Meet the 2015 Reading Buccaneers Brass Staff!

[TomMoore]

Friends:

I am pleased to introduce you to the outstanding designers and instructors who will lead the 2015 Reading Buccaneers brass program. We have an exciting and ambitious year planned, and it all starts on Sunday, November 30 with Membership Day 2015 - make plans to join us!

MEET THE 2015 READING BUCCANEERS BRASS STAFF!

MARK LORTZ has earned accolades as a composer, arranger, performer and educator. In the fall of 2011, he was appointed as the Director of Bands at Stevenson University (Stevenson, MD). In addition to his position at Stevenson University, he is an adjunct Music Education Professor at McDaniel and Carroll Community Colleges. Prior to his Stevenson University appointment, Mr. Lortz was the Fine Arts Department Chair and Band and Orchestra director at Westminster High School (Westminster, Maryland) from 1996-2011, during which time the music department received awards from the Music Educators National Conference (MENC) and the Maryland Music Educators Association (MMEA) for exemplary music programs, several Bands of America (BOA) Regional Marching Band Championship titles and was selected as a national, semifinalist Grammy Signature School. Mark earned degrees in percussion performance, music education and music composition from The Peabody Conservatory of Music of the Johns Hopkins University. Versed in all styles of music, he served as Associate Music Director and Principal Percussionist for the North American tour of “Phantom of the Opera,” and was the Principal Percussionist with The Dallas Brass. He has performed and recorded both as a member and soloist with many of the country’s premier orchestras, including the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Lortz’s original music has been premiered at the prestigious Mid West Band and Orchestra Clinic, Bands of America National Percussion Festival, College Band Directors National Association, universities, music schools, conservatories and high schools throughout the nation. In 2013, the NFL Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens commissioned him to compose a new piece for the Baltimore Ravens Marching Band. This piece, “The Caw of the Wild” is now performed at every Ravens home football game. Mr. Lortz’s music is published by the FJH, Northeastern and TRN music publishing companies. His compositions have been listed in Bandworld magazine's Top 100 list of band compositions, and the sheet music company JW Pepper has selected his music for their prestigious Editor’s Choice list. Mr. Lortz is a Marching Percussion Specialist and Scholastic Educator for the Vic Firth Percussion Education Program. He has been recognized as one of the “50 Directors Who Make a Difference” by School Band & Orchestra magazine and has received composition awards from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.

PAUL CULLEN returns for his fifth season with the Buccaneers, his fourth as Brass Caption Supervisor. Paul is a 2003 graduate of The Berklee College of Music, where he received a Bachelor of Music degree in Film Scoring while also studying conducting and trumpet performance. While at Berklee he was fortune to study with industry professionals Tiger Okoshi, Jerry Cecco, Richard Davis, Allen Levine, and Armand Qualliontine. Paul studied trumpet privately with Philadelphia native Lin Biviano, Directed Studies in Film Scoring with Don Wilkins, Film Music Editing with Madison Scouts Alumni Eric Reasoner, and Symphonic and Ensemble Conducting with George Monsuer. As a performer, Paul was active in many ensembles, most notably The New England Conservatory Wind Ensemble and The Jerry Cecco Big Band, where he was a featured trumpet & flugelhorn soloist. Paul was also active as a freelance composer & arranger working in the New England area with independent film makers and singer/songwriters Amanda Chessa and Peter Boynton. In the spring of 2003 he was one of three students to receive The Berklee Conducting Award and had the privilege of conducting the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Paul has served as a music composer and arranger for drum corps, marching bands, concert bands, wind ensembles and percussion ensembles. He has also served as a music designer and editor for many independent and scholastic winter guard programs throughout the United States. Paul enjoyed a long and distinguished career with the Brigadiers Drum & Bugle Corps as a member, drum major, board member and staff member from 2001 through 2009 and in 2008 he also taught on the brass staff of DCI's Boston Crusaders. He joined the Buccaneers brass staff in 2011 as the mellophone instructor and was also a brass instructor with the 2011 DCI World Champions, The Cadets. In the fall he is an active music adjudicator for U.S. Bands. Paul is a full-time health care administrator and resides in North Wales, PA with his wife Lisa and their children Madison and Riley.

DAVID LINTON is a 1992 graduate of Trenton State College, where he received a degree in Music Education and with an emphasis in euphonium and trombone, studying with Dr. David Uber. He began his drum corps career with the Harrison Bushwackers in 1986, where he remained as a marching member and instructor through the end of the 2003 season. He then came to the Buccaneers as a low brass instructor, and was a full-time instructor from 2004 through 2007. David has worked on and off with the Buccaneers since 2007. He lives in South Brunswick, NJ, where he works in technology and also works with high school marching bands and performs on euphonium. He currently works with the Bridgewater – Raritan HS marching band and has worked with Edison HS, West Orange HS, West Windsor-Plainsboro North HS, and Governor Livingston HS. He currently performs around the region with the Eastern Wind Symphony and the Princeton Brass Band.

We are pleased to welcome back MATT PIATEK to the Buccaneers for the 2015 season. A resident of Philadelphia, PA and a graduate of Souderton Area High School, Matt studied Music education at Penn State University, where he was a member of numerous Penn State performing ensembles, including Centre Dimensions, Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble and the Penn State Blue Band. Matt began his drum corps career in 2003 as a trumpet player with Jersey Surf and continued until 2007. He joined the Phantom Regiment in 2008, remaining there until he aged out in 2011. He is an in-demand clinician, designer and instructor in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, working with many school that compete in Tournament of Bands, U.S. Bands and Bands of America. He is also currently the Assistant Band Director at Radnor High School, where he works with the marching band and jazz band. After aging out with the Phantom Regiment in 2011, Matt joined the Bucs brass team in 2012 as a mellophone teacher. In 2013, Matt worked with the Bucs part time throughout the year while he was on the visual staff of the Phantom Regiment. In 2014, he returned to the Bucs horn staff full-time in addition to working with the Jersey Surf horn line throughout the winter and spring.

Returning for his second season with the Buccaneers is JONATHAN MAYDWELL. Jon received his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy with a minor in Music from Millersville University, where he was active in the Marching Band, Wind Ensemble, Orchestra and Jazz Ensemble. Jon has worked as a visual instructor, designer and music instructor for Manheim Township High School and Ephrata High School where he was also the Assistant Director in 2007. Jon was a member of the Crossmen from 2005-2006 where he was section leader and soloist. He also worked on the visual staff of the Jersey Surf in 2010. Jon works for the Chester County Intermediate Unit Home & Community Services, where he provides Therapeutic/Behavioral Support to children with special needs. He is also co-founder, visual designer and consultant for New Wave Marching Productions.

The Buccaneers are pleased to welcome RYAN WILLIAMS to the 2015 Brass staff. Ryan has been an active arranger and instructor in the marching arts for 15 years, beginning his career at his alma mater, Mechanicsburg High School in Mechanicsburg, Pa. Since then, he has worked with more than a dozen competitive high school programs, helping them to grow and earn many local, regional, and circuit-wide championships. Ryan was a member of the Harrisburg Westshoremen Drum & Bugle Corps from 1995-1997, the Reading Buccaneers in 1999 and the Bluecoats in 2000. In 2012 he joined the brass staff of the Hawthorne Caballeros and served as tuba instructor through the 2014 season. Outside the marching arts, Mr. Williams also serves in the United States Army Reserve as an instrumentalist, arranger and composer with the 78^th Army Reserve Band from Fort Dix, NJ. Ryan has written numerous arrangements that have been performed for audiences all over the country. In addition to writing and performing, his duties include conducting and planning concert tour programs. Ryan earned a Bachelors degree in Music from West Chester University in 2003 and a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from York College in 2005. He is currently working towards his Master’s Degree in Music Theory and Composition at West Chester University and is one of the composers on staff with CWJ Music House.

Finally, we are pleased to announce the return of LARRY MARKIEWICZ to the Buccaneers staff in the role of Brass Ensemble & Education Consultant. Larry has been involved in Drum Corps since 1987 and has been part of several great DCA dynasties over the years including marching in the Bushwackers of the late 1980’s and serving as the program/staff coordinator for the Syracuse Brigadiers from 1998-2001. Mr. Markiewicz was also the Program Coordinator for the Buccaneers in 2003 and 2004. Since 1992, most of his career has been spent as an instructor, administrator and office employee for Youth Education in the Arts. He is most proud of the many years he has been on the brass staff of the Cadets (14 of the past 22). Some of his career highlights include being a staff member for the 1993 & 2011 championship Cadet programs as well as holding the position of brass caption head for the Cadets from 1995-1997. He also was the program coordinator of the 2003 Crossmen and most recently completed two years of service as Brass Caption Head for Cadets2 while simultaneously working in YEA office as the judge liaison/education director for US Bands. Away from Drum Corps; Mr. Markiewicz is a professional conductor in the New York Metropolitan area. He presently is in his 2nd season as the conductor of the ISO in New York City. He is also the Music Director/Conductor of the critically acclaimed Imperial Brass British Brass Band. Since 2010 he has been the Artistic Director of the Somerset Valley Orchestra and recently completed an eight-year tenure as the Artistic Director and Conductor of the Raritan Valley Symphonic Band. Always active in public education, Mr. Markiewicz was the music caption head and member of the North Penn High School design team from 1996-2004 and also led the Bridgewater-Raritan Band program to national prominence during his tenure as band director from 2000-2013.

We send our thanks and gratitude to Zack Travis for his tremendous work throughout 2014. We wish him all the best in his endeavors as he works to complete his music degrees.

We also would like to thank Peter Blake for his dedicated work with the Buccaneers since 2012. Peter will be finishing his Doctorate in Educational Leadership soon and his position as a principal at West Genesee High School in Camillus, NY will take his focus throughout 2015.

Finally, we would like to wish a happy retirement to Daniel McGrogan after 30 consecutive years in drum corps and 10 with the Reading Buccaneers! Dan has been a caption head, teacher, guide, mentor and friend to so many people throughout his years in the activity, especially in the Buccaneers. We wish Dan, his wife Eileen, their daughter Delaney and her soon-to-be little sister all the best!

[xandandl]

"We send our thanks and gratitude to Zack Travis for his tremendous work throughout 2014. We wish him all the best in his endeavors as he works to complete his music degrees."

Zack Travis...............definitely good people!

and rookies: that's Mar-Kev-edge (Markiewicz)

[MikeD]

"We send our thanks and gratitude to Zack Travis for his tremendous work throughout 2014. We wish him all the best in his endeavors as he works to complete his music degrees."

Zack Travis...............definitely good people!

and rookies: that's Mar-Kev-edge (Markiewicz)

It is not on his resume', but during some of the early North Penn years, Larry's "day job" was being band director at Trenton Central HS here in NJ, NOT an easy place to be a band director. He did some good things with the band program there, including the MB. The HS band I work with is in a NJ school district geographically close, but at the opposite end of the socio-economic spectrum. As we were in the same football conference, we always played each other, so I would see the Trenton band. in the fall.

[Jeff Ream]

hmmm that Williams kid. hmmmmm