A former extremely talented Boardman High School musician is now a member of a very popular indie rock group ‘War On Drugs.’ Some of the group’s more popular songs have attracted between 3.5 and 5.6 million views on YouTube.
      Anthony LaMarca, son of Angelo and Gina LaMarca, graduated from Boardman High School in 2005.
      “Anthony’s reputation preceded him here at Boardman High School. He was a student back during the years when I could seldom spend any time at the middle schools, but the middle school band directors would frequently comment, ‘wait until you get Anthony LaMarca!’ His musicianship exceeded my expectations right from the start of his freshman year. It was clear to me that he had a very rare gift. Obviously, he was a standout during high school and excelled in marching band, concert band, and jazz ensemble,” Tom Ruggieri, head of the Boardman Local School instrumental music department recalls.
      LaMarca is a drummer, guitarist, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist who joined the band on its tour in support of its third studio album, Lost in the Dream, in 2014.
      Following the tour, LaMarca began to feel pains in his back and was diagnosed with multiple myeloma cancer, that is now in remission.
      The War on Drugs will release their fourth LP, a band record, A Deeper Understanding, on Aug. 25, that includes an 11-minute track entitled Holding On.
      Following the release of A Deeper Understanding, The War on Drugs take their show on the road in the fall. The group opens their tour in Portland, Maine on Sept. 18 and plays around the United States and Canada for the rest of September and October. In November, they head to Europe.
      After graduating from The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in 2009 in New York City, LaMarca joined St. Vincent as drummer and toured extensively in support of her Actor release.
      Annie Clark, of St. Vincent, is quoted saying: “Anthony LaMarca is a boy wonder, boy genius. He graduated from college and then the next day he went on tour with me...He’s just a delight. He’s so funny. He came in and tried out and he’s just like, everything about what he did was meticulous. Like, he had a very good sounding snare and he brought it. Everything about it---about him---you could tell there was care and thought put into everything he did.”
      At Boardman High School, Ruggieri says that LaMarca “remains a great source of pride for the Boardman Band. His name is mentioned often in daily lessons, especially in jazz classes. I beam with pride in just knowing him, let alone having had a small part in his musical development every time I see him performing on television. This happens often as I’ve seen him on Late Night with David Letterman, Later...with Jools Holland, Glastonbury Festival, and many other broadcasts.
      “His success in the current music scene is a huge inspiration to my students each year as many graduate with similar dreams and aspirations.”
      Asked if he had any advice for jazz students looking to pursue a career in music, LaMarca says “Learn as much as you can. Be as open as possible, to new ideas, to people, to kinds of music. Also make sure you are checking out other mediums; painting, video, photography, writing... Make sure your compositions or even just your performing has meaning and intention. Don’t be arrogant...someone is better than you!”
      And he notes, “Work for someone who is in it for music, not money.”
      PICTURED: GAINING A STRONG REPUTATION AS AN EXCELLENT, MULTI-TALENTED musician is Boardman native, Anthony LaMarca. His is pictured here playing with The War on Drugs during a recent television appearance on Austin City Limits. His brother, Mario, is owner/operator of the Pizza Joes, 6810 Market St., a gold medalist for best gourmet pizza at the 2017 Mahoning Valley Pizza Cook-Off.