Hawthorne Caballeros Announce 2008 Design Team
The Hawthorne Caballeros are proud to announce the following members of the 2008 Design Team:
Dennis Argul – Brass Arranger
The Hawthorne Caballeros welcome back Dennis Argul as the Brass Arranger for 2008. Dennis’s Drum Corps career began in 1973 as a member of the St. Andrew’s Kidets, the feeder Corps for the St. Andrew’s/Bayonne Bridgemen, which he marched with through the 1981 season. In 1982 Dennis became a baritone soloist with the Harrison Bushwackers. He was a member of the Bushwackers in various roles in 1982-1983, 1986, 1987, 1992-2003, and 2005-2006. Dennis was the Brass Arranger for the Hawthorne Caballeros 2007 presentation of Carmen – 2007!
Dennis is a fulltime Music Teacher at Arts High School in Newark , NJ , the first high school of the arts in the country and works as a freelance Low Brass musician throughout the metropolitan area. Dennis also is a freelance composer and arranger, most recently receiving an award through the New Jersey Council on the Arts in composition.
Dennis DeLucia – Show Advisor
Dennis DeLucia will join the staff of the 2008 Hawthorne Caballeros as Show Advisor. Dennis is one of the most highly-respected percussion teachers, arrangers, clinicians and judges in the United States . A former member of the prestigious West Point Band, he is best known for his successes with the championship drum corps and bands. In 1981, his drumlines won Best Percussion in all three competitive classes – the only Triple Crown in Drum Corps International history. Dennis has conducted percussion clinics/workshops in 42 states and 6 countries. He has appeared as an expert analyst/commentator on the telecast of the DCI Championships on ESPN2 and the Regal Cinema chain since 1994. He is the narrator on the DVD of the “The Historic Drummers Heritage Concert” and serves on the task force for the WGI Indoor Percussion.
Dennis is a member of the World Drum Corps Hall of Fame, Drum Corps International Hall of Fame, Bergenfield NJ Hall of Fame, winner of the Sabian Cymbal Lifetime Achievement Award and a member of the WGI Percussion Hall of Fame. Dennis has arranged and taught for the Muchachos from Hawthorne , NJ , The Bridgemen, Star of Indiana, the Crossmen, Sunrisers, the Hawthorne Caballeros, Rutgers University Band and many high schools.
He is the author of several books including The Drummers Daily Drill, Dennis DeLucia’s percussion Discussion, Building a Championship Drumline and Marching Percussion Essentials. He is an educational consultant, clinician and endorsee for Yamaha Corporation of America , SABIAN Cymbals, Remo Drumheads, Pro-Mark Sticks and Mallets, and Row-Loff Productions (Publisher). Dennis was an Associate Professor of Percussion at Rutgers University in New Jersey from 1996 – 2003. He lives in New Jersey with his wife and daughter.
Gary Gill – Percussion Caption Head and Arranger, Staff Coordinator
Gary Gill will return to the Hawthorne Caballeros as the Percussion Caption Head, Arranger and Staff Coordinator. Gary has been with the Caballeros since 2003 and 2008 will celebrate his sixth year as the Percussion Caption Head and Arranger for the Caballeros.
Gary’s list of accomplishments include Caption Head and Percussion Arranger for the Hawthorne Caballeros 2003 DCA World Champions, Percussion Consultant for Capital Regiment from 2002 to 2006, Caption Head for the Empire Statesmen in 2001 and 2002 and Bass Tech for the Reading Buccaneers, DCA Percussion Champions from 1998 – 2000. Gary has also arranged for, consulted with and won numerous awards with local high schools in Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey and has been involved as a local and regional percussion judge. Lower Dauphin High School won the TIA Indoor Percussion Championship three years in a row with Gary as Assistant Band Director and Percussion Caption Head.
AJ Kise – Color Guard Caption Head and Designer
AJ Kise will join the 2008 Hawthorne Caballeros Staff as the Color Guard Caption Head and Designer. A.J. is currently employed with the East Stroudsburg Area School District as a Elementary Special Education teacher.
Mr. Kise is currently the co-director and equipment designer for the Eastburg Colorguard programs in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. In only their second year of existence, The Eastburg Colorguard earned the title of 2005 WGI World Championship Scholastic A Bronze Medalist.In 2006 they were promoted to Scholastic Open where they finished 6th at World Championships and being "strongly recommended" for Scholastic World in 2007. In only their fourth year of existence Eastburg Color Guard finished 16th in Scholastic World at the WGI World Championships. Other teaching and design experience includes the East Stroudsburg Marching Band (2002-present), the Pocono Mountain Marching Band and Winter Guard (1998-2002), the Orchard Park Winter Guard (2003), the JTL Intermediate School Winter Guard (2003-present) and the 1996 Northwestern High School Marching Band – Bands of America Grand National Class A Champions.
Eric Robertshaw – Visual Designer and Caption Head
Eric Robertshaw will be returning to the Caballeros in 2008 to fill the role of Visual Caption Head as well as being the corps’ Visual Designer. His drum corps teaching experience includes working with the Crossmen, the Cadets and the Reading Buccaneers. In addition to being a visual judge for the National Judges association, Eric has been designing drill for numerous award winning marching bands throughout New Jersey .
The design team is completing the final staff assignments which will be announced in the near future. Frank Gerris, President and General Manager of the Hawthorne Caballeros, has stated that “it is exciting to formally announce the 2008 Design Team. Our 2008 staff will be an exciting line up of Drum Corps professionals that will work with the members and support team of the Hawthorne Caballeros to present an engaging and dynamic show. We are honored to have Dennis DeLucia and AJ Kise join with Dennis Argul, Eric Robertshaw and Gary Gill as they design and present the 2008 Hawthorne Caballeros competing program”.
The Hawthorne Caballeros, sponsored by American Legion Post #199 in Hawthorne , are in their 62nd season of competition and have amassed a remarkable host of records. They have won the DCA World Championship 9 times, the American Legion National Title 16 times, the National Dream Contest 17 times, and the New Jersey State American Legion Title 43 times. They have completed 5 undefeated seasons, consecutively in 1984 and 1985. In 1989, during DCA’s 25th Anniversary season, fans voted the Caballeros their favorite Senior Drum and Bugle Corps of all time.
For information visit our website: www.cabs.org. The Hawthorne Caballeros will begin our 61st season of competition with our 2008 Open House. Join us on November 25th, 2007 at 12:00 noon at American Legion Post #199, 1 Legion Place, Hawthorne , NJ. To receive an email about our 2008 open house or to get additional information on membership contact Mike Ryan by phone (973) 709-0500 ext. 1532 – or email Mike at cabscontra [at] aol [dot] com.
For additional information on this press release contact: Marianne Kerr, Media and Marketing Manager, Hawthorne Caballeros, Marianne658 [at] yahoo [dot] com.
