Jim is entering his 25th season with the Bushwackers as Executive Director and is looking forward to leading the corps into the new decade.
He has held many roles with the Bushwacker organization throughout the years. Jim served as co-show coordinator from 1988 to 1995 and program coordinator from 2002 to 2007. He was percussion caption head from 1984 to 1995 and played snare in 1985, 1987, and 1991. During Jim’s tenure the corps won six championships in eight years, as well as six high percussion awards in a row. He was inducted in the Bush Hall of Fame in 2010.
Jim has been involved in drum corps most of his life. He started at the age of six when his dad taught him to play the drums. He went on to play snare with the Bayonne Bridgemen and won two DCI drum trophies his last two years.
He was the snare tech and battery coordinator for the Bluecoats and is proud to have been a part of their first finals appearance. Jim has many years of experience in DCA including the Connecticut Hurricanes from 2008 to 2012 where the corps placed in the top four every year and also had stops along the way with the Long Island Sunrisers and the Hawthorne Caballeros.
Jim has taught many high bands over the years in New Jersey and Connecticut. He is currently an adjudicator for USBands.
Jim has a BS from Central Connecticut State University. He is an Accounting Team Lead at Eversource Energy. He lives in Milford, Connecticut with his wife Janet, his drum corps sweetheart from their high school days.
Billy Zarychta started teaching the Bushwackers as the Snare Technician in 2016. He returned as the Percussion Caption Supervisor in 2017-2019. Billy completed his first season as the program coordinator in 2021 and is highly motivated to give it another shot in 2022.
He began his marching career at Northern Highlands Regional High School in Allendale, New Jersey. Billy continued his marching career in DCA, playing Snare at Fusion Core in 2013, Cadets2 in 2014, and eventually moving to DCI with the Crossmen in 2015.
In 2017, Billy marched with the George Mason University WGI Independent World Class Indoor Drumline following three seasons with Cadets Winter Percussion, where he won Percussion Independent Open in 2014, and was an Independent World Class Finalist in 2015-2017.
Lauryn Heller is looking forward to her sixth season with The Bushwackers Drum Corps. She has experienced the world of marching arts from a very young age, particularly because of her mother’s influence. Lauryn attributes much of her success to her 8 years performing with the WGI A class finalist Haddon Heights HS “High Voltage” color guard program and its exceptional staff (2002-2009). After high school, she marched indoor color guard with The Light Brigade (2010), Alter Ego (2011, 2012), and The Black Watch (2014, 2016). Additionally Lauryn marched as a color guard performer, and served as a captain, with The Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps. (2008-2013).
Lauryn’s creative and instructional experience includes Washington Township HS (2011 – 2019), Surge Independent (2016 – 2019), The Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps (2014, 2015), The Black Watch (2017, 2018), Hatboro Horsham Indoor Percussion Ensemble and Marching Band (2019), United Percussion (2017 – 2020), Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps (2016 – 2019), Haddon Heights HS Color Guard (2010 – Present), Bridgewater Raritan HS Color Guard (2019 – Present), and The Bushwackers Drum Corps (2016 – Present).
In almost every aspect of her life, Lauryn chooses to dedicate her time and efforts to the growth and support of the youth. She has earned an Associate’s degree in social services from Gloucester County College, a Bachelor’s degree in psychology from Rowan University, and is currently pursuing a Master of Arts degree in Teaching Special Education at New Jersey City University. By day, Lauryn is a special education teacher in Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District for kindergarten students. On nights and weekends, she works with multiple marching arts organizations. Lauryn is looking forward to an exciting season of creativity, collaboration, and growth!
Dennis Argul has been active in the marching arts activity as a performer, arranger, composer, clinician and designer. For the last three decades Dennis has also been an adjudicator for many organizations and genres, most recently enjoying his experiences as a judge with Drum Corps International.
Dennis a retired music educator and administrator with a 35 – year career in the NJ Public Schools system. He is currently an adjunct professor at five NJ Universities, supervising student teachers in their music education departments. Dennis is also the Advocacy Chair and on the Board of the NJ Music Educators Association and the NJ Music Administrators Association.
Dennis is also a freelance low brass musician, specializing in bass trombone, and performs with many ensembles in the NY/NJ metropolitan area.
Dan started his marching career playing snare drum in the inaugural season of the Cadets2 in 2012. After spending two years with C2, he became a member of the 2014 Cadets for his age-out season. During this period, he was also a member of Imperial Dynasty’s 2013 debut in Winter Guard International.
Dan instructed the snare drum section of Cadets2 from 2015-2018, which includes their DCA World Championship title in 2016, and is currently a percussion instructor at The Cadets. He also served as ensemble coordinator at Imperial Dynasty from 2016-2019.
As an emerging writer/arranger in southeast Pennsylvania, Dan contributes to many high school programs in the region. He is currently the percussion director at Downingtown East High School, as well as a designer for the Downingtown Indoor Percussion Ensemble.
Aside from the marching activity, Dan attended West Chester University with a focus in music and philosophy, and closely studied classical-style percussion with Ralph Sorrentino, a frequent performer in the Philadelphia Orchestra. Dan has also taught the battery percussion section of the Incomparable Golden Rams Marching Band, Shippensburg University Marching Band, and currently, the
Widener University Marching Band.
Jesse Valencia is very excited to be joining the Bushwackers Design Team in 2021 as the Front Ensemble Arranger.
Jesse’s marching experience started with Cadets2 in 2014 and continued on to march the Cadets in 2016 and 2017. Jesse has also been heavily involved in the Percussion Independent World scene in WGI, having marched with Cadets Winter Percussion in 2015 and 2016 and with United Percussion in 2018, all PIW finalist groups.
As an educator, Jesse has proven an accomplished arranger as the Caption Head and Arranger at both Downingtown East High School outdoor program and the Downingtown Area School District indoor percussion program ever since 2017. Jesse also taught Cadest2 in 2017 and 2018 and is taught United Percussion 2’s Front Ensemble in the 2020 season.
Chris is graduate of West Chester University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education. Currently, he has been teaching instrumental music in the Toms River School District for the past twenty years. Mr. Burbank is currently writing drill for numerous programs in the tri-state area, as well as bands in Virginia, Florida and Arizona. When he’s not designing for these bands, Mr. Burbank enjoys spending time with his wife, Laurie and their seven year old twins, Madison and Daniel.
Mr. Burbank is very excited for the opportunity to be a part of the 2021 edition of the Bushwackers.
Sal is excited to be back with the Bushwackers for his second years as sound designer and front ensemble technician.
Sal has performed with West Chester’s Wind Symphony and Symphony Orchestra, and marching band. His marching experience includes performing with The Buccaneers (’15-’16), The Cadets (’17-’18), and United Percussion (’20, ’22) as a front ensemble member. He has taught front ensembles for many years, most notably at Downingtown High School East, Downingtown Indoor Percussion, and Shippensburg University. Sal Azzara studied Music Education at West Chester University of Pennsylvania and is an active marching arts educator based in the Southeast PA region.