The Hawthorne Caballeros are thrilled to introduce their 2020 battery staff!
Kirby Marino – Battery Coordinator
Kirby is a percussion educator, adjudicator, and arranger in New Jersey. He started his marching career at Phillipsburg High School in Phillipsburg, New Jersey. He then went on to march with the Raiders Drum and Bugle Corps (2012, 2013) and Fusion “Core” (2015). Kirby aged out with the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps in 2016 and United Percussion (2014-2017).
Kirby has taught and arranged for numerous high schools in New Jersey but is currently the battery arranger for Phillipsburg High School and a battery technician at Bridgewater-Raritan High School. Kirby is also the battery caption head at United Percussion 2 and quad technician for the Rutgers University Drumline. This is Kirby’s third year with the Hawthorne Caballeros and couldn’t more excited to get started again with this great organization!Meet the 2019 Cabs Percussion StaffKirby has taught and arranged for numerous high schools in New Jersey but is currently the battery arranger for Phillipsburg High School and a battery technician at Bridgewater-Raritan High School. Kirby is also the battery caption head at United Percussion 2 and quad technician for the Rutgers University Drumline. This is Kirby’s third year with the Hawthorne Caballeros and couldn’t more excited to get started again with this great organization!
Carlos Vazquez – Snare Technician
Carlos is a graduate of the Mason Gross School of the Arts, where he double-majored in Music Education and Psychology and is currently working on his master’s degree in percussion performance at Rutgers. Carlos has been a percussion educator in New Jersey for over 10 years teaching several high schools, private lessons, clinics, and the Rutgers University Drum Line.
He is an active freelance musician in the New York and New Jersey area, specializing in classical and Latin percussion. He has played on the national tour of Hair the musical and currently plays snare drum for the NY Giants Drum Line as an employee of Blue Devils Entertainment. He has had the honor to play alongside musicians such as Eddie Palmieri and Delfeayo Marsalis and has recorded with the Wu-Tang Clan. This will be Carlos’s 4th season with the Caballeros Drum and Bugle corps.
Brian Horn – Snare Technician
Brian Horn is a marching percussion educator from Somerset, NJ. His marching percussion career started 15 years ago at Immaculata High School in Somerville, NJ. Brian’s first experience with an independent group was playing snare drum as a member of the Bushwackers (2010). Following the DCA experience, Brian then marched 2 seasons, including his age-out season, at United Percussion (snare drum 2011, 2012)
Brian has been the caption head at Westfield High School (USBands), since 2012. Brian also has WGI, DCA, and DCI teaching experience, with East Coast Percussion (2018), with United Percussion 2 (2019), The Hawthorne Caballeros (2018, 2019) and most recently with the Jersey Surf (2019).
Tom Heider – Snare Technician
Tom Heider is a percussion instructor from Freehold, New Jersey. He has been a marching percussionist since high school where he found a passion for the activity. Afterward, he went on to march with The Bushwackers in 2014-2015, the Rutgers University Marching Band in 2015-2016, The Hawthorne Caballeros in 2016, United Percussion in 2017-2018, Cadets2 in 2017, and finally aged out with The Cadets in 2018.
As an educator, Tom spent two years running the Madison High School percussion program alongside fellow Caballeros staff member Ryan Brodhead. He also helped with the 2019 preseason at The Raiders as a snare tech. Tom could not be more excited about returning to The Caballeros this summer as our newest snare tech!
Floyd Murray – Quad Technician
Floyd Murray is a musician and educator based out of central New Jersey. He began his marching career with the Bushwackers Drum and Bugle Corps tenor line in 2007 and continued in 2010 and 2011. He then became a member of United Percussion’s tenor line in 2011 and was the section leader in 2012.
Floyd Murray is a musician and educator based out of central New Jersey. He began his marching career with the Bushwackers Drum and Bugle Corps tenor line in 2007 and continued in 2010 and 2011. In 2011 he was a member of United Percussion in the tenor line and section leader in 2012.
As an educator, Floyd has instructed various award-winning high school drumlines around the New Jersey area including Ramsey High School, Woodbridge High School, and Westfield High School. In 2013 he was a quad tech for the Jersey Surf Drum and Bugle Corps and returned for the 2019 season. From 2013 – 2018 Floyd was a battery instructor at his alma-mater Old Bridge High School for both the marching band and indoor ensembles. During his most recent season with the group, they were awarded the 2018 WGI Scholastic Open Class silver medal and WGI fan favorite award. Currently, Floyd is a performer with the Blue Devils Entertainment – East Coast Division for the NFL Giants Drum Line. He is extremely excited to be returning to the percussion staff for his 3rd season with the Hawthorne Caballeros.
Currently, Floyd is a performer at GEI Entertainment for the NFL Giants Drum Line, the quad tech at United Percussion 2, and is extremely excited to be returning as a quad tech for the Hawthorne Caballeros Drum and Bugle Corps.
Ryan Brodhead – Bass Technician
Ryan graduated from Rutgers University in the spring of 2018 with his Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice, Political Science, and Sociology. He currently works as a Private Investigator for Prime Source Investigations, a full-service investigations firm located in southern New Jersey. Ryan’s marching career started back in 2012 with The Cadets2 Drum and Bugle Corps for their inaugural season and continued with them through the end of the 2013 and 2014 competitive seasons. During that time, he also marched with Cadets Winter Percussion for the 2014 and 2015 WGI seasons and then spent three years touring & performing with the 10-Time DCI World Class Champion, The Cadets Drum & Bugle Corps (2015, 2016, 2017). He also spent three years in the Rutgers University Drumline and served as bass drum section leader for his last two years. Ryan has taught multiple high school percussion programs in New Jersey and is currently the Percussion Caption Head & Battery Arranger for Madison High School. Along with his scholastic teaching endeavors, Ryan just began his second season as a battery instructor for United Percussion 2. This will be Ryan’s third season with the Hawthorne Caballeros and he can’t wait to get back at it with this amazing staff and organization!
He has taught multiple high school percussion programs in New Jersey and is currently the Percussion Caption Head & Battery Arranger for Madison High School in New Jersey. This winter, Ryan is one of the battery instructors for the inaugural season of United Percussion’s A-Class ensemble. This will be Ryan’s second year with the Caballeros and he can’t wait to get started.
