Known for their Latin American-style music and uniforms, the Muchachos served as the junior corps for the Hawthorne Caballeros Drum and Bugle Corps. In their first two competitive seasons, the Muchachos achieved undefeated records in local entry-level circuits. In 1961, they advanced to national competition, joining the junior circuit that would later become part of DCI. The corps achieved its highest placement in 1974, finishing fourth in World Class finals. The corps was later disqualified from competition within the DCI circuit for marching with an overage snare member.[4][5]
The corps remained active until 1977, when it disbanded due to financial difficulties and declining membership.[4]
History
Founding (1959)
The Hawthorne Muchachos Junior Drum Corps was organized in January 1959 under the auspices of the Hawthorne American Legion Post 199. Hawthorne Caballeros Drum and Bugle Corps drum major Ralph Silverbrand and Marge Moore took the lead in creating the organization. Other Caballeros, such as Joe Scarber, Jim Costello, Bob Costello, and John McAuliffe, also played a role in founding the corps.[4][6]
The corps was created primarily to introduce younger performers from Hawthorne, New Jersey, and surrounding communities to drum corps activity while establishing a developmental pipeline for the senior Caballeros; members would “graduate” into the Caballeros after turning twenty-two and aging out of junior competition.[4][6]
Approximately 100 boys with little to no experience in playing or marching attended the first rehearsal of the corps.[4]
Parade corps years (1959–1960)
1959
The Muchachos’ first performance occurred on Pompton PlainsMemorial Day in 1959, five months after the corps was created. The corps performed their first musical selection, “Honor Old Glory,” with 10 drummers, 40 bugles, and 15 color
Muchachos Snares, 1962.
guard members. They marched in four parades on Memorial Day.[4][6]
The Muchachos marched in another four parades on Independence Day, 1959, and later participated in other events, such as the firemen's parade.[4]
The Mothers’ Auxiliary created the Muchachos’ uniforms for 1959. The instruments had been purchased from a disbanded corps. The horns were brass, and the wooden drums were painted white. The drums used old calfskin heads, and corps members noted that if it rained, the drumheads would sag.[4][6]
1960
Art Mura became the corps’ new drum instructor. Fond of large drum lines, he increased the line to five snares, five tenors, four bass drums, and four cymbals within three years. Mura was joined by brass instructor Vic Cascella.[4][6]
In 1960, the corps participated in more parades. At the American Legion State Convention in Wildwood, the corps entered its first parade competition, taking first place. The color guard, under the direction of Jack Russell, placed fourth in the state color guard competition.[4][6][3]
State championships (1961)
Still primarily a parade corps in 1961, the Muchachos entered field competition for the first time. In the state championships, they placed twelfth out of twenty-four corps.[4][6][3]
American Legion (1962–1969)
1962
The summer of 1962 marked the corps’ first full competitive season. The corps director, along with the directors of several other area corps, started the Garden State Circuit. The Muchachos went undefeated in circuit competition and placed sixth at the state title event. Their repertoire included "Never on a Sunday (off the line)," "That’s America to Me (color presentation)," "The Gay Ranchero," "Adios Muchachos," "Flying Down to Rio," "Mexican Hat Dance," and "Mañana."[4][6]
Soloist Jeff Keivit, Muchachos, 1973.
1963
In 1963, the corps went undefeated in the Garden State Circuit and began competing in select shows against more competitive corps. They placed sixth in prelims at American Legion Nationals in Miami Beach, Florida, and fourth in the finals. They also placed fifth in the state contest.[4]
1964
In 1964, the Muchachos began competing alongside drum corps such as the Blessed Sacrament Golden Knights, The Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps, and St. Lucy's Cadets. The Muchachos placed second at the American Legion Nationals in Dallas, Texas, and fifth in the state championships.[3]
1965
In 1965, contras and timbales were added. A uniform change included the addition of the bolero, a black sequined vest. At the American Legion Nationals in Portland, Oregon, the Muchachos placed third. The field was incorrectly measured, creating problems for all corps. The corps finished fifth at the state championship, while the color guard won the title in their competition.[6]
The Muchachos’ color guard won the Metropolitan Circuit and the Liberty Color Guard Circuit in 1964 and 1965. In outdoor competitions, the guard was the New Jersey State Champion three times.[2]
1966
In 1966, the drum corps placed tenth in preliminaries, eliminating them from finals. That year, the contest included several Midwest drum corps traveling east to find more challenging competition. Among the forty-seven corps in prelims were eventual champions the Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps, as well as the Troopers Drum and Bugle Corps, Chicago Royal Airs, Des Plaines Vanguard, and Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps. During the season, rankings among Jersey drum corps changed almost weekly. By September, the Muchachos had fallen behind the Blessed Sacrament Golden Knights in the state, but had beaten the The Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps, St. Lucy's Cadets, and Blue Rock.[4]
1967
In 1967, the corps competed at the American Legion Nationals in Boston, where 55 junior corps participated. The Muchachos placed ninth in prelims but did not make finals.[4][6]
1968
In 1968, the corps placed ninth out of twenty corps in the Open Championships.[4][6]
1969
In 1969, the Muchachos were invited to the Dream competition in Jersey City, where they placed fifth behind Blessed Sacrament, the 27th Lancers, the The Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps, and St. Lucy's Cadets. At the American Legion Nationals, the Muchachos placed sixth.[4][6]
Muchachos, 1974.
1970
Major changes in the instructional staff occurred prior to the 1970 season. Dennis DeLucia took over percussion, Larry Kerschner created brass arrangements, and Frank Gerris provided a visual program to complement the musical score.[1]
1970 was a challenging year, with the corps finishing third at the State Championships behind Blue Rock and Blessed Sacrament. Weekly placements ranged from third to sixth.[2]
1971
Breaking from the “all-male” tradition, the Muchachos accepted female color guard members in 1971. In the May 30 early show, they placed fifth. In September, the corps placed fourth at the American Legion Championship in the Houston Astrodome, Texas.[4][6]
Drum Corps International (1972–1975)
1972
In 1972, under the leadership of Dennis DeLucia, Frank Gerris, and Jeff Kievit, the corps joined Drum Corps International (DCI).[4][6]
Until 1972, most drills had the corps standing in the end zone during their final musical riffs. Drill writer Frank Gerris, reviewing the rules, noted that re-entry onto the field was not prohibited. At the first show of the year, the Muchachos surprised judges and audiences by leaving the field during their exit number, "Fanfare for the Common Man," only to turn around and charge the stands with a reprise of Espiritu del Toro.[4][6]
The Muchachos won the New Jersey State Open Championships in 1972. They placed first in the World Open prelims, finished third in finals, and placed tenth in the first DCI finals at Whitewater, Wisconsin. The Muchachos and St. Andrew's Bridgemen joined the 27th Lancers as the Eastern corps in the DCI Top 12.[5]
Financial constraints limited the Muchachos’ travel and competition schedule. The corps often competed locally to save on bus costs, relying on members to drive to shows.[4][6]
In 1974, the corps placed seventh in prelims. Allegedly, a member of another Eastern corps smuggled in a bugle to play the “bull call.” The corps placed fourth in finals. During the season, the Muchachos scored higher than all other DCI corps at least once.[1]
1975
Muchachos, 1976.
The 1975 corps is considered the corps’ strongest in terms of musicianship. They fielded 135 members: 56 brass, 30 percussion, and 40 guard members. The show created walls of sound to entertain audiences and impress judges. The repertoire included "Picturas De España," "Pines of the Appian Way," Maynard Ferguson's "La Fiesta," "Carnival/Marianne," and "Concerto De Aranjuez," concluding with a reprise of "Picturas."[4][6]
The corps remained undefeated throughout the early summer months.[4]
At DCI prelims, the corps unofficially scored over 90, which would have placed them first. However, as the corps exited the field, one drummer was found to be overage, resulting in disqualification from DCI finals.[4][6]
The disqualification proved fatal. The corps had been relying on prize money from finals, which was forfeited, worsening their financial situation.[4]
1976
In 1976, the corps attempted to rebuild. They won their first competition against the The Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps by one-tenth of a point, lost to the Cadets two weeks later by two points, placed third in the Dream, sixth in the World Open, eighth in the CYO Nationals, and fourth in the Veterans of Foreign Wars Nationals. The corps placed 21st in DCI prelims out of forty-seven competitors. The low placement negatively affected recruitment for the following season.[1]
Muchachos, 1977.
1977
On July 2, 1977, the Muchachos performed for the first time that year. At the UOEC Championships, the corps placed last
(tenth), over twenty points behind the Bridgemen Drum and Bugle Corps. They placed seventh of twelve in the American International Open, fifth at the Dream, and eleventh of twelve at the CYO Nationals. Scores were in the sixties, and the corps struggled to improve. At the end of the 1977 season, the Hawthorne Muchachos Junior Drum and Bugle Corps folded.[1][2][3][4][5]
6th: American Legion National Championships (prelims)
1970
Miserlou * Eternal Father Strong To Save * America (from West Side Story) * Wichita Lineman * Norwegian Wood * Watch What Happens
71.950
3rd: New Jersey American Legion Championship
1971
La Fiesta Mexicana * I Love A Parade * El Capitan * Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White * Yankee Doodle * Quiet Village * Make Me Smile * Matador
80.550
4th: American Legion National Championships (prelims)
1972
La Fiesta Mexicana * Espiritu Del Toro * Passage of Time * Variations on Mexican Hat Dance * Cowboys and Indians * Go Down Gamblin' * Matador * Fanfare for the Common Man
78.450
10th: DCI World Championships
1973
Espiritu Del Toro * Appalachian Spring * Malaguena * Hoedown (from Rodeo) * Concierto de Aranjuez * Matador * Man of La Mancha * The Impossible Dream (from Man of La Mancha)
79.300
8th: Boonton, NJ
1974
Pictures De Espana * Hoedown (from Rodeo) * Malaguena * Marianne * Concierto de Aranjuez * It Was a Very Good Year
86.950
4th: Syracuse, NY
1975
Pictures De Espana * Pines of Rome * La Fiesta * Marianne * Concierto de Aranjuez
88.700
2nd: CYO Nationals
1976
Symphonic Dance No. 3 - Fiesta * Pines of Rome * La Fiesta * Marianne * Concierto de Aranjuez * Pictures of Spain
79.700
3rd: American Legion State Wildwood NJ
1977
Rocky * Another Star * New Country * Malaguena * Yes, We Have no Bananas * Roman Festivals * Pictures of Spain
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
