The William Penn University Athletic Bands are a great opportunity for music majors and non-music majors alike. With a variety of ensembles, we want to give students a way to enhance their educational experience.
Scholarships are available for participating students. If an Athletic Band scholarship is awarded, a student must participate in marching band and at least one other ensemble. These groups include Pep Band, Winter Percussion Line, and/or Color Guard.
We give students the opportunity to participate in a program similar to their competitive high school programs, to perform at a higher level of proficiency, while keeping the overall focus on their higher educational studies.
The Pep Band performs at home athletic events and has attended national athletic tournaments if a WPU team is participating. The band also performs in some university and local events such as the Dean’s Convection.
The WPU Winter Percussion Line has been active for the past seven years. This is an opportunity for our percussion members to stay active and enjoy marching and concert style percussion performances during the Winter/Spring semester.
During the Fall and Spring semesters the color guard performs half time exhibition performances and in community parades. There are participation scholarships available specifically for color guard “only” students who would like to join winter color guard and marching band.
Jim DePrizio brings a wealth of experience and a passion for music education to his role as Director of Athletic Bands at William Penn University.
He holds both a Bachelor of Music Education (BME) and a Master of Music Education (MME) from Vandercook College of Music. Throughout his career, Jim has taught in various districts, including Hamilton, IL, Keokuk, Cedar Falls, Waterloo East, Centerville, Van Buren, and Oskaloosa, where he specialized in corps-style marching band, focusing on engaging and entertaining performances.
Under his leadership, his concert bands have consistently earned Division I ratings and have been featured three times at the Iowa Bandmasters Association (IBA) convention. His jazz bands have qualified multiple times for the Iowa Jazz Championships, and his marching bands have garnered numerous Division I ratings and first-place awards. Jim has also guided many students to All-State selections, including eight in a single year.
Outside the classroom, Jim enjoys playing the clarinet, saxophone, and trumpet in various ensembles, as well as drill writing and practicing his craft. He also loves fishing and spending time with his family. At William Penn, Jim is dedicated to growing the marching band program through active recruitment, supporting high school music programs, and mentoring young directors.