Tom Aungst
Artistic Director

Tom Aungst is currently the Director of Percussion at New Bedford Public Schools in New Bedford, Massachusetts. His job includes teaching percussion students at the middle and high school levels. Previously, Mr. Aungst was the Director of Percussion in the Dartmouth Public School System for 33 years. Under Tom’s direction, Dartmouth participated in the WGI indoor percussion activity since 1998, capturing five World Class Percussion Championships (1998, 1999, 2008, 2009, 2014) and consistently placed in the top three. Other medals include, 6 second place and 8 third place finishes within a 25-year span. Along with these accomplishments the group has also received 8 fan favorite awards. Mr. Aungst was also the Artistic Director for the 2025 Independent World Group Redline.

Tom has also been involved in the drum corps activity for over 40 years. In 2023, Mr. Aungst became the ensemble specialist for The Music City Drum Corps and The Cavalier Drum Corps. He was also the Percussion Arranger and Caption Head for The Cadets Drum Corps for 30 years, the Assistant Percussion Arranger and Caption Head for Carolina Crown Drum Corps in 2015 and 2016, and Arranger and Caption Head for the Blue Stars Drum Corps in 2010 - 2012. Throughout these years in the Drum Corps Activity Tom has been apart of winning 9 DCI Championships, two as a member, 2 DCA Championships, both as a member, and 8 DCI High Percussion Awards, most recently with the 2023 Cavalier Drum Corps.

Mr. Aungst got his start in drum corps in the late 70’s by marching with the Reading Buccaneer’s all-age corps, winning two DCA World Championships in 1979 and 1980. In 1981 Tom became involved with The Garfield Cadets, first as a member from 1981-1984, a snare tech from 1985-1988, then becoming the Percussion Arranger and Caption Head from 1989 through 2008. Tom returned to The Cadets in 2013 as an ensemble consultant and later as the Caption Head and Arranger from 2017 – 2022. Other notable corps Mr. Aungst has worked with include, The Boston Crusaders, The Reading Buccaneers, Cadets2, Pacific Crest, Hawthorne Caballeros, and the Connecticut Hurricanes. Tom is a member of The Cadets, Drum Corps International, World Drum Corps, and the WGI Halls of Fame.

Mr. Aungst is a graduate of West Chester University, where he received his Bachelors in Music Education and also has a Masters in Jazz Performance from Rutgers University. He is also the author of “The Cadets Approach to Marching Percussion” instructional book, written in 2007, and the author of a marching instructional video entitled “Rehearsing the Contemporary Percussion Ensemble”, which was released in 1992. Tom is a Vic Firth, Yamaha, Zildjian and Remo artist. He is also a proud father to Alan Aungst and Noah Aungst.