CTHurricanesPR

CHECK OUT OUR DESIGN TEAM!!!!!! JASON DeGROFF (SHOW/STAFF COORDINATOR) Jason, a Berlin HS graduate (class of ’88) is in his eighth year as Director of Bands at McGee Middle School where he teaches 310 musicians in 6th through 8th grade. He is also an Assistant Marching Band Director and the drill designer for Berlin High School, where he was the drum major during the fall of 1987. Staying active at all levels, Jason is also the Marching Band Director at Central Connecticut State University. Jason holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Music Education from the University of Massachusetts, at Amherst, where he was a graduate assistant to George Parks. Jason runs his own drill design business in Berlin and has designed marching shows for college bands such as UMass, UConn, Sacred Heart, and CCSU, and Drum and Bugle Corps such as the Boston Crusaders and Crossmen, two of the top 12 corps in the world! He has also written for many high school bands in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Jersey. Jason was a soloist with the World Champion Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps from Hackensack, New Jersey where he marched for three years. A soloist and four-time section leader for the University of Massachusetts Minuteman Marching Band, winners of the Sudler Trophy for the best college marching band in the nation. Jason currently has recording contracts with two studios in Hollywood, California for original work he composed. Outside of music, he is the girl’s tennis coach at Berlin High School where is was a State Champion his senior year. He lives with his wife and three children in Berlin TONY DEYO (VISUAL DESIGN) Tony graduated from James Madison University with a degree in music education and completed his master's degree in music performance at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. For three years, he was a both a high school and middle school band director in Texas before becoming a full-time drill designer and relocating to High Point, North Carolina. Mr. Deyo is a former member of the world champion Cadets of Bergen County Drum & Bugle Corps and served on the visual staff of the Phantom Regiment Drum & Bugle Corps. As a percussionist, he has performed with the Greensboro Symphony Orchestra, the Opera Company of North Carolina, the Winston-Salem Symphony Orchestra, the Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra, and the Nevada Symphony. ANTHONY EREVIA (GUARD DESIGNER/CAPTION HEAD) Anthony lives in Boston, MA and is employed at Northeastern University. He is in his third year of heading up the Hurricanes color guard program. He has had extensive marching and teaching experiences around the country and overseas. He has performed with the Emerald Marquis of MA, Alliance of Miami, St. Ann's of MA as well as the Connecticut Hurricanes and the Madison Scouts Drum & Bugle Corps of WI. His teaching experience includes Mayflower winter guard of Sussex, England, Sahuaro HS of Tucson, AZ, Northview HS marching band of Brazil, IN and currently teaches the Norwich Free Academy Colorguard of Norwich, CT. He has also taught Carolina Crown and the Kiwanis Kavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps. He was also an instructor with the 2004 WGI Independent A champions, St. Ann's of Neponset, MA. BRIAN S. MASON (PERCUSSION ARRANGER) Brian is highly respected in the development of the contemporary, marching percussion ensemble. In high demand as a clinician, designer and adjudicator, he has traveled extensively throughout the United States, Japan, Canada, Korea and Mexico. Brian gained worldwide recognition for his percussion writing and teaching with the Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps and the Phantom Regiment Drum & Bugle Corps, claiming numerous awards and honors with both organizations during his tenure. Currently, Brian is a member of the percussion faculty at Morehead State University in Morehead, KY and is the Director of the award-winning Marching Percussion Ensemble. At MSU, Mr. Mason is a member of the Faculty Jazz Ensemble, the Faculty Chamber Ensemble and performs regularly with the Faculty Brass Quintet. Off campus, Brian is a contract percussion member of the Lexington Philharmonic Orchestra and appears as a guest artist with many high school percussion ensembles across the country in addition to performing with Steven Snyder in his jazz vibraphone/piano duo. Brian received his M.M. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and is pursuing his DMA at the University of Kentucky, where he received his B.M. He is a member of the Vic Firth Education Committee, the Percussive Arts Society Marching Percussion Committee, and the Percussive Arts Society Health and Wellness Committee. He has published articles in Percussive Notes, has been interviewed in Modern Drummer and Band and Orchestra Magazine, and was a contributing editor for Stick It magazine. Brian co-authored the 2000 Modern Drummer Readers Poll's "No. 1 Drum Set Method Book"., The Commandments of R & B Drumming, (Warner Brothers), and his original works are published through Row-Loff Productions. Brian proudly endorses Vic Firth sticks and mallets, makers of his signature line of mallets and drumsticks, as well as Zildjian Cymbals, Evans drumheads, Pearl drums and Adams musical instruments 04 WGI Independent A champions, St. Ann's of Neponset, MA. TIM HOLCOMB (PERCUSSION CAPTION HEAD/FRONT ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE) Tim is a Connecticut native and a former member of the Connecticut Hurricanes. He graduated from Morehead State University where he studied music and percussion under Frank Oddis and Brian Mason. During his matriculation at Morehead, Tim marched for five years in the Morehead State University Marching Band, and was section leader for the drumline that won a national title in 2003. He also played in the percussion ensemble and symphony band which traveled to China in 2000, and Brazil in 2003. Tim was a member of the front ensemble for the Phantom Regiment in 2001 and 2002, which won first place in the DCI Individual and Ensemble competition in 2001. He has performed with artists such as Zoro, Dave Samuels, Arthur Lipner and Ruben Alvarez. Tim has also traveled to Japan with the Honor Band of America in 1999. He is currently working as assistant director at the Jim Royle Drum Studio in Bridgeport, CT. DAVE DION (BRASS ARRANGER) The Hurricanes are pleased to announce the return of Dave Dion to the corps as Brass Arranger after a year off. Dave has been with the corps for many years in the capacity of marcher, drum major, perc. tech and perc. arranger. MORE ON DAVES BIO COMING SOON!

The Hurricanes excitedly announce that their show choice for the 2006 season is the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber's JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR. The design team is hard at work finalizing the arrangements. The exicitng thing about this choice is all the different genres of music included in this world famous musical. The staff is eager to get to work with the corps on this new program. Come have the best summer of your life!!!! Join us on the field in 2006!!!! Please visit our website: http://ct-hurricanes.org/

The Hurricanes wish to welcome Mr. Tony Deyo to the organization as the new visual designer. Mr. Deyo is a graduate of James Madison University with a degree in music education and completed his master's degree in music performance at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Mr. Deyo is a former member of the world champion Cadets of Bergen County Drum & Bugle Corps and served on the visual staff of the Phantom Regiment Drum & Bugle Corps . The Hurricanes also wish to welcome back Chris Rivera returning as a full time percussion staff member. Chris graduated from Western Connecticut State University in 2002 with a B.S. degree in Music Education. Most recently he earned a Master of Arts in Music degree from the University of Connecticut where he served as a graduate assistant teaching music theory. He was the percussion arranger and percussion ensemble director for 4 years at Norwalk HS before moving onto Trumbull High School where he serves as percussion coordinator and arranger. Chris is an endorsed member of the Vic Firth education team.

Connecticut Hurricanes Audition/Orientation Day November 27, 2005 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Directions to Ansonia High School 20 Pulaski Highway Ansonia, CT 06401 FROM THE NORTH (from Hartford - approximate driving time is 45 minutes): Take Route 91 South toward New Haven. Take the CT-15 South/Wilbur Cross Pkwy exit, Exit #17. Merge onto CT-15 S/Wilbur Cross Pkwy. Take the CT-34 West exit, Exit #58, toward Derby. Merge onto CT-34. Follow approximately 3.2 miles to the intersection with Route 115 N. Go straight at this major intersection onto Route 115 (St. Michael’s Church is on your right here; Tail Gators Restaurant is on the left.) Go to the second stop sign, which is at the Ansonia town line (and just before the traffic light). Bear to the right onto Route 243 - which is also known locally as Elm Street, then Platt, then Prindle Avenue. Make sure you are always heading up a hill! The road winds to the right, and then hooks left up to a stop sign. Take a right at the stop sign, remaining on Route 243 (aka, Pulaski Highway) and the high school entrance is your first right. FROM THE NORTH (from Waterbury – approximate driving time is 30 minutes): Take Route CT-8 South toward Naugatuck/Bridgeport. Take Exit #15 in Derby (Route 34). At the end of the ramp, take a right, getting into the far left lane. Proceed straight to the second set of lights over the bridge and take a left onto Route 115. Go to the second stop sign, which is at the Ansonia town line (and just before the traffic light). Bear to the right onto Route 243 - which is also known locally as Elm Street, then Platt, then Prindle Avenue. Make sure you are always heading up a hill! The road winds to the right, and then hooks left up to a stop sign. Take a right at the stop sign, remaining on Route 243 (aka, Pulaski Highway) and the high school entrance is your first right. FROM THE SOUTH (from Norwalk): I-95 Option: Take Route 95 North toward Bridgeport. Take the CT-25/CT-8 exit, exit #27A, towards Trumbull/Waterbury. Merge onto Colonel Henry Mucci Highway/CT-25 N/CT-8 N. Take CT-8 North towards Shelton/Waterbury. Get off Route 8 at Exit #15 in Derby. At the end of the ramp, take a right, getting into the far left lane. Proceed straight to the second set of lights over the bridge and take a left onto Route 115. Go to the second stop sign, which is at the Ansonia town line (and just before the traffic light). Bear to the right onto Route 243 - which is also known locally as Elm Street, then Platt, then Prindle Avenue. Make sure you are always heading up a hill! The road winds to the right, and then hooks left up to a stop sign. Take a right at the stop sign, remaining on Route 243 (aka, Pulaski Highway) and the high school entrance is your first right. Merritt Parkway Option: Take the Merritt Parkway North toward New Haven. In Trumbull, take the CT-8 North ramp towards Waterbury/New Haven. Follow approximately 10 miles into Derby, getting off the Route 34 exit, #15. At the end of the ramp, take a right, getting into the far left lane. Proceed straight to the second set of lights over the bridge and take a left onto Route 115. Go to the second stop sign, which is at the Ansonia town line (and just before the traffic light). Bear to the right onto Route 243 - which is also known locally as Elm Street, then Platt, then Prindle Avenue. Make sure you are always heading up a hill! The road winds to the right, and then hooks left up to a stop sign. Take a right at the stop sign, remaining on Route 243 (aka, Pulaski Highway) and the high school entrance is your first right.

The Connecticut Hurricanes will be holding their first Audition/Orientation for the 2006 season at Ansonia High School November 27, 2005. Starting at 10:00am to 5:00pm. Come on down or up depending on what direction you are coming from and check us out!!! Check the website for directions. We have lots of exciting things planned for the upcoming season. Look for some more exciting staff additions to be coming soon!!!!! http://ct-hurricanes.org/

CONNECTICUT HURRICANES DRUM & BUGLE CORPS OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT The Hurricanes are pleased to announce the return of Dave Dion to the Corps as Brass Arranger after a year off. Dave has been with the Corps for many years in the capacity of Marcher, Drum Major, Percussion Tech. and Percussion Arranger. With the team of Brian Mason /Dave Dion penning the charts, the Hurricanes are sure to add plenty of excitement to the 2006 season. Also joining the corps in the capacity of Show Coordinator is Jason DeGroff. Jason began his drum corps career with the Hurricanes before moving onto the Cadets of Bergin County. Jason has taught with the Boston Crusaders and was also a visual designer for the Crossmen. Jason is now the marching band director at Central Connecticut State University. Jason is also the visual designer for several CT marching bands and color guards including the Bunnell HS band of Stratford, CT. The Hurricanes are really excited about these additions. Work has already begun on the 2006 show and announcements will be made as they happen. Please visit our website: http://ct-hurricanes.org/