Executive Board

Tom is the Founder and Executive Director of the Dream Performing Arts Academy. He has been involved with the performing arts since joining the Bridgemen’s feeder corps in 1982. Tom joined the Garfield Cadets in 1986. He began his teaching career in drum corps with the Stardust Winter Color Guard and in 1990 with the Raiders Drum & Bugle Corps.

He was the Raiders Director from 2000 to 2016. He was the 2005 DCI Director of the Year for Division 3 and served on the DCI Division 2/3/Open Class Advisory Committee for 10 years.

Tom was also Director of Cadets 2 in 2018, and served on the Board of Directors for Cadets Arts and Entertainment in 2020-21. The NJ Drum Corps Hall of Fame inducted Tom in 2013.

Tom started his own insurance agency and now is co-owner of Maiello & Manzi Insurance Agency, founded in 2010.

He has been an insurance industry professional for 30 years, experienced working with small to large clients in risk management for personal and commercial insurance.

Phil is a retired IT professional, living in River Vale, NJ. Over the years, Phil has been involved in many activities where he and his wife could aid in the growth and happiness of young people. Phil has two grown children living close by and is blessed to have two grandchildren.

Phil was introduced to the Drum Corps activity when his son decided to join the Raiders organization in 1997. He was privileged to serve as the Executive Director of the Raiders Drum and Bugle Corps from 1999-2008. Phil worked closely with Tom Maiello to ensure quality music and life skill-building experiences for all the members.

Phil is passionate and committed to working for the enhancement of Music Education and the health and safety of the student.

Scott Farkas is a music educator, percussionist, and composer based in Tacoma, Washington. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Washington, where his research focused on inclusive community-centered music-making. Scott began his musical career as a marching member of the Raiders Drum and Bugle Corps in 2001. He marched there until his age-out season of 2007 and later served on the percussion staff in 2011 and 2012. After is marching career, Scott moved to Twin Falls, Idaho, where he began working as the professor of percussion and director of jazz and athletic bands at the College of Southern Idaho, Scott has worked as a percussion specialist and consultant for dozens of rural school marching band programs across Ohio, Idaho, and Washington State. He has also judged marching band competitions regularly in Idaho and Utah as well. Scott continues to strive to empower communities to achieve transformative artistic projects through collaborative leadership and inclusive educational practices. He is excited to work with the board of DREAM Performing Arts to bring impactful artistic experiences to a wide variety of students in the pageantry arts.

Shari has been a fixture in the Performing Arts Community since she was 9 years old. Having successful years with the Crossmen Drum & Bugle Corps, LI Sunrisers and Hawthorne Caballeros, Shari continued working as a Visual and Marching Instructor with the Raiders Drum & Bugle Corps, 7th Regiment, Hawthorne Caballeros, Connecticut Hurricanes and currently the White Sabers Drum & Bugle Corps. Additionally, Shari has worked with numerous Marching Band as a Visual Instructor throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey, while also working with indoor Percussion groups too. Her dedication and years of experience has made lasting impressions on every organization she has been involved in.

Ben Regalado has been a fan of the marching arts since high school, and has found ways to be involved with drum corps and marching bands since he graduated college many years ago!  He has served as a Board Member and Treasurer for Carolina Crown (in its first decade), then in similar roles with YEA! (Cadets/Cadets2), and Ascend Performing Arts (Blue Knights). Ben held that position and other leadership roles in middle and high school band boosters and has helped run marching band contests for USBands since 2006.  He also volunteered with the Blue Stars, served as Board Administrator and transitional/interim COO for Inspire Arts & Music (Boston Crusaders) in 2015, and was Executive Director of the Crossmen in the 2022 season.

Ben supports his music habit as a healthcare administration professional.  He and Babet have four grown sons, two of whom marched 11 seasons of drum corps, nine with the Cadets. He is excited to be working with another start up drum corps that will emphasize the excellence in performance and life skills development he values.

Dr. Gregg Gausline has been involved in the marching arts activity since 1988 as a member of the final year of the Garfield Cadets.  He was also a member and soprano soloist for the Cadets of Bergen County 1989 and 1990.

Gregg is currently the Associate Director of Bands at the University of New Haven where he conducts the Concert Band, teaches a variety of music courses, and assists with the 270-member University of New Haven Chargers Marching Band.

He received the Doctor of Musical Arts-Instrumental Conducting from the University of Miami, the Master of Music Education from Auburn University, and the Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Mississippi.  Gregg has been a faculty member at several universities and taught in the public schools of Florida.  He has presented clinics throughout the country, as well as Singapore, Ireland, Canada, Colombia, and Costa Rica.

Gregg has had the pleasure of being an instructor for The Cadets, Cavaliers, Magic of Orlando, and Southwind Drum and Bugle Corps.

Doug Clark has devoted his life to music education, percussion performance, and the marching arts, combining military service, instructional excellence, and community leadership over a career spanning more than five decades.

A native of Jamestown, New York, Clark discovered his passion for percussion while attending Jamestown High School, where he performed with the marching band, concert band, and orchestra. It was during these formative years that he also developed an interest in drill writing and visual design, laying the foundation for a lifetime dedicated to the marching arts.

In June 1968, Clark enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. After completing basic training at Parris Island, South Carolina, he earned a coveted position with the 5th Marine Division Band at Camp Pendleton, California. As a member of the Marine Band, he performed extensively throughout the western United States, representing the Corps at concerts, ceremonies, and public events.

In 1970, Clark was reassigned to the 1st Marine Division Band in Da Nang, Vietnam, where music became a powerful tool for both service and outreach. In addition to performing throughout the region, he instructed members of the South Vietnamese Military Band in percussion technique, rudimental drumming, and music reading. He also volunteered his time teaching drum lessons to children at a local orphanage. Following the withdrawal of the 1st Marine Division from Vietnam, he continued his overseas service with the 1st Marine Air Wing Band, performing hundreds of concerts for ceremonial functions and to boost troop morale throughout the country. Upon returning to the United States, he completed his military service with the 1st Marine Division Band at Camp Pendleton.

While stationed in California, Clark joined the Diplomats Junior Drum & Bugle Corps of Lynwood, where he spent two seasons performing in the battery before serving on the instructional staff under Caption Head Willy Polacek.

Following his honorable discharge from the Marine Corps, Clark returned to Jamestown and began a distinguished career as a percussion instructor. He built highly successful drumlines at Jamestown High School, Falconer Central School, and Southwestern Central School, sharing his knowledge of percussion performance while contributing to drill design and visual instruction. Throughout these years, he remained active as a performer with the Gypsy Brass Senior Drum & Bugle Corps, continuing to refine his musicianship and commitment to excellence.

In 1996, Clark embraced a new musical challenge by helping establish the Alleghany Highlanders Pipes & Drums, later renamed the 96th Highlanders Pipes & Drums. Transitioning from American drum corps percussion to traditional Scottish pipe band drumming required mastering an entirely new style, and under his leadership the ensemble flourished. Today, the organization has grown from its original eight members to a thriving pipe band featuring 18 pipers, six snare drummers, three tenor drummers, and a bass drummer. As Lead Stick and percussion director, Clark continues to write all drum scores while mentoring percussionists and collaborating with pipe bands throughout Western New York and Pennsylvania.

Clark’s commitment to his community extends well beyond performance. In 2005, he helped found the Jamestown Regional Celtic Festival, serving on the committee responsible for growing it into one of the premier Celtic festivals in Western New York and Northwestern Pennsylvania. Now entering its nineteenth year, the festival attracts more than 5,000 attendees and features Celtic music, Highland games, pipe bands, clan organizations, vendors, and cultural exhibitions. Proceeds from the festival not only sustain future events but also support the 96th Highlanders Scholarship Fund, which has awarded more than twenty scholarships to students pursuing collegiate music education.

Clark’s lifelong dedication to music, service, and youth development continues today through his work with the Dream Performing Arts Academy and the Legacy Drum & Bugle Corps. As a member of the Academy’s Board of Directors, he is helping build a new generation of performers while returning to his roots as a percussion educator. Working directly with the snare and tenor sections at Legacy’s training camps has allowed him to reconnect with the drum corps activity that has shaped so much of his life.

Whether serving his country, mentoring young musicians, preserving Celtic traditions, or helping launch the next generation of drum corps performers, Doug Clark’s enduring passion for music and education continues to inspire those around him.