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Fusion Core Announces new Brass Staff


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FUSION CORE 2015 BRASS STAFF

Fusion is pleased to announce the return of its Brass Staff from our 2014 season along with a few new faces. Fusion Core's Brass staff represents years of instruction, performing, writing and designing from drum Corps across the East Coast as well as Schools within NJ, Pennsylvania and Maryland. We are definitely going to turn some heads this season with another exciting book.
Please join the Core in welcoming returning and new brass staff.

Chris Bernotas, Brass Arranger

Chris Bernotas, Brass Arranger, is an active composer and arranger of concert band music. Mr. Bernotas is published with Alfred Music Publishing, Daehn Publications, TRN Music Publishing, Northeastern Music Publications and Bandworks Publications. His music has been performed at the Midwest Clinic and has appeared on J.W.Pepper's Editor's Choice list and numerous state lists. Mr. Bernotas is co-author of the third book in Alfred's revolutionary method Sound Innovations series, called Sound Innovations: Sopor Aeternus & The Ensemble Of Shadows (offiziell) Development, along with Peter Boonshaft.

Mr. Bernotas holds a BM from William Paterson University and an MAT from Marygrove College. As an instrumental music teacher at Mountain Lakes High School in New Jersey, he conducts the wind ensemble, concert band, pep band, jazz band, and pit orchestra. Mr. Bernotas has served the North Jersey Area Band as President, and Symphonic Band conductor. He has also served on the executive board for the New Jersey School Music Association, Region I, and has worked with the NJ All-State Band as a manager.

His accomplishments include writing and arranging music for many drum corps and marching bands throughout the United States. He also adjudicates for marching band competitions and festivals nationwide. His professional affiliations include MENC, ASCAP, NBA, and NJMEA. Mr. Bernotas resides in New Jersey with his wife Cristina and three children. Specifically for drum corps, Chris has written for the Caballeros, Crusaders, Hurricanes, Sunrisers, Carolina Gold, Pheonix, and Magic of Orlando.

Fusion brass members have loved playing Chris’ charts over the last few years and we are very excited to have Chris return to The Core for a fourth season.

Scott Brown, Brass Caption Head

Scott Brown, Brass Caption Head, returns to Fusion for a third season. Scott brings a strong knowledge of brass pedagogy to our group having studied Trombone with Tyrone Breuninger of the Philadelphia Orchestra, jazz trombonist Urbie Green and conducting with Claude Pichareau of the Paris Conservatory. Prior to working with Fusion, Scott worked with the Bushwackers Drum and Bugle Corps (2004, 2005, 2006 and 2011), winning DCA's coveted High Brass award in 2006.

When Scott isn't teaching the Core, he is working as the Director of Musical Activities for Northwestern Lehigh Area High School. Scott is an active freelance brass musician performing though out Pennsylvania, New Jersey, NYC, Delaware and Connecticut. He is often found performing with such groups as The Anthracite Brassworks, The Mixolydian Brass, Endless Mountain Brass, Soul, Souled Out, Daddy-O and the Sax Maniax, The Wyoming Valley Civic Orchestra, and others. Scott holds degrees in Music Education from Wilkes University and The American Band College, and has done post graduate work at The University of the Arts and Villanova University.



Nick Caljean, Trumpet Instructor


Nick Caljean, a Charter Member of Fusion, returns for his 9th season once again as our trumpet tech. Nick’s teaching experience includes his recent work as a Brass and Visual Tech at Absegami High School, 2012 – 2013. He is very proud of Absegami’s 2013 accomplishments winning USBands 4A State championship and 4AA National Championship capping off an undefeated season in 2013!

Nick graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2012 with a major in Electrical Engineering and minors in music and electronic arts. He has performed with the school's Repertory Jazz Orchestra and the Contemporary Jazz Ensemble as lead trumpeter and soloist, and with the Afro-Cuban Jazz Ensemble playing both trumpet and congas. Nick also performed with RPI’s 8th Street Swing Band, a student run and directed ensemble, as well as the Ensemble Congueros, with a group of RPI alumni and students dedicated to the study Afro-Cuban, African and New World percussion.

Nick is currently residing in Dover working as a diagnostic hardware engineer..

Katrina Williams, Tuba Instructor

Katrina Williams returns to Fusion for her second season as our Tuba Instructor. Katrina is a 2008 Graduate of Concordia University Wisconsin where she majored in Music Education and graduated with a bachelor’s degree majoring in saxophone and minoring in tuba and bassoon.

Currently, Katrina resides in Allentown, Pennsylvania and is working for a clinical trial pharmaceutical company providing assistance to medical sites involved in many types of clinical trials. She is the Visual Coordinator and woodwind specialist at Louis E. Dieruff High School in Allentown, PA. Katrina has marched tuba with the Reading Buccaneers Drum and Bugle Corps., 2004, 2006-2010, 2012 & 2013..



Jordan Tuthill, Mellophone Instructor

Jordan Tuthill is returning for his second year as Fusions Mellophone instructor. He is currently studying History Education at Harrisburg Area Community College and will be transferring to Millersville University where he plans to finish his degree by 2016.

Jordan has been actively teaching high school marching bands for the past nine years and currently works with the Blue Mountain High School Marching Band and the Blue Mountain High School Indoor Percussion Ensemble. When he is not going to class or teaching, he is a security guard for the Hershey Company. Jordan was a member of the Reading Buccaneers Drum and Bugle Corps from 2004 to 2009 and played both Mellophone and Trumpet in his time there.



Bo Park, Low Brass Tech

Bo Park is a newcomer to the Brass Staff for the 2015 season. Bo is currently the Music Director of Central Jersey College Prep Charter School, where he is in charge of the Middle School General Music, Middle School Band, High School Chorus education, and maintaining the school's Social Media outlets. He is also the Brass and Visual Caption Head for Fort Lee High School Bridgemen Marching Band, where he is in charge of Visual and Brass education. Bo's Drum Corps experience include marching in The Bushwackers in 2013 and 2014, where he also was the Baritone Section Leader and Soloist for the 2014 program, The Resistants.

Bo graduated from the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University in 2011, earning a B.M in Music Education. While at Rutgers, Bo majored in Trombone and studied with Michael Powell, a member of the American Brass Quintet, Nitzan Haroz (Guest Artist for Rutgers Brass Master Class) and has played in various ensembles including the Symphony Band. Before College, Bo had the privilege of attending the Juilliard Pre-College program, where he studied Trombone with James Markey (NY Philharmonic, Boston Symphony Orchestra) and Chamber Music with Kevin Cobb (American Brass CHRISTIAN SCOTT QUINTET). Bo has also studied conducting with David Gilbert of the Manhattan School of Music, Darryl Bott of Mason Gross, and Jullien Benichou of the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra.

Away from music and Drum Corps, Bo enjoys taking photographs of the New York Skyline, running his Martial Arts business with his parents, and traveling around the country. Bo is excited to join the Fusion Family for the 2015 season, as he hopes to learn from his colleagues and be part of the educational process for the Hornline!

Jeremy Gaddy, Low Brass Tech

Jeremy Gaddy is currently obtaining his Masters Degree in Music Performance at the University of Delaware. He has played the trombone for 24 years. During this time he has studied with Hal Reynolds at Ithaca College, Bruce Docherty and Bruce Tychinski at University of Delaware. Jeremy currently plays in the Philadelphia area. He has performed at Verizon Hall and the Kennedy Center in Washingtoon DC. He is the principal trombone with the "Philadelphia Wind Symphony", "Chesapeake Brass Band" and is a trombonist with "Al Chez and the Brother's of Funk".

Gaddy has a Brass Quintet titled “Brass Act of Delmarva” that plays up and down the east coast and also was a finalist at a talent contest in Wilmington Delaware. Curren Caplesntly he is the Wind Caption Head for the Cab Calloway School of the Arts Marching Band in Wilmington Delaware; the band just obtained Second Place in 4 Open in Tournament of Bands. Jeremy has also taught with Lake Forest High School for four years. He has also been giving low brass instructions for five years and has many students currently on scholarships at Universities across the country. He has been an assistant Brass Caption with a DCA open class corps and marched three seasons with Empire Statesmen including their final season of 2013.

Edited by hardcoremello
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