Bruno Zuccala, a 2017 DCI Hall of Fame inductee remembered for nearly three decades of instructional and leadership roles with The Cavaliers, died August 21 at the age of 68.
His death was widely noted on social media, including by lifelong friend and fellow Hall of Fame member Michael Gaines. Zuccala had been in recovery after a stroke in March.
While much can be said about the competitive accolades achieved under Zuccala’s leadership, including all seven of The Cavaliers’ DCI World Championship titles, he is remembered even more for his character — his humor, loyalty, and gift as an educator. To countless colleagues and corps members, he was a friend, mentor and father figure whose rare ability to inspire left what many describe as incalculable contributions to their personal and professional lives.
“He was a guiding force on any staff to which he dedicated his time. He taught the teachers, and fought ferociously for the wellbeing of the students,” Gaines wrote in his 2017 nomination for Zuccala’s induction into the DCI Hall of Fame. “He has dedicated his drum corps career to empowering young people to feel confident, and to become the leaders and teachers of the future.”
Gaines added, “His sense of humor is infectious. His loyalty is unwavering. His love is something thousands of people treasure and remember.”
Cavaliers alum David Benoit is one of countless students who spent their summers under Zuccala’s tutelage.
“As a member of The Cavaliers’ color guard, he taught me that the daily mental and physical challenges of tour have deeper purposes which serve to develop other life-fulfilling skills that lend success to what’s beyond DCI,” Benoit said. “These skills made the great accomplishments of my life — marriage, becoming an airline pilot, others yet-to-come — more possible. I have no doubt that there are thousands who could tell similar stories about Bruno’s influence on their development into responsible, productive adults.”
Zuccala’s own path to adulthood was rooted in the drum corps activity. A Pennsylvania native, in 1966 at the age of nine he joined the General Butler Vagabonds with his brother Dominic. The experience quickly became a family affair.
“My parents were very much involved,” Zuccala said about his formative drum corps experience. “My dad was a bricklayer and then later learned to be a tailor. So he helped build the first building, and he was the corps tailor. He did all of the uniforms.”
“My mom was a mom who just kind of cooked and baked and made sure we ate,” he remembered. Then, with his familiar humor, he added: “We went from one size to another.”
Zuccala later transitioned to an instructional role with the Vagabonds and another local Pennsylvania corps, the Catholic Daughters of America. It was there that he discovered his passion for teaching. It was an experience that not only set the stage for his future in drum corps instruction, but also for decades as a school teacher and administrator in the Seneca Valley School District, where he was even recognized in the mid 2000s as a candidate for Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year.
Reflecting on those early years of drum corps instruction, Zuccala said, “There were some great teachers there and they really taught me that I had to find a better way to teach. I had to make sure that, in educators’ terms, we ‘differentiate’ to help them learn better.”
Additional time spent with the Ventures, Bluecoats and Lake Erie Regiment, as well as a judge, led Zuccala to what was intended to be a two-week stint on tour with The Cavaliers to “learn more” and improve his teaching and judging skills. Zuccala joked that the late Cavaliers drill designer Steve Brubaker teased him saying, “You’re not going anywhere after two weeks.”
He was right.
“We were so impressed with Bruno’s knowledge, commentary and commitment to the craft that we asked him to join our visual staff the following year for as much of the summer as he had available,” former Cavaliers director Jeff Fiedler said. “And the rest is history.”
Holding titles including color guard caption head, staff coordinator, assistant director and director over his 27-year tenure with the “Green Machine,” Fiedler said Zuccala had “immeasurable” contributions to the corps’ success.
“His advice, observations and collaborative nature set the tone each day for the focus of the rehearsal. He led the way as we transformed our teaching methodology and style to be more representative of the language and approach one might find in a classroom or band room,” Fiedler said. “He has mentored hundreds of corps members and staff with career advice, countless positive examples of professionalism and inspiring them to work hard and to be dedicated to reach for that level of excellence they didn’t even know existed.”
After stepping away from The Cavaliers to care for his mother, Zuccala’s break from drum corps proved brief. The day after announcing his retirement, he received calls from both The Cadets and Boston Crusaders. Over the next decade he divided his summers between the two corps — including six years with The Cadets — and also spent two seasons with the Spartans before finally stepping away from full-time touring.
Even in those later years, his focus never shifted. He remained a tireless advocate for the students he taught. Following The Cadets’ third-place finish at the 2014 DCI World Championship Finals in Indianapolis, Zuccala — then nearly a half-century into his career — told the corps: “This is my 47th year doing drum corps and I have to say this, by far, had to be the most spectacular performance I’ve ever seen any of my students perform. We’re all very, very proud.”
Zuccala spent more than two decades as a liaison to DCI’s judging community and the Rules and Systems Task Force. Beyond Drum Corps International, he directed the color guard for Slippery Rock University’s Marching Pride and winter guard, and was active with Winter Guard International and Bands of America ensembles and as a judge.
By all accounts, Zuccala’s presence in drum corps and the marching arts was anything but small, leaving an outsized impact on generations of performers and educators.
“If any of us grow up to be half as compassionate and caring as Bruno Zuccala, the world will be in good hands,” said Cavaliers alum and current drill designer Pete Weber. “What a beautiful soul, teacher, mentor and man.”
