Hawthorne Caballeros Announce 2009 Design Team

| |

The Hawthorne Caballeros are proud to announce that the following members of the 2008 Design Team and Staff will return in 2009.

Dennis Argul – Brass Arranger
The Hawthorne Caballeros welcome back Dennis Argul as the Brass Arranger. 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! and Sketches of Spain in 2008.

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.

Terry Bieler – Percussion Caption Head
Terry Bieler will join the 2009 Design Team and Staff as Percussion Caption Head. Terry joined the Caballeros in 2003 as the Tenor Tech for the 2003 DCA World Champion Hawthorne Caballeros and over the last six years has taught and supported the percussion section in many roles, including the 2008 Percussion Battery Supervisor.

Terry marched percussion with the 1985 Phantom Regiment, Indiana University of Penna. and with the Westshoremen Drum and Bugle Corps. In addition to the Caballeros, Terry has taught percussion for the Westshoremen, Grey Knights, Empire Statesmen, and numerous High Schools in Pennsylvania including Carlisle, Cedar Cliff, Cocalico, Cumberland Valley, Indian Valley, Indiana, Red Land (including 3 ACC Championships), Susquehanna Township, and Titusville.

Dennis DeLucia – Show Advisor
Dennis DeLucia will return to the 2009 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 Arranger, Staff Coordinator
Gary Gill will return to the Hawthorne Caballeros as the Percussion Arranger and Staff Coordinator. Gary has been with the Caballeros since 2003 and 2009 will celebrate his seventh year on the design team and staff of 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 and led Red Land High School to an undefeated percussion season while he served as the Percussion Caption Head and Asst Band Director.

Gary is the owner of First Class Percussion Studio, in New Cumberland, PA where he has 3 Marching Percussion Units and 75 percussion students.

James Riley – Brass Caption Head
James Riley will return to the Hawthorne Caballeros as the Brass Caption Head for the 2009 Season. James is an active adjudicator and clinician for the USSBA, MAC, East Coast Judges Guild, Drum Corps Associates, and was the youngest examiner ever to be appointed to the Royal College of Examiners. He has worked as program designer, music and marching clinician, and consultant for several area high schools and drum corps. He has also served as Manager, Coordinator, and Auditions Chair for both the Bergen County Music Educators and North Jersey Area Band. James joined the Caballeros in 2008.

Mr. Riley resides in Pompton Plains with his wife Kristin and son Liam, and is currently the Department Chair, Director of Bands, Musical Director, and varsity golf coach for Pequannock Township High School. He holds a Bachelor of Music, Magna Cum Laude, from the Hartt School of Music; Master of Music from SUNY Purchase; Artist Diploma from the Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto; and a Master of Administration and Supervision from Montclair State University.

Eric Robertshaw – Visual Designer and Caption Head
Eric Robertshaw will also be returning to the Caballeros in 2009 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.

Frank Gerris, President and General Manager of the Hawthorne Caballeros, has stated that “it is exciting to formally announce the members of the 2008 Design Team that will be returning in 2009. The Caballeros had a great year in 2008 and as a result of this talented design team we began yet another chapter in the future of the Hawthorne Caballeros competing corps. The 2009 staff is 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 look forward to a show and program announcement in the near future. We are honored yet again to have Dennis DeLucia, Gary Gill, Dennis Argul, Eric Robertshaw and Terry Bieler as they design and present the 2009 Hawthorne Caballeros competing program”.

The Hawthorne Caballeros, sponsored by American Legion Post #199 in Hawthorne, will enter their 63rd 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 63rd season of competition with our 2009 Open House. Join us on November 30th, 2008 at 12:00 noon at American Legion Post #199, 1 Legion Place, Hawthorne, NJ. To receive an email about our 2009 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.

Posted by on Thursday, September 18th, 2008. Filed under DCA News.