2016 Caption Heads
The 70th edition of the Hawthorne Caballeros are proud to introduce this year’s caption heads!
Staff Coordinator: Matthew Hurley
Matthew Hurley is a well-respected designer and technician, having taught many groups over the years. Matt started his drum corps career as a Bayonne Kidet and eventually graduated to the Bayonne Bridgemen. From there he continued performing with the Sunrisers Drum and Bugle Corps and was a member of the WGI World Class team, Emerald Marquis. For over a decade, he has been involved in drum corps and color guard, working with groups such as the Jersey Surf Drum Corps in many capacities, including Designer and Caption Head. He comes to the Caballeros with additional experience teaching indoor groups such as Complxity, Innuendo, Stardust, Just Class, and most recently, Black Watch Color Guard and AMP Winter Guard. He is very excited about his newest venture with the Hawthorne Caballeros as the Show Coordinator.
Assistant Staff Coordinator: Lou Storck
Brass Caption Head: Adam Freeman
Adam Freeman is currently in his 10th year as the Director of Bands at Hackettstown Middle School in Northwest Jersey. Adam graduated with honors from William Paterson University with a concentration in Euphonium performance and education certification. Mr. Freeman credits a huge portion of his musical training to the marching arts. He has marched with the Hawthorne Caballeros and The Cadets, winning a DCA championship and a DCI world championship. Adam has spent time on staff with the Hawthorne Caballeros, Reading Buccaneers, Cadets and Jersey Surf. In the last five seasons he has reassumed his role as Assistant Brass Caption Head with the Hawthorne Caballeros, helping reestablish themselves as a title contender in DCA. Adam is a music and visual designer for many bands and drum corps in New Jersey, New York and Arizona including Wayne Valley HS, West Windsor-Plainsboro, Solaris Drum and Bugle Corps, and the 2014 Sun Devils Class A Corps.
Color Guard Designer / Caption Head: Bobbey Biddle
Bobbey Biddle enters his 6th year with the Hawthorne Caballeros as the Color Guard designer and Caption Head. For nearly ten years, Bobbey has been the director of the Color Guard programs at the Plymouth Whitemarsh High School and Colonial Middle School located in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania. During his tenure at PWHS and CMS, through Bobbey’s guidance both programs, marching band and the indoor program, have been very successful in winning championship titles. He also serves on the staff for the legendary Black Watch Independent World Class color guard and a judge with the Cavalcade of Bands Marching band circuit.
Percussion Arranger / Caption Head: Marc Garside
Marc Garside returns to the Hawthorne Caballeros for his 5th season as Caption Head and is expanding on his role as the lead percussion designer for 2016. Marc has been a percussion educator and designer at the high school level since 2002. In that time he led the award winning Shikellamy High School percussion program and now arranges and teaches for the Williamsport (PA) High School percussion program which earned high percussion in 2014 in TOB, and is currently finishing up another great season in 2015. Marc also designs for several other schools, including Montoursville High School and Hamilton West High School. He was formerly the director of the Penn State Indoor Drumline.
Visual Caption Head: Ray Okuda
Ray Okuda currently holds a double BA in Mathematics from Rowan University and is currently employed by the Cherry Hill School District teaching 8th Grade Math. His marching experience includes playing brass in high school and marching color guard in drum corps with Phoenix and Bushwackers. In addition to outdoor programs he also marched in indoor color guard with ComplXity A and the Black Watch. Ray started teaching in 2003 and his resume includes multiple high school programs spanning across New Jersey. Also, he taught the color guard at Jersey Surf Drum and Bugle Corps for 7 years. Currently he is teaching AMP Independent A from Camden, NJ. Ray began judging with the Cavalcade of Bands in 2008. He is looking forward to all the possibilities that his new position as Visual Caption Head holds for him.