Jared Kortz has been an active percussionist for over fifteen years, with an extensive marching career and teaching resume. Throughout his early years, Jared took percussion lessons and played drumset. He was a member of his high school's drumline, along with The Pittsburgh Steelers Drumline. While attending college at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Jared was a member of the IUP marching band "The Legend" for two years, starting in 2007 and ending as the Bass section leader in 2008. Jared began marching drum corps in 2008 with the Glassmen Drum and Bugle Corps, where he remained for the 2009 season. Jared spent his age-out summer marching bass drum with the Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps, winning the 2010 DCI Fred Sanford award for High Percussion. Jared’s indoor experiences include Project Percussion (2006), Matrix (2009), and Rhythm X, where he received a silver medal in WGI Independent World Championships (2010) and placed 4th to end his marching career (2011). Jared Kortz has been an educator in the percussive arts for the last seven years. He has taught various high school marching bands and indoor ensembles in the Pittsburgh area, including Steel Valley, Elizabeth Forward and Penn Trafford. Jared has been a bass technician on the Rhythm X staff since 2012, helping them to receive a Gold (2013) and Bronze (2014) medal in WGI Independent World Class Championships. He was also the bass technician for The Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps in the summers of 2012 and 2013. Currently, Jared is on the percussion staff for The Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps. Jared lives in Pittsburgh, Pa where he is a local consultant and a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers Drumline, "Steeline."