John Antonelli
Alchemy Independent - Unit Director

​John Antonelli is a percussion educator, arranger, and adjudicator living in Raleigh, North Carolina. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree and a Master’s Degree in Percussion Performance from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem. He has been an educator, writer, arranger, adjudicator, and performer throughout North Carolina, Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, and Illinois. He has performed at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention with the Philidor Percussion Group, and has also performed with the Winston-Salem Symphony and the Greensboro Symphony Orchestra.
Mr. Antonelli has been the Percussion Instructor at North Carolina State University since 2008. While there the drum line has increased both in size and quality. There are two drums lines now that both perform on game days, and many of the top line performers go on to march independent groups for the winter season or drum corps for the summer. The group has performed in places such as Dublin, Ireland as well as Barcelona and Madrid, Spain. This year he is hoping to grow percussion musically on the concert stage at State by starting a percussion ensemble.

He has also served as the Director of Percussion at Athens Drive High School since 2007. In his time there, he has developed the Percussion Ensemble and Drum Line into highly successful groups. Both indoor and outdoor programs have won numerous awards all over the Southeastern United States, and in 2009 the Percussion Ensemble was invited to perform in the Music for All/Bands of America “National Percussion Ensemble Festival” in Indianapolis, Indiana. His students have gone on to earn scholarships for both Percussion Performance and Music Education at schools such as the University of North Texas, Butler University, Belmont University, and every major public institution in North Carolina. Five of his student have gone on to be awarded a position in the US Army All-American Marching Band held in San Antonio, Texas.
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John’s favorite day of the year is when he sees all his former or current students marching at UD area, competing in WGI World Championships. This past year he had thirteen of them to take photos with in their various tour jackets. Seeing his students succeed in music and enjoy doing it are the greatest joys in his life.

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Kennith Watts, Jr.
Assistant Director - Membership and Media Management
Director - AU79 Media Productions

Kennith Watts, Jr. completed his Bachelors of Arts in General Music at the University of North Carolina Wilmington with a Double Concentration in Recording Technology and Trombone Performance. Kennith still actively performs on trombone for a number or groups such as the UNCW Office of Cultural Arts, Cape Fear Theatre Arts, Thalian Association, Carolina Gold Performing Ensembles, and has performed as a guest musician for the UNC WIlmington Wind Symphony and Chamber Winds for multiple concerts after his graduation.

As a performer, Kennith performed as a baritone soloist with the 2016 WGI Independent Open Silver Medalist, Carolina Gold Winds in their inaugural season and completed 4 seasons with Carolina Gold Drum and Bugle Corps. His first season was spent on the hornline as a member of the Baritone section in 2013. During the 2014 Drum Corps Associates season, Kennith served as Head Drum Major for the production of "The Darkest Hour", returned in 2015 for the production of "Let it Snow", and again in 2016 for the production of "Mirror Mirror". Kennith is a Founder and is currently an Assistant Director and Media Director for Alchemy Independent Percussion Ensemble / AU79Media Productions. Along with all of the admin and media work, Kennith also works as an Assistant Music Director for the 2018 CWEA Independent A Champion, Myrtle Beatz Independent, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Kennith's passion for music is only matched with his passion for teaching. He has many years of experience of working with high school band programs as an instructor for conducting, brass, percussion, and visual.  He has been on the staff with the E. A. Laney High School Marching Buccaneers of Wilmington, NC. since 2011 where he now works as the Assistant Band Coordinator. His unique teaching style ignites the potential of his students, propelling them to multiple notable World Class ensembles. Along with working with that program, Kennith has worked as an instructor, arranger, and consultant for many high schools throughout eastern North Carolina.
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Outside of music, Kennith enjoys cooking, sports, comedy, and traveling. In his free time, he loves sharing good times surrounded by friends and family.

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Stephen Krom
Assistant Director - Logistics / Member Relations Management
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Stephen Krom has been involved in the marching arts for the past 10 years. He first started his indoor marching career with Dominion Storm Indoor Drumline, based out of Virginia Beach. From there, Stephen moved on to ForzaEast Percussion Ensemble and finished up his indoor career being the first ageout for Alchemy Independent. Stephen then marched with Carolina Gold Drum and Bugle Corps during the 2017 summer season on tenors, returned to Alchemy 2018 as #teamtonal tech, completed the 2018 Carolina Gold Drum and Bugle Corps season on the percussion staff, getting his students to earn High Percussion Awards in Class A and becoming DCA Class A Champions!