Hawthorne Caballeros Design Team Announced For 2010

The Hawthorne Caballeros are proud to introduce the 2010 Design Team, Arrangers and Caption Heads.

Rich Templin – Staff and Show Coordinator
Rich Templin returns to the Hawthorne Caballeros as the 2010 Show and Staff Coordinator. Rich began his Drum Corps Career in 1965 as a marching member of the Milton Keystoners Senior Drum Corps. Over the next five decades Rich has contributed to the Drum Corps activity in many capacities. He marched with several corps up until 1976 and then began his design and teaching career in drum corps including several years as the drill instructor for the Hawthorne Caballeros (1983 to 1985). From 2000 to 2002, Rich was the drill designer and consultant for the Blue Coats Junior Drum and Bugle Corps.

Mr. Templin also created the Drill Design for many senior corps including the 2003 World Champion Hawthorne Caballeros. He was a DEA Visual Caption HAN/Judging Coordinator from 1992 through 2002 and the DCA Judging Coordinator in 2004 through 2008. The Caballeros are excited to have Rich rejoin the Design Team in 2010.

Tom Aungst – Associate Show Coordinator and Percussion Advisor
Tom Aungst has been involved in the drum corps activity for almost thirty years. Tom started marching in 1979 with the Reading Buccaneers Senior Drum and Bugle Corps, where he played snare drum. In 1981, he became a member of the Garfield Cadets and continued to march with the corps until his age-out year in 1984. Aungst became the lead percussion technician for the Cadets from 1985 until 1989. From 1989 through 2008, Tom was the Director of Percussion and Arranger for the Cadets. In his 27 years with the Cadets, Aungst has been involved with winning nine DCI World Championships, six Fred Sanford High Percussion Awards, and nine runner-up titles. Tom was inducted into the Cadets’ Hall of Fame in 2004 and the DCI Hall of Fame in 2006.

Aungst is currently the Percussion Director for the Dartmouth Public School System in Dartmouth, MA. His position includes teaching percussion students from fourth grade through high school. He also carries with him great success on the Winter Guard International Percussion circuit with Dartmouth High School capturing 4 World Championships in 1998, 1999, 2008, 2009, and placing in the top three every year since.

Aungst has a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from West Chester University in PA, and a Masters in Jazz Performance from Rutgers University. Tom lives in New Bedford, MA.

Tom has said, "I am very excited about the opportunity to work with the staff at the Cabs. Seeing the corps perform last year and how entertaining they were, got me excited about the potential of the 2010 corps. It should be a great year." Hawthorne is also excited to have Tom join our Design Team.

Lou Storck – Assistant Staff Coordinator
Lou Storck has been with the Hawthorne Caballeros since 1966. Currently the Director of Operations, Lou will also assume the role of Assistant Staff Coordinator. He began his career with Hawthorne marching in the percussion section and taught the Caballeros Color Guard from 1969 through 1999. Lou was a drum major from 1977 through 2007; is currently a drum major for Hawthorne Caballeros Alumni Drum and Bugle Corps and assists in parades and as always, where ever he is needed. Lou was inducted into the Drum Corps Hall of Fame in 2004.

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!; Sketches of Spain in 2008 and Ritmos de Pasion in 2009.

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 is returning for his fourth season with the Caballeros as Brass Arranger.

Rob Stein – Brass Caption Head
Rob Stein is a graduate of The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA, holding both a Master’s degree in music education and a Bachelor’s degree in trumpet performance. As a music educator in both the private and public setting, his experience includes extensive work with drum corps, marching bands, jazz bands, wind ensembles, pit orchestras and private lesson studios. As a performer, Rob has had the honor of playing with many outstanding musicians, such as Dave Liebman, Slide Hampton, Carl Allen, Tim Hagans and Jeff Jarvis.

Rob started his drum corps career marching with the Jersey Surf for 6 years, spending 4 in the hornline, and 2 as drum major. Rob finished aging out with 2 years at the Concord Blue Devils playing upper lead trumpet. Since then, Rob has been a music writer and consultant for many schools across the country through his business, "Standing O Marching", and judges for both USSBA and Cavalcade of Bands marching circuits. Currently, Rob lives in East Windsor, NJ.

When asked to join the Caballeros, Rob said, "I’m thrilled to be a part of an organization with such a long standing tradition of excellence. This season is going to be incredible, and I’m looking forward to getting the brass line off to a great start for 2010!"

Eric Robertshaw – Visual Designer and Caption Head
Eric Robertshaw will also be returning to the Caballeros for his third season as Visual Designer and Caption Head. Eric’s 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.

Anthony Tanasy – Color Guard Caption Head and Designer
Anthony Tanasy will also be returning to the Hawthorne Caballeros in 2010 as the Color Guard Caption Head. Anthony was the 2009 Color Guard Caption Head and Designer, is a former marching member of the Caballeros (1997-99) and the Equipment Designer for the 2008 Caballeros Color Guard, has many years of High School, WGI, DCI and DCA experience.

Anthony teaches the South Brunswick Marching Band (2004 – present) and has taught their Scholastic Guard Visual Ensemble. His teaching experience also includes Phantom Regiment and Phoenix Drum and Bugle Corps, and the Jackson, Elizabeth and Hillsborough High School Marching Bands. Anthony’s marching experience includes the Hawthorne Caballeros from 1997 – 99, DCI World Champion Cadets of Bergen County in 2000, Blessed Sacrament (2002 – 2003) Just Class Independent World (2000-2003) and Shadow Danse in 1997.

Anthony is an avid runner and practices dentistry full time in Absecon, NJ. He is very excited to be on board as the Color Guard Caption Head and looks forward to contributing to another successful season with the 2009 Hawthorne Caballeros.

Mike Schmitt – Percussion Arranger & Caption Head
Mike Schmitt will continue as the 2010 Percussion Caption Head for the Caballeros and arrange for the 2010 battery. Mike is from Parsippany, NJ, is currently living in Lake Hopatcong, NJ and has been a member of the Hawthorne Caballeros since 1999.

Mike was the recipient of the 2002 Caballeros Percussionist of the Year and marched with the 2003 World Champion Hawthorne Caballeros. Mike has arranged and taught many high school band programs both in New Jersey and Connecticut. Mike has been the caption head and arranger for Parsippany Hills High School Marching Band since 2001 where he won 4 percussion titles. He is currently a technician and arranger for Westhill High School Marching Band as well as their Winter percussion program in Stamford, CT.

Dave Dumont – Battery Arranger
Dave Dumont is thrilled to be working with the Hawthorne Caballeros for his third year. In 2002, Dave began his senior drum and bugle corps career marching with the Hawthorne Caballeros. He also marched with Syracuse Brigadiers and the Connecticut Hurricanes. During the winter of 2005 he marched with Project Percussion out of Pittsburgh, PA. His DCI experience includes the Crossmen in 2006 and the Cadets (Holy Name) in 2007. Dave has been teaching at Trumbull High School since 2004.

Tom Beebe – Pitt Arranger
Tom Beebe is a twenty-four year professional music educator and entertainer. In 2010, Tom will compose the pit score with Mike Wyatt for the World Famous Hawthorne Caballeros. Tom is thrilled with this opportunity and said “This is gonna be a great year!”

After receiving a Bachelor’s in Music Education from West Chester University in 1984, he has worked with several high school and middle school music programs throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Those programs have included directing concert and marching bands, jazz band, orchestras, string ensembles and concert choirs at the middle school and high school levels. He has written and arranged original music for all of them. Tom currently serves as the Director of Music Activities at The Cleveland School in Newark New Jersey

His drum corps resume is a unique story of success in marching music. Tom has earned four different championships in three different idioms in three different decades. He earned an Eastern States Championship as a member of the Crossmen in 1980. Writing arranging and teaching Hammonton Sr. High School’s marching Band lead to an undefeated season and an Atlantic Coast Championship in 1983. As the founding “Pit Guy” for the Jersey Surf, he won a Garden State Championship in 1992. His role as the “Pit Coordinator” for the “World Famous Hawthorne Caballeros” was rewarded with a world championship in 2003. He proudly serves there still.

In between all the teaching came all the judging. As well as, judging for seven years for DCA, Tom, along with his wife Stephanie, have been active members of the National Judges Association for more than twelve years. Tom is the announcer and host of the Atlantic Coast Championships for Marching Bands and the Week-end in Wildwood All Chapter Championships for Indoor Activities were he has served in this capacity for the last ten years.

In 2009, Tom lead the team that created “The Tournament of Bands All-Star Marching Band.” This year long effort brought together the Jersey Surf, the Hawthorne Caballeros and over a dozen corporate sponsors to create a marching band for high school students from seven states and over two-hundred high school programs. They will make their public debut at the six/ABC Ikea Thanksgiving Day Parade in Philadelphia.

Michael Wyatt – Pitt Arranger
Mike Wyatt is excited to return to the Hawthorne Caballeros organization as pit arranger. He has been with the organization for the past 5 years as pit section leader and most recently as a pit tech. Mike has been active in the marching community for over ten years and started teaching in 2003 at southern New Jersey schools such as Highland, Deptford, Burlington Township, and Eastern. He holds a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies: Percussion Performance from the University of the Arts. He has arranged and written original compositions for Eastern Regional High School, Burlington Township High School, and Middle Township High School. He was also an age-out of WGI Independent World finalist United Percussion in 2008, and is now in his second year on pit staff there.

Frank Gerris, President and General Manager of the Hawthorne Caballeros, has stated that “it is exciting to formally introduce the 2010 Design Team. We are looking forward to yet another great season of drum corps, challenging our members to present an entertaining and winning package and creating a show the fans just can’t wait to stand up for! This is the right team to get us there.”

The Hawthorne Caballeros, sponsored by American Legion Post #199 in Hawthorne, will enter their 64th 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 64th season of competition with our 2010 Open House. Join us on November 28th, 2009 at 12:00 noon at American Legion Post #199, 1 Legion Place, Hawthorne, NJ. To receive an email about our 2010 open house or to get additional information on membership contact Mike Ryan by phone (973) 709-0500 ext. 1532 – or email Mike at m [dot] ryan [at] cabs [dot] org.

For additional information on this press release contact: Marianne Kerr, Marianne658 [at] yahoo [dot] com.