GREG CINZIO
Class of 2009
CADET / BOARD MEMBER / HISTORIAN / VOLUNTEER / ALUMNI LEADER
Cadet Years: (1962-1977)
Pre-Cadet Years: Rookie Drummer (1962-1965); Rookie Bugler (1965-1966)
Cadet Years: Soprano/Trumpet (1967-1976); Drum Major (1977)
Board Member: 1989-1993; 2021-2023
HIS CADET STORY:
Greg started his drum corps career in 1962 as a “rookie drummer” before transferring to the soprano bugle in 1965. He performed in a couple of parades in 1966 at the age of ten, and then in 1967, because the Vietnam War had inducted several Cadets into the armed forces, was brought up to the “Big Corps” with several other rookie buglers and drummers who were all under the age of thirteen.
Greg continued to play soprano through the 1976 season, and then in 1977, when he was promoted to Co-Drum Major with John Hannigan, became the first Cadet Drum Major to also play a bugle during the concert number of “Echano”.
The Cadets are very special to the Cinzio family. That’s where Greg met his wife (Lynn Eikenberg), his brother (Ken) met his wife (Keren Gordon), and his sister Karen met her husband (Warren Corman). In fact, in 1977 they all marched together with Greg as co-Drum Major and his dad (Dr. Joseph Cinzio) as Corps Director.
Upon graduating from the Corps, Greg continued to volunteer at various alumni functions, beefsteak dinners, phone-a-thons, assisted with the brass instruction for the Cadet Plebe Corps, helped to create the Corps first data base with Dave Shaw in the late 70’s and a few recruitment videos, and even participated in the Corps alumni Corps from 2004-2006.
Greg was also the co-author of several Cadet History Books including “Reflections . . . a history of Our Corps”(1976); The Cadet Yearbook “Memories” (1976); The Garfield Cadets – A Tradition of Excellence (1984); Cadets – Established 1934 (2009) – which is now available online http://www.theholynamecadets.net/
Additional Honors:
Cadet of the Year (1977)
New Jersey Drum Corps Hall of Fame (2019)
World Drum Corps Hall of Fame – Associate Member (2022)
