Quamel Francis – Visual Choreographer
Quamel started marching competitively in 2010 with Excelsior Drum and Bugle Corps. He then went on to join the Hawthorne Caballeros in 2012 and has completed 7 seasons with the corps! His other marching experience includes the Spirit of Stony Brook Marching Band (2013-2017) and the Bluecoats (2016).
Quamel has recently completed his second year with Avon Grove High School, where he serves as one of the visual technicians for the band.
Quamel is excited to be joining the visual staff for the 2020 Hawthorne Caballeros!
Alec Scully – Visual Tech/Choreographer
Alec started his marching career as a member of the Roaring Lions Marching Band at Penncrest High School in 2009, remaining a member until his graduation in 2013. From there he spent the next four years marching with the Incomparable Golden Rams Marching Band while he attended West Chester University for Computer Science.
During those summers, Alec marched with the Hawthorne Caballeros Drum and Bugle Corps (2014-2016) and aged out with Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps (2017). He began as a visual technician at the Caballeros following his age out, and continuing on to the 2018 & 2019 season. Beyond the marching arts, Alec enjoys spending time with friends and family, watching movies, and enjoying various nerdy activities.
Sarah Huelster – Tuba Technician
Sarah began her marching career in the fall of 2008 where she started out marching with the Hawthorne High School marching band in Hawthorne, NJ. In 2011 she joined the Hawthorne Caballeros where she marched for 8 consecutive years on trumpet up until 2018.
She has also marched with the West Chester University Incomparable Golden Rams marching band from 2013-2015 and just finished her fourth year instructing as a visual tech for the Avon Grove High school marching band in West Grove, PA. This will be her second year on staff with the Caballeros.
Bruno Mayoria – Mellophone Technician
Bruno returns for his second year on the Caballeros visual staff. He started his marching career at Elizabeth High School in 2005. The subsequent summer was his inaugural year of drum corps at the Raiders Drum and Bugle Corps. He marched 2006-2010 on both mellophone and trumpet.
Bruno is currently a music educator in northern New Jersey. He has been working with the Pequannock Township High School Marching Band, where he has been Assistant Band Director for the past four years and Woodwind Tech for four years prior. During his tenure as Assistant Band Director, the marching band has won Best Visual 5 out of 8 of their State and National Championships within the USBands Circuit. He has also served as a Mellophone Tech at the Raiders Drum and Bugle Corps from 2014-2015.
Armon Neil Raygani – Baritone Technician
Armon Raygani is a Music Educator living in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Armon holds his Bachelor of Science degree in Music from Towson University and will be finishing his Master’s in Music in Instrumental Conducting in the Spring of 2020 at West Chester University studying under Andrew Yozviak, M. Gregory Martin, and Adam Gumble.
Armon spent five summers with The Cadets2, spending the last three as drum major of the corps and leading the corps to earn its first World Championship title. Armon has also spent three years as drum major of the Towson University Marching Band where he taught marching fundamentals and had the opportunity to learn from Gino Cipriani and John Miliauskas.
Armon also maintains an active schedule working with High School marching and concert bands both as a clinician and adjudicator. Armon has worked with the Perry Hall High School and Downingtown East marching bands, as well as with Fusion Drum and Bugle “Core”. Outside of music, Armon enjoys hiking, rock climbing, and playing with his cats Toby and Theo.
Kim Mogensen – Trumpet Technician
Kim Mogensen joined the Hawthorne Caballeros in 2015 where she marched mellophone and trumpet through 2015, 2016, and 2017 seasons.
Prior to joining the Caballeros, Kim instructed the Pequannock Township High School Marching Band and Winter Guard in Pequannock, NJ. During the summer of 2015, she accepted a Band Director position on the Eastern Shore of Maryland where she has led the marching band into a competitive program in the Tournament of Bands circuit.
She currently serves as a music and visual staff member at the Naval Academy Drum and Bugle Corps in Annapolis, Maryland.
Jonathan “Jay Jay” Nieves – Body Movement Designer
Being an active participant in the color guard community since the age of 11, JJ has an extended guard resume. He has entered his 11th consecutive season with WGI’s 2019 Independent Fan Favorite, AMP. His DCI career began with the Jersey Surf in 2012 & 2014, venturing to Blue Knights in 2017 and concluding with the Bluecoats in the summer of 2018. He is also a Caballero Alumni, marching in 2015’s production of “Unchained”. J
J could not be more thrilled to embark on this journey with us. He is ready to share his talents and excited to work with such an incredible
