Design Team & Educational Staff

Design Team & Caption Heads

Bobby Jones
Program Coordinator & Visual Designer

Cliff Bialkin
Music Coordinator

Mr. Bialkin retired after celebrating his 32nd year as the Director of Bands at Ramsey High School in Ramsey, New Jersey. His responsibilities included directing the award-winning Ramsey High School Jazz Ensemble, the “Big Blue” Marching Band, Wind Ensemble, and Pit Orchestra, as well as supervising and working with all competing groups in the department including the Winter Guard and Percussion Ensemble. He arranged and collaborated on music performed by all the bands and ensembles on a regular basis. Under his leadership the groups routinely received top honors in competition and performances both domestically and internationally. The RHS Jazz Ensemble had been a consistent finalist at IAJE (International Association of Jazz Educators) festivals, as well as many contests and festivals throughout the Tri-State area. Under his direction, the Ramsey High School Wind Ensemble garnered many superior and gold ratings at state, domestic, and international festivals. In 2019, Mr. Bialkin conducted the Music Educators of Bergen County Incorporated (MEBCI) Honors Band. In 2010, Mr. Bialkin was selected to be the guest conductor of the Connecticut Music Educators Association (CMEA) Western Division Jazz Ensemble. In 2003, the Ramsey Jazz Ensemble was selected to be a guest of the Japanese government and the sole representative of the United States at the “All Japan Cultural Arts Festival” held in Fukui, Japan. During his tenure at Ramsey, the Marching Band and Jazz Ensembles traveled to London England, Paris France, and Rome Italy to participate in the New Year’s Day Parades and festivals.

Mr. Bialkin was a founding member of the Musical Arts Conference (MAC), and was on the executive board since the inception of the association, serving in many roles including Vice President and President.

Mr. Bialkin is the owner of Clifford Bialkin Designs LLC which creates marching arts productions for ensembles throughout the United States. Mr. Bialkin is a consultant for Youth Music of The World (YMOTW) and often serves as a clinician/judge for bands in and around the New York metropolitan area, as well as internationally. He is also a member of the Conn Selmer VIP program.

Currently Mr. Bialkin is the Music Coordinator and Co-Brass Arranger for the world famous Hawthorne Caballeros. He has been actively teaching in the drum corps world since 1996. In 2003 he joined the staff at Hawthorne Caballeros for their championship run. Since then, he has been teaching, designing, programing, coordinating and consulting multiple all age, and junior drum and bugle corps. Mr. Bialkin has a full private studio of low brass players, and is a freelance trombonist in the NY/NJ Metropolitan area.

Mr. Bialkin currently resides in Ramsey, New Jersey with his wife Sabrina, a teacher in the Wayne Township Public Schools in Wayne New Jersey.

Cliff Bialkin
Music Coordinator & Co-Brass Arranger

Jeff Chambers
Brass Arranger

Mark Monaghan
Percussion Arranger & Percussion Caption Head

Matt Blood
Front Ensemble Arranger & Front Ensemble Coordinator

Joshua Jenkins
Brass Caption Head

Michele Parrino
Visual Caption Head

Briana See
Color Guard Caption Head

Kirby Marino
Battery Coordinator

Visual Staff

Mark Fisher
Assistant Visual Caption Head

Quamel Francis
Choreography and Movement Coordinator

Bruno Mayoria
Visual Technician

Max Oh
Visual Technician

Mike Molieri
Visual Technician

Ryan Mitchell
Visual Technician

Shea Costello
Visual Technician

Tricia Trackim
Visual Technician

Battery Staff

Shannon Kelliher
Visual Technician

Jonah Nack
Quad Technician

Luke Chemidlin
Quad Technician

Ryan Brodhead
Bass Technician

Tristan Shafran
Bass Technician

Roman Trujillo Jr
Bass Technician

Tom Heider
Snare Technician

Brian Horn
Snare Technician

Carlos Vazquez
Snare Technician

Zachary Brenna
Snare Technician

Brass Staff

Mike Castellano
High Brass Coordinator

Ray Henrickson
Low Brass Coordinator

Justin Daly
Trumpet Technician

Justin Daly is an active music educator and clinician from Connecticut. He is currently the Director of Bands at East Lyme High School, directing the marching, concert, and jazz bands. In addition to teaching, he is a sought-after trumpet performer throughout Connecticut. He has presented in-person sessions at the Connecticut Music Educators Association (CMEA) Conference and online webinars with the Marching Arts Education’s summer of learning series. He has earned degrees in Music Education (BS), Music (BA), and Curriculum and Instruction with a focus in Music Education (MA) from the University of Connecticut. During his undergraduate studies, he was a drum major of the UConn Marching Band and performed in the wind ensemble, symphony orchestra, and various other chamber groups. As a graduate student, he assisted the band program as a Director Intern of the marching band, Graduate Director of the Hockey and Basketball Pep Bands, and a conducting assistant with the Concert Band.

Justin is highly passionate about the marching arts and drum corps. His drum corps experience includes performing as a lead trumpet player and flugelhorn soloist with the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps in 2019, receiving the silver medal and the highest score the organization has received to date. He also performed in the 50th Anniversary Bluecoats Alumni Corps in 2022. He previously taught with the 7th Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps from 2020-2021 and has been a member of the brass staff with the Mandarins Drum and Bugle Corps of Sacramento, CA, since 2022.

He has studied trumpet with Dr. Louis Hanzlik, Derek Gipson, Ricardo Brown, Andrew Sorg, Kenneth Bell, and Dave Negri. He has studied instrumental conducting with Harvey Felder and Dr. Vu Nguyen and has attended wind band conducting symposia and workshops nationwide. Justin received the 2023 CMEA Outstanding Emerging Music Educator Award and has an upcoming article published in NAfME’s Teaching Music Magazine.

Justin Daly
Trumpet Technician

Garrett Giantonio
Trumpet Technician

Garrett is a performer and educator from Newington, Connecticut. He is currently the band director at Jared Eliot Middle School in Clinton, CT. His responsibilities include grade 6-8 band, instrumental lessons, and general music. In addition to middle school band, Garrett instructs multiple high school marching bands in Connecticut.

Garrett’s drum corps experience includes performing as a lead trumpet player and soloist with The Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps. After marching, he returned to the activity on the brass staff with 7th Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps in 2022. He is currently a member of the brass staff for The Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps.

Garrett earned a Bachelor of Science in Music Education, a Bachelor of Arts in Music, and a Master of Arts in Curriculum & Instruction from the University of Connecticut. During his graduate studies, he assisted the band program as graduate staff for the marching band and hockey/basketball pep bands. During his undergraduate studies Garrett was an active performer with many of the UConn instrumental ensembles such as the jazz ensemble, symphony orchestra, wind ensemble, and an NTC finalist with the trumpet ensemble.

In addition to teaching, Garrett is a sought after trumpeter, clinician, and recording artist around CT. He regularly performs with theater company’s, big bands, and horn sections such as; The Goodspeed Opera House, Affinity Big Band, The Hartford Jazz Orchestra, The Ivoryton Playhouse, and many more. He is also an avid and experienced music producer/audio engineer where he is frequently tracking, producing, and mixing recording projects.

He has studied trumpet with strong educators and pedagogues such as Louis Hanzlik, Gino Villarreal, Kenneth Bell, and David Negri. He has also studied instrumental conducting with Janet Song Kim, Andre Raphel, and Matt DeLassus. This is Garrett’s first year on staff with the Hawthorne Caballeros and is excited to be a part of the team!

Garrett Giantonio
Trumpet Technician

Kirsten Leonardo
Mellophone Technician

Kim Scully
Mellophone Technician

Justin Lordi
Baritone Technician

Sean Ferguson
Tuba Technician

Anthony Paterno
Brass Intern

Ricardo Brown
Brass Consultant

Ricardo T. Brown is a native of Portsmouth, Virginia. He was selected to All District Band, All-State Band, and Virginia Honor Band as well as the Governor's School of the Performing Arts in high school. His teaching journey began in 2005 as the Assistant Director at Princess Anne High School and includes work as the graduate assistant for the Norfolk State University Spartan Legion band program and the Associate Director of Bands at Prairie View A&M University.

Currently, Ricardo Brown serves as the Associate Director of Bands at the University of Connecticut, responsible for show design and music ensemble direction for the “Pride of Connecticut Marching Band” as well as directing the UCONN Pep Band. He also serves on the university music faculty, teaching music education courses, serving on multiple committees, and arranging for the university big band and all athletic ensembles. He helped lead the UCMB to being a Sudler Trophy Finalist in 2018.

Mr. Brown is an active clinician, adjudicator, and performer and has worked with multiple programs across the country, developing quality musicianship and performance practices. His passion is to impart his knowledge of band performance onto students while also instilling a love of music. He has also performed with numerous ensembles including the Virginia Symphony, Virginia Beach Symphony, Fancy Pants Productions, The Right on Band, numerous churches, NASCAR, Houston Symphony, Ballet Afrique Cotton Club, and New London Big Band.

Mr. Brown began his DCI marching experience with the Crossmen in 1999 as a lead soprano. He moved to the Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps in 2001 and after aging out served as the Cadets’ trumpet instructor, administrative team member, and coordinator of the “Music is Cool” clinics working with thousands of students nationwide. He joined the Bluecoats Brass Team in 2014 and was later promoted to lead trumpet tech and then assistant brass caption head in 2021. In 2022, Mr. Brown became the Brass Caption Head at the Sacramento Mandarins and helped lead the corps to a top 6 finish in 2023. Mr. Brown joined the Caballeros staff as a consultant in 2020 and is excited to be back for another year!

From Norfolk State University, Mr. Brown received his B.S. degree in Music Education and his Masters in Trumpet Performance. He anticipates completing his Doctorate (DMA) degree in Conducting from the University of Connecticut in May 2022.