COLE ASCHE (b. 2002) is a composer, percussionist, and educator based in Omaha, NE. As a marching percussionist, Cole started his career in 9th grade playing auxiliary percussion instruments in the Columbus High School Discoverer Marching Band. He quickly fell in love, and just a short time later, he was the section leader of the battery. During college he decided to audition for an open class group called Crossroads Indoor Percussion. He marched there for three years under the direction of Luke Sesker. It was this group that propelled him to go march drum corps. In 2022, he was marched bass drum at the Jersey Surf Drum and Bugle Corps, and in 2023 he marched bass drum at the Cavaliers where they won DCI’s High Percussion Award. He has had the great privilege of working with some of the best teachers in the activity such as Russel Wharton, Mike Mcintosh, and Tom Aungst. These teachers made him a better player but even a better teacher.

Currently, Cole writes music for middle school and high school percussion ensemble, high school marching percussion, and is a percussion instructor/arranger at Columbus High School. He has been a clinician at the CMS honor band in the percussion ensemble area, where many of his pieces have been played for the very first time. Having been in a percussion ensemble in high school, Cole understands the importance of having separate ensemble for percussion only and wishes to sell his music to local area middle and high schools so that they too might find the wonderful world of percussion ensemble.

Cole is a recent graduate of the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. Along with a degree in Actuarial Science, he received his B.A. in music composition studying under Dr. Greg Simon and Dr. Tyler White. Other teachers include Michael Klee out of Columbus, NE and Dr. Dave Hall at UNT. Cole has had the opportunity to participate in a variety of different ensembles throughout college. These include the Cornhusker Marching Band, the UNL Percussion, UNL Orchestra, and UNL Symphonic Band. Cole works in Omaha as an Actuary. Other than music, he enjoys skiing, video games, playing pool or golf, and watching football.