Front Row (Left to Right)
Bryce Williams
Bryce Williams was a snare drummer for the Colonial Williamsburg Fifes and Drums from 1999-2007. In 2000, he received the Richard Carter Award, awarded by the Senior Corps instructors to the Junior Corps drummer who shows the most promise. He was the recipient of the Outstanding Achievement Award in 2001, which is presented to the member of the Junior Corps who won points the most months in a calendar year. While in the Senior Corps he received the Tommy Williams Award in 2006, an award voted on by all Corps members for qualities of enthusiasm, dependability, courtesy and loyalty. Finally, he received the Talmadge H. Alphin, Jr. Award in 2007, an academic scholarship that is presented to a senior member whose essay best describes what Fife and Drum has meant to them. He also was a Drum Major from 2006-2007. Bryce graduated from Fife and Drum as the Sergeant Major in 2007. Some of his most memorable performances are: Lexington and Concord, Deep River Muster, Yorktown’s 225th Anniversary, Governor Tim Kaine’s Inauguration, NYC Trips, Godspeed Trips, and Jamestown’s 400th Anniversary playing for Queen Elizabeth II and President Bush.
Bryce graduated from Lafayette High School in 2007. He is now attending James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA and is a Kinesiology Major with a Coaching Minor. He is currently back working part time as a staff member with the Colonial Williamsburg Fifes and Drums and has been snare drumming with Williamsburg Field Musick since May 2008.
Colin Brauer
Colin graduated from the Colonial Williamsburg Fifes and Drums Corps in 2004 at the rank of Fife Sergeant. During his last two years with the corps, he was a Junior Corps instructor and a drum major, two duties which he continued for a short time after his graduation due to the close proximity of his university of choice. Colin is a 2008 graduate of the College of William and Mary with a BA in History and a minor in Russian Language and Literature. That same year, he joined the Williamsburg Field Musick, deciding to take some time off from schooling before continuing with his Russian studies. Colin is currently applying to various graduate schools for their Comparative Russian programs.
Ken Johnston
Owner of Williamsburg Field Musick Fifes & Drums, Ken is an alumnus of the Colonial Williamsburg Fifes & Drums and currently serves as the President of the Alumni Association. He is a 1979 graduate of Hampden-Sydney College and currently is an insurance agent with Middle Peninsula Insurance Agency (www.midpen.net) where he holds the designation of Certified Insurance Counselor. Ken is married to Mary and has two children and one grandchild. Very active in the community, Ken serves on the boards of Olde Towne Medical Center and Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Lance Pedigo
Lance holds a BM from James Madison University. Lance was 1st chair All State Virginia Band during his senior year at Bruton High School. Lance has been a member of Walt Disney’s All-American Band, 1984 Summer Olympics College Band, 1985 Presidential Inaugural Band and the All-American Statue of Liberty Band. Lance has performed with orchestras and bands throughout the United States and on tour in Hawaii, Canada, and Japan. Performances at international military tattoos include the 2007 Edinburgh Tattoo, the 2008 Basel, Switzerland Tattoo and the 2010 Sydney, Australia Tattoo. Currently, Lance is the Supervisor and Drum Major for the Colonial Williamsburg Fifes & Drums, which he was a member from 1972 – 1981. He performs as percussionist for Dean Shostak, Bagels and Fraylox, Stephen Christoff and Poisoned Dwarf, a traditional Irish group. Lance’s performances have been broadcast on NPR as well as national and local television. Most recently Lance has utilized his education and performance background to facilitate corporate team building events.
Thomas DeRose
Thomas DeRose has been playing fife non-stop since he was 10. He is also in the Irish band, Poisoned Dwarf. Check them out at www.poisoneddwarf.com .
John Parks
John was in the Colonial Williamsburg Fife and Drum Corps from 1997 until 2005. He attained the rank of Fife Sergeant, was a Drum Major, and finished as the second highest fifer in his class. He won the 2005 Talmadge Alphin Award and Scholarship, which goes to the senior whose essay best describes what he will take away from being in the Colonial Williamsburg Corps. After graduating from Colonial Williamsburg Fifes and Drums, he has been a part of Williamsburg Field Musick since 2006, and has loved the opportunity of sharing the history of the fife and the drum to visitors to the Williamsburg area.
He is a 2005 graduate of Jamestown High School and a 2009 graduate of James Madison University with a degree in Kinesiology, a minor in Coaching, and is currently working towards his Master's Degree at JMU for teaching Physical and Health Education. He hopes to either teach high school physical education and health or try out and make the Army's fife and drum corps, the Old Guard. He enjoys playing and watching sports, learning new music on the fife, and coaching swimming.
Raymond Jarvis
I began drumming at the age of 9 with the Colonial Williamsburg Fifes & Drums and joined Williamsburg Field Musick in 2004, less than a year after I graduated from the Colonial Williamsburg corps. In addition to being a drummer with Williamsburg Field Musick, I play drum set and auxiliary percussion in a modern rock fusion band called the Brand New Groovement. I also teach drum lessons and repair drums (primarily African hand drums).
Second Row (Left to Right)
Eric Johnston
Eric was in the Colonial Williamsburg Fifes & Drums from 1993 to 2001. He attained the rank of Sergeant Major in 2000 and was awarded the Tommy Williams in 2001. He also achieved the Talmadge Alphin Award, a college scholarship award. He also received the Outstanding Achievement Award for earning the most points in a single year amongst his peers He was involved in many performances such as playing for the President of China when he visited Williamsburg. He traveled all over the country playing for many conferences and events. He graduated the summer of 2001 after finishing high school.
He has been a part of Williamsburg Field Musick for a little over 10 years now. Since being in Williamsburg Field Musick, he has played for President Bill Clinton, Bono from U2, the Democratic Caucus, and many more. He has also traveled to Germany to play for an army convention in Garmish.
He is married to Rachel, who is the Alumni Director at Walsingham Academy and has one child, Andrew Johnston. He currently is the Golf Course Superintendent at Kiskiack Golf Club in Williamsburg and is an avid golfer himself.
Peyton Brauer
Peyton is currently a senior Public Policy and Administration major at James Madison University. He was the Sergeant Major of the Colonial Williamsburg Fifes and Drums in 2006 and is currently the Chapter President of his fraternity Pi Kappa Alpha at JMU.
Top Row (Left to Right)
Harrison Kyte
Harrison was in the Colonial Williamsburg Fifes & Drums from 1999 – 2007. He currently is enrolled in Lynchburg College.
Charlie White
Charles is an alumni member of the Colonial Williamsburg Fifes & Drums from 1988-1996. Upon graduation he joined the Army's 3rd US Infantry where he performed with The Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps from 1996-2000. Charles is also a member of the celtic music group Edsall Road, www.edsallroad.com
Not in Photo
Will Bennett
Will Bennett began performing with the Colonial Williamsburg Fife and Drum Corps at the age of ten.
He has been playing fife for audiences for more than 25 years and given more than 1200 professional performances. His biggest fan is his three year old daughter, because he can play any nursery rhyme tune by ear. He is also a juggler who co-founded the Notre Dame Juggling Club and performed for years with Colonial Williamsburg's Grand Medley of Entertainments.
He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and Old Dominion University. In the last ten years, he has taught Computer classes and Theology classes to students ranging from Kindergarten to 12th grade. He is presently the technology coordinator for Walsingham Academy Lower School.
Pete Berquist
Pete entered the Colonial Williamsburg Fife & Drum Corps in 1988 and graduated at the rank of Fife Sergeant in 1996. While in the Corps, Pete served as a Drum Major, Fife Instructor, and Drill Instructor. Some highlights while Pete was in the Corps were marching in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade (1993) and performing on the first digitally recorded album “Echoes of Revolution” (1996).
After graduating from the Corps, Pete studied geology at the College of William & Mary (undergrad) and Vanderbilt University (grad) and now teaches geology full-time at Thomas Nelson Community College
