Marching Band Staff 2024-2025:

Tony Dekhanov – Woodwind Instructor

Tony Dekhanov is a Russian immigrant who moved to the United States at five years old and was raised in Hampton Roads, VA. He will be graduating with a bachelor’s degree in music education in 2024 and plans to teach across the country spreading his love for music while helping kids become more confident in themselves, having fun and making friends. Tony is currently attending Old Dominion University, studying under Patti Carlson, and working full time at The Cheesecake Factory to support his dreams. Originally a student under Dennis Ziesler in 2015, he took a 6-year break from Old Dominion to bartend and travel the country, before settling back down in Virginia Beach to finish the second half of his degree. He is an active player in several ODU ensembles, including the Wind Ensemble directed by Dr. Tyler Austin, the Symphonic Band under Dr. Alexander Trevino, and is a member of the Monarch Marching Band. Originally a clarinet player, Tony primarily doubles on alto saxophone and trombone and is a woodwind specialist. He is also a brother of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia; the largest and oldest secret music brotherhood. Tony coaches soccer in his free time, cooks almost every single day, and absolutely loves cats.

Ryan Scott – brass instructor

Ryan Scott is a music educator and performer from Fredericksburg, VA.  He received his bachelor’s degree from West Virginia University where he studied with Dr. Virginia Thompson  and his Master’s Degree from the University of Tennessee where he studied with Dr. Katie Johnson.  From 2016 to 2023, Ryan served as the band director at Ni River Middle School in Spotsylvania County.  Currently, he is the band director at Shirley C. Heim Middle School in Stafford County. He also serves as the co-principal horn of the Fredericksburg Symphony Orchestra and the principal horn of the Old Bridge Chamber Orchestra.

William Johnson – Percussion Instructor

William Johnson was born and raised in Virginia. He started playing piano at five, and at twelve he started the violin. In high school, Mr. Johnson picked marching band percussion as his extracurricular activity for fun, and loved it. 

In college, Mr. Johnson played bottom bass for LU's 8-man outdoor bass-line. He also marched LUID playing cymbals and bass drum. After college, Mr. Johnson marched his age-out year with DCI world class Jersey Surf ('22) on bottom bass and Empyrean Indoor Percussion ('23) as their Bass 3.

Mario Ramsey – Percussion Instructor

keegan obenauf –

Percussion Instructor

Ashanti Branch – Color Guard Instructor

Choreographer, dancer, actress, and singer Ashanti Branch was born in Heidelberg, Germany. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism, minoring in theater performance from Hampton University. Ashanti's interest in performance began when she received her first dress-up chest full of costume pieces at a young age. Since then, she's gained dance experience in auxiliary marching band techniques, Latin, ballroom, hip-hop, liturgical, and African and Caribbean dance styles. She was one of 5 selected semi-finalist dancers specializing in color guard in The Commanders Entertainment Team auditions & one of two Finalists. Her Once on This Island production at the Peninsula Community Theater won the 2018 BroadwayWorld Central Virginia "Best Non-Professional Musical," and she won AltDaily's Theater award for "Best Choreography."  Her high-energy dance background landed her leading roles in Crowns, Hairspray, Beauty and the Beast, and most recently, Seussical the Musical at Centerstage Academy in Yorktown, Virginia. Ashanti has choreographed previous productions of Little Mermaid Jr., Lion King Jr., Guys and Dolls, Mama Mia, and Junie B. Jones the Musical.