Induction Ceremony For Cavalcade Of Bands
Joe Marrella, of Marlton, NJ, will become the sixth member of the World Drum Corps Hall of Fame also named to the Cavalcade of Bands Hall of Fame, at a ceremony to be held in Hershey, PA in November.
The other World Drum Corps Hall of Fame members previously chosen for Cavalcade of Bands honors are Frank Ferraro, Larry Hershman, Bill Lawler, Bill Mitten, Sr. and Rich Templin. Marrella, a member of the Drum Corps International (DCI) Hall of Fame as well, also received two Best Director nominations from the 128-member New Jersey Association of Community Theaters in 2005 and 2006. Marrella has served the Cavalcade as a judge, clinician, consultant, and coordinator since the early 1970s. He has served as a television color commentator for various band competitions and is currently serving his second two-year term as the education coordinator of the Cavalcade of Bands.
He has adjudicated groups across the United States and Canada. He was an individual snare drum champion and has also instructed national champion percussion ensembles.
He has served as a consultant with various marching musical groups, conducted seminars for music educators throughout the country, created training sessions for Cavalcade judges and assisted in the evaluation of them.
Marrella has conducted workshops for music educators earning postgraduate credits for advanced degrees at West Chester University. He is a former member of the Advisory Council of the University of the Arts, located in Philadelphia. He has also written articles for music publications that have been distributed to 35,000 high schools in the United States. He has also directed stage plays and musicals, applying the methods and concepts of his clinics to live theater. The shows he has directed include “A Chorus Line,” “Guys and Dolls,” “The Wiz,” “Grease,” Bye, Bye, Birdie,” “South Pacific,” “Brighton Beach Memoirs” and “Same Time, Next Year.”
The Cavalcade of Bands is a non-profit organization composed of member schools, which compete on the interscholastic level. The motto of the organization is “Education through Musical Involvement.” Cavalcade officials believe that controlled competition can be a positive educational tool and music education can greatly enhance general education and life skills.
The Cavalcade provides competitive opportunities with marching band field competitions in the fall and indoor guard, twirlers, and drumline competitions in winter. Non-competitive jazz band activities also occur in the winter. Individual shows and contests are sponsored by member schools with championship contests held at the conclusion of the season.
Since its founding in 1976 by the late Vince Bruni, of Rochester, NY, membership in the World Drum Corps Hall of Fame has grown from six charter members to more than 400 regular and associate members from the United States and Canada, who have contributed to the activity across North America, Europe, Africa and Japan.
More information about the World Drum Corps Hall of Fame is available at www.worlddrumcorpshof.org/
