Hawthorne Caballeros Present 2012 Design Team
The Hawthorne Caballeros are proud to introduce the 2012 Design Team and Caption Heads. Rich Templin, Staff and Show Coordinator for the Caballeros released the 2012 team today commenting that, “the 2012 Hawthorne Caballeros design team and caption heads are a passionate group of professionals that are already working together to build a program that members will be proud and excited to perform and fans will enjoy”. The 2012 Design Team and Caption Heads include:
Rich Templin – Staff and Show Coordinator
Rich Templin returns to the Hawthorne Caballeros as the 2012 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 DCA 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 return to the Caballeros and the Design Team in 2012.
Lou Storck – Assistant Staff Coordinator
Lou Storck has been with the Hawthorne Caballeros since 1966. Currently the Manager of Operations, Lou will continue in 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 and the NJ Drum Corps Hall of Fame in 2010.
Key Poulan – Brass Arranger
The Caballeros welcome back Key Poulan as our 2012 Brass Arranger. As the owner of Key Poulan Music, he is recognized as the leading independent composer/arranger for contemporary marching ensembles. Key received his music degrees from East Texas State University (currently Texas A & M – Commerce) and has composed over 120 independent works for the marching arts. Key is in high demand for new commissions each year.
In addition to Key’s involvement with the Hawthorne Caballeros, Key’s place in the drum corps world includes brass composing and arranging for the Glassmen, Mandarins, Santa Clara Vanguard Cadets, Genesis, Bushwackers, Millennium (Italy) and the Mass Brass Minicorps. Key is serving as the design coordinator for the Mandarins. Key is excited to return to the 2012 Caballeros where he got his start in the all-age drum corps activity. His inaugural season was capped off with tremendous success including their 2003 championship.
Russ Batsch – Brass Caption Head
Russ Batsch returns to the Hawthorne Caballeros as the 2012 Brass Caption Head. No stranger to Hawthorne, Russ started his career with the Cabs in 2000 as a lead Soprano. He then was promoted to head Drum Major in 2004. During his stay with the Cabs, he instructed brass on many levels, from warm-ups to visual basics, and in 2011, Russ joined the Caballeros as Brass Caption Head. He even helped tie up the broken exhaust on the “Hat” truck one lonely evening on Route 78.
Russ graduated Hightstown High School and went to Rowan University for a BA in Music Education and a Minor in Special Education. He started his Band Director Career in 1996 in the Pompton Lakes School District. Russ taught Junior High Band, Chorus and Jazz Band, and assisted with the High School Marching Program. While there, Mr Batsch was named teacher of the year.
Mr. Batsch then took the High School position at West Essex Regional Schools and taught for 8 years. While there, his program won numerous awards for Marching, Jazz and Concert bands. Russ currently teaches with the Madison School District where he re-started the Marching program after 25 years. His other responsibilities include, Concert Band, Jazz Ensemble, Senior Class advisor and Tri-M Honors Society Advisor. Russ is also the Wind Ensemble Director at Drew University. In May of 2010 he was the 5-6 Band Director for the Morris Jointure Band. Russ is married to his wonderful wife Jenn, who herself worked the souvenir table, and has 2 amazing future Cabs, sons Brady and Logan.
Eric Robertshaw – Visual Designer and Caption Head
Eric Robertshaw will also be returning to the Caballeros for his fifth season as Visual Designer and sixth year as Visual 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. The 2012 Caballeros welcome the return of Eric in 2012.
Joe Heininger – Color Guard Design
The Caballeros welcomes back Joe Heininger as the 2012 Color Guard Design and Caption Head. Joe has designed and choreographed for many of the top performing marching bands and Winter Guard Groups in the United States. Some of his outstanding accomplishments include: Choreographer/dance instructor for the Boston Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps in 1997 & 1998; Color Guard Designer for the Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps in 1999 & 2000; Program Coordinator/Color Guard Designer for Jersey Surf Drum and Bugle Corps in 1999 & 2001; Show Designer for Sacred Heard Winter Guard from 2000 thru 2002; Color Guard Designer for the Phantom Regiment from 2000 thru 2004, 2005 thru 2008; Co-Program Coordinator with the Glassmen Drum and Bugle Corps from 2008 thru 2010; Artistic Director/Designer for the Black Watch Independent World Guard from 1996 thru 2010; and Show Designer for the Mechanicsburg High School Marching Band and Winter Guard from 2008 through 2010.
In addition to Joe’s creative designs for color guards, drum corps and marching bands throughout the United States, he also designs and creates flags and costumes for some of drum corps/marching band’s most prestigious pageantry groups and is the custom performance wear designer at A Wish come True.
Bobbey Biddle – Color Guard Caption Head
The Caballeros also welcome back Bobbey Biddle as our 2012 Color Guard Caption Head. A Delaware native, Bobbey resides in Philadelphia, PA. Bobbey is the Director of the Plymouth Whitemarsh High School and Colonial Middle School Color Guard programs in Plymouth Meeting, PA. During his tenure at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School, Bobbey’s color guard captured championship titles at the 2009 Cavalcade of Band Marching Band Championships, 2010 USSBA Nationals Championships, and most recently, the 2011 T.I.A. All Chapter Championships. Bobbey is also a member of the instructional staff for the legendary World Class Color Guard Black Watch. Previous teaching credentials also include the DCA Champion Reading Buccaneers Color Guard, Millersville University Marching Band, and the Villa Pirata, Springfield High School, Glory, Smyrna High School, and John Dickinson High School Indoor Guards.
Bobbey’s performing background goes back to Middletown High School in Delaware and continued with the Apex Winter Guard, the University of Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hen Marching Band, the Visual Arts Production Company, and finally with Black Watch.
Bobbey is a professional Event and Production Planner and has also been a long-time volunteer with the Miss America Pageant Organization.
Dan DeLong – Percussion Consultant
Dan DeLong will join the 2012 Caballeros Design Team as our Percussion Consultant. Dan brings with him a wealth of experience with numerous organizations as a director, teacher, clinician, judge and participant.
After marching with the Pioneer Scouts, the Westshoremen, and the Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps, Dan began an active career of teaching, consulting and judging. He taught the Crossmen for 2 years before moving to the senior circuit, joining the staff of the Westshoremen. Under Dan’s seven-year tenure as Director of Percussion, the Westshoremen were four-time DCA World Champion High Percussion Excellence winners. In 1996 the corps captured their first DCA World Championships. In 1998-1999 Dan was named Director of Percussion for the Reading Buccaneers, who also captured the title of High Percussion. In 2000-2003 Dan returned to the junior DCI circuit as Director of Percussion for the Bluecoats Junior Drum and Bugle Corps.
Educated at West Chester University, Dan is an active performer in the Mid-Atlantic Region, arranger for numerous marching bands across the country such as Spring-Ford Area and Northern York School Districts. Dan has served with many Universities, DCI and DCA Drum Corps, and WGI Indoor Percussion Ensembles as a Designer, Composer, Arranger, Teacher, and Consultant. In 1996, he founded Studio 1 Percussion which is a facility dedicated to teaching the art of Percussion. A DCA, MAPS, NJA, KIDA, and NY Federation certified percussion judge since 1994, Dan is also a highly respected clinician. He has presented for PAS, IARP, and has been a columnist for SBO magazine and DCI Today.
He is sponsored by Pearl Corporation, Sabian Cymbals, Evans Drumheads, and Innovative Percussion. He has served as percussion coordinator for two NBC Macy’s All-Star Drum and Bugle Corps and in 2011 was inducted as a lifetime member into the Pennsylvania Drum Corps Hall of Fame. Dan is a published composer and has served as a consultant for PMEA District 11 Band Festival and the 2009 PMEA State Wind Ensembles and Concert Band Festival. We welcome Dan to the Hawthorne Caballeros.
Rob Ferguson – Percussion Arranger
Rob Ferguson will join the Hawthorne Caballeros as the 2012 Percussion Arranger. Rob is the Percussion Coordinator and Arranger for the GLASSMEN Drum and Bugle Corps from Toledo, Ohio, and also serves as the Director and Music Designer for MATRIX Percussion, a WGI Independent World percussion ensemble. In addition, Rob is the Percussion Coordinator for Crestwood, Firestone, and Norton High Schools in Ohio, and previously served as adjunct percussion faculty and assistant marching band director at Youngstown State University. Rob holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Music in Music Performance from Kent State University where he studied with Michael Burritt and Ted Rounds.
Rob is an active percussion clinician, educator, adjudicator, and consultant throughout the United States and in Europe, and has performed as a featured guest artist with numerous high school and college programs. Rob’s honors include serving as a percussion representative for both the Mideast
Performance Association (MEPA), and the Winter Guard International (WGI) Advisory Board, and being a featured clinician at the 2007 Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC). Rob is an endorser and clinician for Dynasty USA, Innovative Percussion, the Avedis Zildjian Co., Remo Inc., Planet Waves, and ENTERTRAINMENT™.
Marc Garside – Percussion Caption Head
Marc Garside returns to the 2012 Caballeros as our Percussion Caption Head. Marc’s marching experience includes performance membership with the Caballeros and Capital Regiment Percussion sections. Marc had been teaching competitive marching percussion actively at the high school level for the past 10 years. He served as the caption head and arranger for Shikellamy High School and currently is the caption-head and arranger at Williamsport High School in PA. Marc has also served as arranger and consultant for multiple high schools in the central PA region, including: Shamokin, Line Mountain, and Montoursville High Schools.
Marc has also performed in the Susquehanna University Symphonic Band, Percussion Ensemble and Choir. He has studied percussion under Patsy VanKirk, Mike Ferlazzo, Greg Alico, Kevin Murphy, Gary Gill, Terrell Smith and Mike Schmidt. On his return to the Caballeros as Percussion Caption Head, Marc said, “I’m very excited to have the opportunity to teach at the next level, especially with a corps that has a strong tradition of excellence and a corps that I have history with. I’m honored and very humbled to be given this responsibility, and I look forward to working to give the members a positive educational and competitive experience”. The Caballeros are excited to have Marc back in 2012.
Frank Gerris, President and General Manager of the Hawthorne Caballeros welcomes the 2012 Design Team. “Every year Drum Corps evolves and for more than 65 years, the Caballeros have been a part of that evolution by presenting exciting and challenging programs. The 2012 Design Team and staff will prepare the Caballeros for 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”.
About the Caballeros
The Hawthorne Caballeros, sponsored by American Legion Post #199 in Hawthorne, will enter their 66th 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.
The Hawthorne Caballeros will begin our 66th season of competition with our 2012 Open House. Join us on November 26th, 2010 at 12:00 noon. To receive an email about our 2012 open house or to get additional information on membership contact Mike Ryan at cabscontra [at] aol [dot] com.
