organization facilitating over a dozen annual performance tours of Europe, where he coordinates the DAI Staff Program, and is a conductor for the Collegiate Tour.
Previously, Mason completed a Bachelor of Science Degree in Music Education from Towson University, where he held the role of Student Director for the World Famous Towson University Marching band, and served as the administrative assistant to the Towson University Wind Band programs. His teachers include Dr. Christopher Cicconi, James Hicks, John Miliauskas, and Noel Kunkle.
Mason has worked for various high school marching band programs in Maryland and Pennsylvania and has accumulated professional experience in live and recorded audio as well as professional photography and videography in worship, outdoor, and concert hall settings. He is an active member of the Maryland Music Education Association, the Delaware Music Education Association, the National Association for Music Education, and the College Band Directors National Association.
Megan Schreck
Athletic Bands Coordinator/Director of Color Guard
mschreck@towson.edu
Megan Schreck joins the TUMB staff from the Chicagoland area with extensive experience in the marching arts, having been involved since 2005. Recognizing early on the importance of nurturing a passion for the activity in others, she began teaching in 2008. Megan has performed and taught with groups competing in BOA, DCI, and WGI.
In addition to her role at TUMB, Megan manages an international event planning and coordination business, with a focus on weddings. She is also a devoted owner of three dogs, affectionately known as the “red-headed low riders.”
Megan is enthusiastic about contributing her extensive experience and passion to the TUMB, and is committed to furthering its success.
Percussion Staff
Jayson Hart-Smith
Battery Coordinator/Bass Drum Technician
Jayson Hart-Smith has worked with the TUMB since the summer of 2020. His drumline experience started at Calvert Hall College High School in Towson, Maryland but after his sophmore year, he joined the Bushwackers Drum & Bugle Corps. There he completed ten seasons over the next twelve years, serving the majority of his time with the bassline, and becoming Percussion Manager in 2016. During those 12 seasons, bass was truly a passion for Jayson and took advantage of the opportunities in other groups. He was honored to play for other world class organizations such as United Percussion, Crossmen Drum & Bugle Corps, and The Reading Buccaneers. With these organizations, he earned the honors of three-time WGI Finalist, DCI Semi-Finalist, and DCA World Champions with Best Percussion. Recently, Jayson was a member of the Baltimore Ravens Drumline for 5 seasons, serving in roles ranging from Bass Section Leader to Percussion Director. When Jayson is not spreading his love and knowledge on the marching activity, he loves to play softball and host Trivia for Charm City Entertainment.
Morgan House
Snare Drum Technician
Biography coming soon!
Jordan Brooks
Snare Drum Technician
Biography coming soon!
Adam Seymour
Adam Seymour first joined marching band in 2015, with the Linganore High School Marching Band. In 2019 he would then enroll in Towson University and join the TUMB. During his time at Towson he would spend 5 years with the TUMB, serving as the quad section leader for 4 of those seasons. Adam has also had the pleasure of marching various winter and summer marching ensembles including Old Line Performing Arts, United Percussion, and Bushwackers Drum and Bugle Crops. He would go on to perform with these ensembles in WGI, DCA, and DCI Finals respectively. After his marching career came to a close Adam joined the staff for Old Line Performing Arts, Bushwackers Drum and Bugle Corps, and here at Towson Universty as a Quad Technician. In his spare time Adam enjoys being outdoors, whether that be playing various sports on going on hikes. He also looks forward to beginning a new career path in Phlebotomy, in which he became certified in the spring!
David Bailer
Bass Drum Technician
David Bailer resides in Baltimore, Maryland where he recently finished studying his degree in Chemistry Secondary Education at Towson University. He currently is teaching high school chemistry in Baltimore County Public Schools at Franklin High School. David has performed in various organizations outside of his high school marching band and indoor program. Throughout his marching career he has marched at the Towson University Marching Band, 7th Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps, United Percussion, and The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps. David has taught at various high school programs across the Maryland area, Towson University Marching Band, The Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps, United Percussion, and The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps. David is extremely excited and humbled to be back with the TUMB for his third season teaching bass drum!
Andrew Pretzello
Front Ensemble Co-Coordinator/Technician
Andrew began his marching career at St. Stanislaus High School in Bay St. Louis, MS in 1998, playing in the front ensemble for 6 seasons (7th through 12th grade). Andrew was also a member of the Fusion Indoor Percussion Ensemble from Bay St. Louis, MS in 2003 and 2004. After high school, Andrew became a member of the University of Southern Mississippi marching band, The Pride of Mississippi, where he was in the front ensemble and the cymbal line. Andrew began marching drum corps in 2004 with Memphis Sound Drum and Bugle Corps and after a two year hiatus, finished his DCI career with the Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps in 2007 and aged-out in 2008. He received the Crossmen Percussion Distinguished Service Award for the 2008 season. Andrew has been a member of the Towson University Marching Band professional staff since 2017. He is also the front ensemble coordinator for Marriotts Ridge High School since 2011, and Old Line Independent Percussion since 2021. He was a front ensemble coordinator for Atholton High School from 2008-2024, and the Bushwackers Drum and Bugle Corps in 2016. He currently works as a Senior Consulting Lead for Deloitte & Touche, LLP.
Natalie Pretzello
Front Ensemble Co-Coordinator/Technician
Nathan Robino
Front Ensemble Technician
Nathan Robino is excited to join the front ensemble team while in Baltimore for graduate school at Johns Hopkins. He has marched with the University of Delaware Marching Band, United Percussion, Carolina Crown, and the Boston Crusaders.
Michael Sheets
Front Ensemble Technician
Michael began his marching career at Urbana High School in Frederick Maryland in 2016 and quickly fell in love with the activity. After a short hiatus Michael joined the Towson University Front Ensemble for 4 years with 2 of those years being a part of the percussion leadership team. Michael has also been a part of several world-class organizations within WGI and DCI, including Imperial Dynasty, The George Mason University Indoor Drumline, United Percussion, The Cadets, and The Boston Crusaders, where he served in his final season as the front ensemble section leader. Michael has also been an educator, designer, and arranger at various high school programs around the state, including Urbana High School, Clarksburg High School, and Century High School Michael is extremely excited to return to the TUMB, where his passion for marching music truly began!
Nick Gingerich
Head of Audio
Nick Gingerich is an established audio engineer based in Washington, D.C., with professional experience in audio system design and deployment, live audio mixing, and AV production management. He has contributed to some of the largest events on the East Coast, including Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball Drop, Cincinnati Music Festival, the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize, All Good Now Festival, All Things Go Festival, Uprise Music Festival, and hundreds of other concerts and corporate events across the United States.
Nick currently works as an Audio Engineer for Showcall Inc., where he specializes in deploying full-scale audio systems at legendary venues such as Merriweather Post Pavilion, the Anthem, the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium, the National Building Museum, DAR Constitution Hall, the DC Convention Center, the Calvert Marine Museum, and many others. He earned his degree in Electronic Media and Film from Towson University in 2022 and has worked with the Towson University Marching Band since 2021.
Music Arranger
Scott Boerma
Music Arranger
Scott Boerma (b. 1964) was the music arranger for the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps from 1989-2006 and from 2015-2018. From 2008-2014, 
he was the arranger for the Spirit of Atlanta Drum & Bugle Corps. In addition to several other corps in the United States, Boerma has arranged for marching bands and drum corps from Japan, United Kingdom, The Netherlands, and Thailand. Competitive high school bands around the world have enjoyed great success with Boerma’s charts. Other credits include marching band arrangements for the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, the University of Texas (both Austin and Arlington), the University of Illinois, Purdue University, Towson University, Texas Tech University, Baylor University, and Jacksonville State University, to name just a few. Most of the Big Ten University marching bands have performed Boerma’s arrangements. Boerma has also written arrangements for the Detroit Chamber Winds Brass and the Boston Pops.
Boerma’s original concert band works have been performed by many outstanding ensembles, including “The President’s Own” Marine Band, the Dallas Wind Symphony, the University of North Texas Wind Symphony, the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra, the University of Illinois Wind Symphony, the University of Michigan Symphony & Concert Bands, the Interlochen Arts Camp High School Bands, and the Music For All Honor Band of America, to name just a few. His works have been heard in such venues as Carnegie Hall, Hill Auditorium, the Myerson Symphony Center, the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, and at the Chicago Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic. Boerma’s works have been featured in the popular GIA series, “Teaching Music Through Performance in Band.” Most of his concert band works are published by the Neil A. Kjos Music Company, Boosey & Hawkes, Arrangers’ Publishing Company, and Carl Fischer Music. He is commissioned each year by high school, university, and community bands to write new works for the repertoire.
Scott Boerma is the Director of Bands and Professor of Music at Western Michigan University, where he conducts the University Wind Symphony and Western Winds. Prior to this appointment, he was Associate Director of Bands, Director of the Michigan Marching Band, and the Donald R. Shepherd Associate Professor of Conducting at the University of Michigan. Before those positions, Boerma was the Director of Bands at Eastern Michigan University, and he began his career teaching music in the Michigan public schools at Lamphere and Novi High Schools. He earned his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in wind conducting at Michigan State University and his Master of Music degree in music education from the University of Michigan, where he studied composition with Pulitzer Prize winning composer William Bolcom. He received his Bachelor of Music degree in music education from Western Michigan University, where he studied composition with Ramon Zupko. Scott has also studied composition with Anthony Iannaccone.
Drill Designer
Heidi Sarver
Drill Designer
Biography coming soon!
Kanji Takeno
“Three…Two…One…” 
For the past 23 years, if you had your picture taken on Towson University’s campus, you’ve probably heard this countdown right before the flash of light comes from the top of a camera.
And if you don’t remember the countdown, then you definitely remember the smile that would come afterwards from the man behind the camera — Towson University’s Director of Photographic Services, Kanji Takeno.
Since starting at TU in 1996, Kanji has taken millions of photos, and has captured so many memories and moments of Towson University’s storied history. And while those 23 years have seen our campus go through an abundance of changes — new campus buildings, five university presidents, and even a name change from Towson State University to Towson University — there has only been one Kanji.
The Fall 2019 academic term is Kanji’s last as the university’s beloved director of photographic services. During these past 23 years, Kanji’s photographs have been Towson University’s public image, with generations of students being attracted to campus because of his efforts.
Media Production Specialist
Delaney Curry
Volunteer Coordinator
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