Dean Westman has been appointed to the position of brass caption supervisor for the Cadets. Over the space of the 10 or so years the Cadets have had a bit of an issue with instability in the brass instructional team, according to the Cadets' Web site. Wayne Dillon was the brass chair in 2002, Gino Cipriani in 2000 and 2001, Don van Doren in 1998 and 1999, and Larry Markiewitz through the mid 90s. All the while the percussion, marching, and guard captions have remained stable. Indeed, Cadet veterans Tom Aungst, April Gilligan and Marc Sylvester have been partners with the Cadets for more than 20 years. According to Cadets director George Hopkins, "Dean and I have discussed this issue at some length. Although the reason for the turnover is varied from person to person, the end result is that the members feel a bit lost in terms of the leadership that stands at the front of the horn arc. Indeed, there is something to be said for consistency. With that in mind, although there is no telling the future, Dean and I are most interested in a long and lasting relationship between himself, the brass team, and the entire Cadets organization."Westman will be traveling to the Cadets from Sugar Land, Texas, where he is in his third year as Director of Bands at Stephen F. Austin High School. Westman spent the 1999-2000 school year as the Assistant Band Director at SFA and four years as Assistant Band Director at Lawrence Elkins High School. Prior to moving to Texas, he taught at Waubonsie Valley High School in Aurora, Ill. Westman has spent his past three summers serving as the brass arranger for the Santa Clara Vanguard. He was the brass caption head for SCV from 1996 to 2000. He also served on the brass staff for the Cavaliers from 1993 to 1995. "It is exciting for the Cadets to have the chance to bring a man such as Dean into the organization. He is a proven educator, a talented arranger, and I am certain he will prove to be a great, great contributor to the Cadets organization," said Cadets director George Hopkins.Dean has served on the teaching staff for the Tenrikyo Aimaichi Marching Band from Nagoya, Japan. Aimaichi won the All Japan Marching Band Championship in 1998, 2000 and 2001. Westman has presented clinics throughout the United States and Japan, including the Texas Bandmasters Association Convention, The Colorado Bandmasters Association Convention, and the D.C.I. Championship Week Clinics. This summer at the Texas Bandmaster's Association Convention, Westman was named the 2002 Texas Young Bandmaster of the Year. Other Cadets staff changes: Dustin Winson, a band director at League City Intermediate School, just south of Houston. Winson is a former member of the Cavaliers and was their drum major in 1994 and 1995. He also was the marching band director at Westfield High School. Dustin earned his degree from the University of Houston and has been a band director for five years. Neil Hershey is the Associate Director of Bands at Elkins High School in Missouri City, Texas. He directs the Marching Band and Symphonic Band, and has been at Elkins for four years. Neil is a former member of the Madison Scouts, and received his degree from Texas Tech University.