Dennis DeLucia and Drum Corps
Legendary Drum Corps Master Dennis DeLucia grew up next door in Bergenfield, NJ, the home base of the Cadets of Bergen County and The Bergenfield Ravens. One of his teachers, Al Mura (brass, music teacher) taught Dennis rudiments. Artie Mura, his brother was a rudimental drummer and judge. Another big local educational influence for Dennis was Dr. Bernard Baggs, influential in Drum Corp (Dr. Baggs was the DCI rules congress chairman and advisor to the DCI board of directors), was the Bergenfield Music Director. And, Don Angelica, a well-known drum corp figure.
This was a time when American Legion Posts, VFW posts, and numerous catholic churches sponsored drum and bugle corps, some were even nationally significant, such as The Golden Knights, St. Vincent, Garfield Cadets (formerly Holy Name Cadets). There was a lot of national drum corps activity in NJ at this time. 6 months after beginning to play, Dennis played the entire Connecticut Halftime with repeats. Dennis was a part of the Bergenfield Ravens who moved to Dumont in 1956 and became the Dumont Police Cadets, and still taught by Legendary Drum Corps Instructor, Bobby Thompson. Thompson bridged the gap ancient style fife and drum corp and the contemporary drum corps scene of the 50's and 60's. (You will hear Steve Gadd refer to him in his video Up Close). Dennis marched with the Dumont Police Cadets for 1 year.
In the early 60's, Dennis and his high school friends used to head into NYC on Friday nights to go to Birdland when in high school! ... $2 admission! There he was exposed to great music, and Dennis half-jokingly says that his education was earned at "Univeristy of Birdland!". Some of Dennis' early influences and exposure was seeing Babatunde, Drums of Passion; The Ahmad Jamal jazz trio; In 1959, Time Out, was out with Joe Morello playing with The Dave Brubeck Quartet; Buddy Rich; Maynard Ferguson; and Miles Davis, Kind of Blue. Dennis says Morello was the perfect synthesis of beautiful hands and amazing music on a simple 4 piece drum kit.
After college where Dennis majored in Economics, he attended West Point and was in the West Point Hellcats. At the time, Legendary John Pratt was teaching there (The Pratt Book). Pratt was actually a professor and historian of English Literature! And, Dennis says they he can drum anyone under the table! There Dennis played with great players like Bob Devlin who he describes as "the most natural and wonderful snare drummer".
Dennis began writing around 1969, and led the Muchachos in the 70's, a Spanish/Latin Jazz Drum Corp. With a well-rounded background in all styles of drumset coupled with marching percussion experience, Dennis began to fuse those 2 in writing He started to write, think and teach the way a drumset player would think and play and phrase. Linear. Dennis approached marching ensemble as if it was a moving drumset.