2017 Show Designers Announced!
After a successful design meeting in the Swope Building at West Chester University, the Hawthorne Caballeros are proud to announce their 2017 program coordinator and designers!
Matt Hurley: Program Coordinator
Matt Hurley is an experienced designer and technician in the marching arts. Matt started his career with the Bayonne Kidets at the age of 8, before marching Bridgemen, Sunrisers, and Emerald Marquis. Matt has been working with New Jersey drum corps, marching bands, and winter guards for over the 30 years, including serving as the designer and caption head for Jersey Surf, and the Operations Manager for the Black Watch Winter Guard, and AMP Winter Guard.
He has been with The Hawthorne Caballeros since 2013, and begins his second year as Program Coordinator.
Andrew Yozviak: Brass Arranger
Dr. Andrew Yozviak is the Director of Bands at West Chester University. Dr. Yozviak’s primary responsibilities include conducting the Wind Ensemble and Chamber Winds, directing the Golden Rams Marching Band, and teaching graduate and undergraduate conducting classes. Prior to this appointment, Yozviak served as Visiting Director of Bands at Susquehanna University and taught thirteen years in the Pennsylvania public schools.
Dr. Yozviak has earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Music Education from West Chester University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Music Degree in Composition from Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, and a Doctorate of Musical Arts Degree in Wind Conducting from Rutgers University where he studied with William Berz.
Dr. Yozviak maintains a busy schedule as a guest conductor, adjudicator and clinician, regularly presenting at conferences and workshops. His research in the area of eighteenth century Harmoniemusik has produced two modern editions of wind partitas by the Bohemian composer, Antonio Rosetti (1750-1792). His scholarly edition of Antonio Rosetti’s Partita in E-flat is published by Amadeus Verlag, Winterthur, Switzerland.
As a composer, Dr. Yozviak has accepted commissions to compose and arrange music in a variety of genres. He has composed commissioned works for winds, chorus, jazz ensemble, and a variety of chamber ensembles. Dr. Yozviak’s work as an arranger has yielded more than one hundred fifty marching band shows for some forty high schools, eight universities, and five drum and bugle corps. His original compositions for marching band, which include Africa, Artificial Intelligence, Koto, Four Suits, Water, Winter Sketches and Night Visions are published by Marching Show Concepts’ Center X Productions.
Dr. Yozviak is a member of the College Band Directors National Association, the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles, the Conductors Guild, the National Band Association, the Music Educators National Conference, Pennsylvania Music Educators Association, the Pennsylvania Bandmasters Association, Pi Kappa Lambda, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.
Paul Nalesnik: Battery Percussion Arranger
Paul Nalesnik is a freelance percussionist and educator based out of central New Jersey. As an educator, he is currently the Caption Head and Arranger for the Rutgers University Drumline, Battery Arranger and Caption Head for United Percussion, and will serve as quad tech for the Cadets Drum & Bugle Corps in 2017. Since the beginning of his involvement, the Rutgers University Drumline has appeared on numerous nationally televised events, including the 2013 Victoria’s Secret fashion show and The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Paul is also Adjunct Percussion Specialist at Immaculata High School and is a consultant for the Arlington, NY High School Marching Band.
His marching career began as a tenor player for United Percussion in 2009 and 2010. He later went on to march tenors for the Santa Clara Vanguard in 2011 and 2012. He served as Battery Coordinator for the Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps in 2014. As a performer, he has held Principal positions in all ensembles at Rutgers and plays with numerous orchestras around the New Jersey and New York area. He was a featured performer at PASIC in 2012 with the Santa Clara Vanguard. In 2013, he received second place at the Atlanta Modern Snare Drum Competition, and went on to publish a snare drum solo book through Bachovich publications entitled, “The Rutgers Solos.”
Tyler Sammons: Front Ensemble Arranger
Tyler Sammons is the Percussion Director at Tom Glenn High School in Leander, Texas. Tom Glenn High opened in the fall of 2016. Prior to his position in Leander ISD, Tyler was the percussion director/associate band director at Marian Catholic High School in Chicago Heights, Illinois. The Marian Catholic band is the 7 time grand national champion and 34 time Illinois state champions. Tyler is also a percussion staff member for the Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps, where he has taught since 2011. During his time at SCV, the percussion section has won two Fred Sanford awards for best percussion performance at the DCI world championships, and has not placed out of the top 5.
Tyler received his bachelors degree in percussion performance from the University of North Texas. During his time at UNT, Tyler performed with many different musical ensembles including the award winning UNT drumline, the UNT percussion ensemble, and the 2:00 steel drum band. Tyler also performed extensively with Drum and Bugle corps, first with the Crossmen (TX) in 2006 and 2007 and the Phantom Regiment (IL) in 2008, 2009, and 2010. In 2008 and 2010 the Phantom Regiment won the Fred Sanford high percussion award and in 2008 the Phantom Regiment was the DCI World Champion. Tyler is an active composer and in demand arranger, writing for programs throughout the United States with success in BOA, WGI and other competitive events. Tyler’s professional affiliations include TMEA, PAS, and NAFME, and he proudly endorses Innovative Percussion sticks and mallets and REMO drum heads.
In addition to his busy and fulfilling music career, Tyler enjoys the outdoors, live music, and basketball. Tyler resides in Austin, Texas.
Todd Marcocci: Visual Designer
Todd Marcocci is President and CEO of Under The Sun Productions Inc., an Emmy Award winning production company that produces major nationally televised parades around the nation. In addition, Todd’s company is a full service production company for special events, marching band, and color guard.
For the last 29 years, Todd has been the artistic director and choreographer for the West Chester University Incomparable Golden Rams Marching Band and Color Guard, where in 1989, he formed the original Field of View Winter Guard (1989 – 1998) — a nine time WGI World Class finalist, based on the campus of West Chester University. Since that time, the color guard program remains one of the most popular and famous college programs in the nation, annually fielding a cast of fifty five talented members. Thanks to the freedoms and trust established with the staff at West Chester University, over the last 10 years, the overall design and programming of the “production field show” has allowed Todd to have endless avenues to create extremely outside the box, with effect always in the forefront of his mind.
Major highlights of Todd’s career in drum corps was serving as the color guard designer for the Troopers in 1986 (while still in college), color guard designer for the Crossmen in 1991 and 1992, and the Bluecoats in 2000. In addition, Todd has choreographed over 1000 marching band, color guard, dance, mummer, and television productions in his lifetime of which many of the programs have been multiple WGI finalists, DCI finalists, and regional band circuit champions.
In film, Todd served as segment producer for the Nicholas Cage film “Lord of War” and as co-producer of a Snapple commercial where he worked directly with famous film producer, Spike Lee.
Todd looks forward to spreading his unique methods, design, and thought processes to the Caballeros!
Bobbey Biddle: Color Guard Designer
This is Bobbey’s seventh year with the Hawthorne Caballeros and returns for the 2017 season as the Color Guard Designer and Caption Head.
For ten years Bobbey has served as the Director and Designer of the color guard program at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School in Plymouth Meeting, PA. He has taught in many capacities with various other programs over the years including Upper Darby HS, Colonial Middle School, Springfield HS (PA), and Millersville University of Pennsylvania. Bobbey’s color guard performing started at Middletown High School in Delaware and he went on to march at Apex Winterguard, University of Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hen Marching Band, the Visual Arts Production Company (now Delazure), and finally with the Black Watch World Class color guard.
Since 2010 he has served as a member of the Black Watch staff. Bobbey is also a member of the Mid-Atlantic Indoor Network (M.A.I.N) color guard circuit Executive Board. He is an accomplished theater performer and trained vocalist and was a high school and middle school director of musical theater productions. For fifteen years he was a volunteer with the Miss America Pageant program where he was a pageant director, mentor and judge.
Bobbey Biddle, a Delaware native, is now a Philadelphia resident and works for a major printing and apparel company based in Pennsylvania.
Adam Freeman: Music Coordinator
Adam Freeman is currently the Director of Bands at Hackettstown Middle School in northwest New Jersey. Adam graduated with honors from William Patterson University, with a concentration in Euphonium performance and education certification. During his time there he was a member of the Wind Ensemble, Legion of Lows Tuba/Euphonium Quartet, and was featured as a soloist with the High Mountain Symphony Orchestra. In his 10 years at Hackettstown, both the high school and middle school bands have consistently received high marks and gained notoriety in the area for their performances.
Mr. Freeman credits a huge portion of his musical training to the marching arts. He began marching in the Hawthorne Caballeros from 2000-2003, concluding with a DCA championship in 2003. He then went on to march The Cadets from 2004-2005, winning a DCI world championship in his final marching year. Adam went on to be Assistant Caption Head with the Hawthorne Caballeros in 2006-2007, then winning three consecutive championships as a low brass technician with the Reading Buccaneers. Through these years he also spent some time on the staff of the Cadets and the Jersey Surf. The past few years Adam has been the brass caption head for the Hawthorne Caballeros
Adam is a music and visual designer for many bands including Wayne Valley HS, Wayne Hills HS, West Windsor-Plainsboro South HS, Parsippany Hills, and Kittatinny HS — all in New Jersey. Additionally writes for many bands in Florida, Arizona, Pennsylvania, and New York. He has taught and consulted bands in the Northeast, most notably Mt. Olive HS, Pequannock HS, and Roxbury HS.
In addition to his responsibilities with the Caballeros, Adam was also the brass arranger for the 2014 Sun Devils Class A corps and is currently the arranger for Solaris Drum and Bugle Corps.
He resides in Newton, NJ.
Michelle Adcock: Visual Coordinator
Michelle Adcock is returning for her 4th year on the Hawthorne Caballeros staff.
Previously, Michelle marched in the color guard with Steel City Ambassadors, IUP, Pittsburgh-area winter guards, and the Reading Buccaneers. She has previously judged auxiliary, general effect, and indoor captions for Tournament of Bands and Cavalcade of Bands.
Her teaching experience includes several local HS programs and is currently the color guard/visual coordinator for the Avon Grove HS marching band and the Avon Grove HS Maroon and Gold Guards. She is an educator in the Avon Grove School District, currently teaching computer technology courses at Avon Grove Intermediate School.
She lives in Chester County, PA with her husband and four cats.
Interested in marching? The Hawthorne Caballeros have set the date for their 2017 open house, see below for details:
Date: 11/26/16 – 11/27/16
Time: 11/26, 9a-5p; 11/27, 9a-4p
Location: Passaic County Technical Institute
Address: 45 Reinhardt Road, Wayne, NJ 07470
Check out the Facebook event page for full details: https://www.facebook.com/events/1042649779166584/
Don’t forget to fill out an interest form by visiting the following link: http://www.hawthornecaballeros.org/join-the-cabs/