The Bushwackers Drum Corps is excited to announce the brass instructional staff for the 2018 season! This season begins on November 18 and 19, 2017, at our Open House.
Register for Open House or sign up for more information.
“The expansion of the Bushwackers brass program is one our organization’s goals for the coming season. With the addition of select consultants, our instructional team will build on varied experience with the country’s top brass programs to develop a program that will greatly benefit individual brass performers — and the entire corps as a result,” said corps director Harlan Landes.
This coming season, the Bushwackers will offer new brass clinics to the public, in addition to special sessions for corps members.
Brass Caption Supervisor: Jacob Ulm
Jacob Ulm graduated from James Madison University with a bachelor’s degree in music education. He marched with DCI World Class Finalist The Cadets in 2010 and 2011 and was on the instructional staff for the Connecticut Hurricanes in 2012 and 7th Regiment in 2014, 2015, and 2016.
Jacob is formerly the high school band director in Everett, Massachusetts before relocating with his family to New Jersey. He is now a middle school band director in Elizabeth and an instructor with the Elizabeth High School marching band.
Brass Caption Lead: Tyler Miller
Tyler Miller is excited to return for his 4th season as a brass instructor with The Bushwackers. In the 2015 and 2016 seasons, Tyler was also a drum major for the corps. Outside of the Bushwackers, Tyler has marched baritone with DCI World Class Finalist The Cadets (2011, 2013) and the Connecticut Hurricanes (2009-2012).
Tyler is currently working on his masters degree in euphonium performance at The Hartt School, where he studies with James E. Jackson III of The United States Coast Guard Band. Tyler recently graduated from Hartt with an undergraduate degree in music education and euphonium performance.
Outside of college, Tyler is the visual caption head and music instructor for the East Haven High School Co-Op Marching Band from East Haven, Connecticut.
Brass Instructor: Eddie Griffin
Edward Griffin is currently a student at Rutgers University, where he is completing a double major in music education and music performance. At Rutgers, Eddie has studied euphonium and brass pedagogy with Aaron Vanderweele, Alan Baer, and Jerry Peel. He has played in Rutgers’ finest ensembles along with several brass bands across the tri-state area.
Eddie is an active educator throughout New Jersey. He has instructed several marching bands in the state including Monroe Township, Toms River North, and Bridgewater-Raritan High Schools. Most notably, he works on the staff at John P. Stevens High School, where he instructs the brass and is a member of the marching band design team. Eddie maintains a private studio of eight students, and his students have earned acceptance into several honor ensembles and university music departments.
He attributes his love for drum corps to his father and uncle, his two greatest teachers and mentors. Eddie marched with The Cadets2 in 2012 and 2016. This will be his first year on staff at the Bushwackers.
Brass Instructor: Britney Alcine
Britney Alcine is a music teacher and multi-instrumentalist from Elizabeth, NJ. Graduating from Mason Gross of Rutgers University in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in music education, she is now teaching general music full-time in the Elizabeth school district.
Britney has also been on staff with the Elizabeth High School Marching Band for four years as the low brass instructor and a visual technician, as well as the West Windsor-PLainsboro South High School marching band as their visual instructor.
Britney’s marching experience includes two years as a marching member and two years as drum major of the Elizabeth High School Marching Band, and two years as a marching member of the Bushwackers Drum and Bugle Corps, the first year marching baritone and the second year marching tuba. She is excited to be returning and helping to cultivate a powerful brassline in the corps she once marched.
Brass Consultant: Dylan Toombs
Dylan Toombs is honored and excited to join The Bushwackers Drum and Bugle Corps as a brass consultant for his first year with the organization.
Dylan has served on the Carolina Crown brass staff for three years and performed as a member the three-years prior. During his time at Crown, he was a part of four Jim Ott high brass awards, and won brass member of the year in 2014.
Dylan is also going on year four as a visual specialist and brass consultant for the Marcus High School Marching Band in Flower Mound, TX.
His full time job is as a low brass specialist in the Dallas Fort-Worth metroplex maintaining a studio of over 70 students, encompassing individuals from their intermediate middle school years through high school and beyond.
A native of Dallas, Texas, Dylan graduated from the University of North Texas with a bachelor’s degree in music performance with a concentration in euphonium
performance. During his tenure at the University of North Texas, Dylan served as drum major for the “Green Brigade” marching band and studied with the world-
renowned Dr. Brian Bowman.
When not teaching or working, Toombs can be found road-tripping National Parks, running trails near his home, or petting any dogs that cross his path.
Brass Consultant: Alan Chez
Alan Chez was the trumpet player on The Late Show with David Letterman (CBS) for 17 years and had numerous performances on Late Night with David Letterman (NBC). Alan is the second longest network TV trumpet player in history, second only to the great Doc Severinsen. The two trumpeters share the same birthday.
Alan has played with such artists as Bonjovi, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Tower of Power, Robert Cray Band, Spyro Gyra, Stevie Wonder, Sting, Eric Clapton, Cee Lo Green, Snoop Dogg, Flava Flav, James Brown, Bruce Springsteen, Earth, Wind, and Fire, as well of many others.
He is devoting his time these days to his passion, “Al Chez and The Brothers of Funk Big Band,” a big band playing rock and soul music with big horn sound. Al Chez and The Brothers of Funk have been touring since 2013.
Alan started his extensive music career at the age of 8, starting out as a soprano player in the Saints Drum Corps from Woodbridge NJ, and later performing with the Garfield Cadets, Reading Buccaneers, and The Bushwackers.
Alan has continued his passion for the marching arts as brass staff, drill instructor, designer, clinician, and coordinator with the DCI World Class Champions The Cadets, the Jersey Surf, as well as Canada’s Oakland Crusaders and DCI World Class Finalists the Crossmen from San Antonio, Texas. Alan is returning to the Crossmen for his 19th consecutive year. Alan has also worked as a brass instructor or designer for DCA champions Empire Statesmen, Reading Buccaneers, the Bushwackers, Fusion Core, and Canada’s Kingston Grenadiers.
Alan also works at the music departments at the School of the Arts in Philadelphia and the University of Virginia. He is also a Haverford, Pennsylvania jazz artist in residence.
Alan is program coordinator for New Jersey state marching band champions J.P. Stevens High School in Edison, New Jersey. He has also worked with Kittattiny H.S., Sparta H.S., Morris Hills H.S., Mount Olive H.S., Coronado H.S. in El Paso, Texas, Fort Zumwalt North H.S. in St. Louis, Missouri, Claudia Taylor Johnson H.S. in San Antonio, Texas, as well as many others.
Alan is a Yamaha Clinician and Performing Artist.
Brass Team Member: Scott Brown
Scott Brown returns to The Bushwackers this year as a member of the brass staff. He brings a strong knowledge of brass pedagogy having studied trombone with Tyrone Breuninger of the Philadelphia Orchestra, jazz trombonist Urbie Green, and conducting with Claude Pichareau of the Paris Conservatory.
Scott previously worked with Fusion Core as a consultant in 2013 and caption head in 2014 and 2015. Prior to that he was on staff with the Bushwackers as an assistant caption head in 2004, 2005, 2006 and caption head in 2011, winning DCA’s coveted high brass award in 2006.
When Scott isn’t teaching drum corps, he is working as a music teacher with Northwestern Lehigh Area High School. Scott is an active freelance brass musician performing though out Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York City, Delaware, and Connecticut. He is often found performing with such groups as The Anthracite Brassworks, Soul, Souled Out, Daddy-O and the Sax Maniax, and others. Scott is also in demand as an adjudicator for marching and jazz bands, arranging music for marching bands, and a clinician for marching bands
Scott holds degrees in music education from Wilkes University and The American Band College, and has done post-graduate work at the University of the Arts and Villanova University.
Registration is now open for our next Open House, on November 18 and 19, 2017, in Princeton, New Jersey. Learn about our Open House or sign up here!
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