Fusion Core Administration Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 (edited) FUSION ANNOUNCES PERCUSSION EDUCATION TEAM HIGH IMPACT MERGING OF ENERGETIC WORLD CLASS PERCUSSION MUSIC EDUCATORS WILL PROVIDE OUR 2013 MEMBERS WITH AN ENHANCED DRUM CORPS EXPERIENCE. Teaming up are Mike Schmitt and Pat Vazquez to lead the Fusion percussion section in 2013. Pat and Mike have worked together at the Hawthorne Caballeros and are currently both teaching Pequannock Township HS in Pompton Plains, NJ. Both are very excited to be working together again on the drum corps level and to lead the Fusion percussion section through a very successful 2013 season. With the highly talented percussion staff, they look forward to what Fusion percussion will bring to the field this summer. Please join us in welcoming our new and returning percussion music educators: Mike Schmitt, Ensemble Coordinator/Battery Co-Arranger. Mike began his drum corps career serving in the roles of marching member, technician, Caption Head, and Arranger at the Hawthorne Caballeros from 1999-2010, earning a world championship in 2003. In 2011, Mike joined the Connecticut Hurricanes as Caption Head and Arranger through 2012. Mike is heavily involved teaching both marching bands and indoor drumlines. His teaching career began as Caption Head and Arranger for the Parsippany Hills High School (NJ) from 2001-2008. While in this position, his drumline won 4 state drum titles, 4 national drum titles, and 4 overall band championships. Mike taught for seven years at Westhill High School in Stamford, CT, as Arranger and Ensemble Director. During this time, Westhill's percussion ensemble won state championships three times, became a WGI finalist in 2012, and won the US Bands Indoor Championships in Group AA (2012). During the 2011 and 2012 seasons, Mike was Caption Head and Arranger for Pequannock Township High School in Pompton Plains, NJ. This ensemble won the Best Percussion award at both the US Bands States and National Championships in 2011 and were the US Bands Indoor Champions in Group A in 2012. In addition to Parsippany, Westhill, and Pequannock, Mike has been involved with a large number of high schools, including Stamford High School, Roxbury High School, Ramapo High School, Morristown High School, Pompton Lakes High School, West Essex Regional High School, Wayne Valley High School and Ramsey High School. Pat Vazquez, Caption Head/Battery Co-Arranger, has been a marching member of the New York Skyliners, Caballeros, Reading Buccaneers, Crossmen, and the Glassmen. After marching his age out in 2000, Pat has worked with percussion ensembles in both DCI and DCA including the Crossmen, Bushwackers, Caballeros and Fusion Core. He has also taught several high school percussion ensembles in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, Michigan and New Jersey competing in WGI, BOA and US Bands. Pat is currently the Percussion Caption Head at Pequannock Township High School in Pompton Plains, NJ. Mike Wyatt, Front Ensemble Arranger, has been active in the marching community for over fifteen years. As a performer, he was a member of the WGI World Class finalist United Percussion, and was also the Front Ensemble Captain for the nine-time world champion Hawthorne Caballeros from 2005 through 2009. As a teacher and arranger, he has worked with the Hawthorne Caballeros, DCI's Raiders, United Percussion, and most recently was Assistant Caption Head and Arranger for the Connecticut Hurricanes. Mike holds a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies: Percussion Performance from the University of the Arts. In addition to his new role with Fusion Core, he is now also the Band Director at Westhill High School in Stamford, CT. Chris Arnold joins Fusion in the role of Battery Coordinator/Snare Instructor. Chris is on a mission to offer the marching arts what they have provided him, while pressing the activity forward. Currently Chris is finishing his Master of Arts degree at The College of New Jersey (Ewing, New Jersey), and coordinating battery percussion programs at Fusion Drum and Bugle Corps (Morris County, New Jersey), Chesapeake Independent Indoor Percussion (Baltimore, Maryland), and Carlisle High School (Carlisle, Pennsylvania). He is also teaching private lessons in central Pennsylvania. Before receiving his Bachelor of Arts (2001), Chris was a marching member of the Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps (Newark, Delaware) and timpanist in the Shippensburg Community Orchestra (Shippensburg, Pennsylvania). Throughout the succeeding four years, he focused on touring and recording with several independent bands on drum set. In the years that followed, Chris performed with the Bushwackers Drum and Bugle Corps (Harrison, New Jersey), the College of New Jersey percussion ensemble (Ewing, New Jersey), and the Reading Buccaneers Drum and Bugle Corps (Reading, Pennsylvania). He has designed and coordinated percussive arts programs at North Penn High School (Lansdale, Pennsylvania), Greencastle-Antrim High School (Greencastle, Pennsylvania), Upper Perkiomen High School, (Pennsburg, Pennsylvania), Concord High School (Wilmington, Delaware), Big Spring High School (Newville, Pennsylvania) and Shippensburg University (Shippensburg, Pennsylvania). Omi Battan, Quad Instructor, is very excited to join the Fusion percussion staff as Quad Instructor. Omi began his marching career with the University of Connecticut's drumline and the Connecticut Hurricanes in 2009. In 2010, Omi marched DCI with Jersey Surf before marching with the Cadets snare line in 2011. In addition he marched WGI with United Percussion in 2012. Omi, has taught the University of Connecticut drumline and was the bass technician for the Connecticut Hurricanes in 2012. He is currently the Caption Head at Stamford High School in Stamford, CT, and is teaching at the University of New Haven. Omi looks forward to working with a family organization that is both professional and caring. Kirsten Suess returns to the Core as Bass Instructor. She is a graduate of West Chester University where she studied percussion and earned a degree in Music. Kirsten’s marching experience includes Hatboro-Horsham High School Marching Band/Indoor Drumline (2003-2005), Phoenix Drum and Bugle Corps (2003), Jersey Surf Drum and Bugle Corps (2004-2006), Aftermath Indoor Drumline (2006), West Chester University Marching Band (2006-2010), United Percussion (2007, 2009-2010), Reading Buccaneers Drum and Bugle Corps (2010) and Fusion Core (2011). Kirsten is currently a percussion tech at Hatboro-Horsham High School in Horsham, PA (2010–Present) and prior to that taught at North Penn High School in Lansdale, PA (2010-2011). When Kirsten is not teaching or marching she enjoys spending time with her friends and family. Jess D'Andreamatteo returns to Fusion as Front Ensemble Coordinator/Instructor. Jess is a graduate of the music program at Indiana University of Pennsylvania where she received a B.A. in music. She began her drum corps career in the front ensemble of the Bushwackers Drum and Bugle Corps. For the past 15 years, she has enjoyed performing and teaching drum corps and marching band and is excited to return to Fusion as a percussion educator for the 2013 season. At IUP, Jess had the opportunity to perform with multiple ensembles, including the percussion ensemble under the direction of Dr. Michael Kingan and the wind ensemble under the direction of Dr. Jack Stamp. Through IUP's various ensembles, Jess has had the opportunity to work with guest performers and guest conductors who include Eric Ewazen, Frank Ticheli, Sam Hazo, Bruce Yurko, Gary Olmstead, Dave Samuels, Chris Hanning, and Andy Narrell. Jess is looking forward to combining the quality standards of an indoor ensemble with the high physical demand of an outdoor ensemble this season with Fusion. Edited November 8, 2012 by Fusion Core Administration Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scsudrummer Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 No cymbal line this year? :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CorpsBuff Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 Again, I'll add that Schmitt and Wyatt are two of the best. Congrats Fusion on those acquisitions! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtreme0204 Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 I have to say, this is the best worded and most professional staff announcement I've ever seen. These guys (and girls) are great and are going to do amazing things this year. You can tell the admin is excited to have them on board by the quality of this announcement. Way to go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VOReason Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 No cymbal line this year? :( Can't really have a cymbal line without a cymbal coordinator/instructor! Can you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotoSurfBass Posted November 19, 2012 Share Posted November 19, 2012 Good to see Chris Arnold around! I haven't heard from him since his last year at Upper Perk. Omi is a great pickup too. Best of luck to Fusion! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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