Gabriel Di Gennaro, Bariton 2007

Gabriel describes his marching career as a roller coaster. “My six years on percussion and trombone would be the way up, my final year on trombone would be the way down, and my season on baritone at Surf would be that short, but electrifying moment at the top where your body feels absolutely weightless,” he explains. After a summer with Surf, Gabriel went to the University of Delaware to study Music Education, Applied Voice, and Theatre Performance. After graduating, Gabriel received a master’s degree in classical voice performance from the Chicago College of Performing Arts of Roosevelt University in 2013.

Since graduating, Gabriel makes a living in Chicago by performing with VOX 3 Collective (a vocal group), working at Tejas Yoga, teaching private voice lessons at the Latin School of Chicago, and performing for local hospital patients with the non-profit organization, Sharing Notes.

Now two years out of school and looking for the “real world,” Gabriel still finds himself reflecting on his top three drum corps lessons. He reiterates, “One: working towards a goal can cause tear-filled frustration, but it can also cause hair-raising euphoria. Work, feel the feeling, and get back to work. Two: when a body and mind are integrated, mountains are topped. When a collective of bodies and minds are integrated, mountains are moved. Three: having fun does not indicate an absence of excellence.” Gabriel keeps these lessons close to him as he writes the next steps of his life.