Chris Kilian - Creative Director

Chris Kilian (ASCAP) founded C.E. Kilian Designs in 2001, but he has been arranging and designing for bands and indoor programs since 1997. He is currently the Brass Caption Head for the six time DCA World Champion Bushwackers Drum & Bugle Corps of New Jersey and has accepted the position of Program Coordinator and co-Brass Arranger for the Blue Saints Drum & Bugle Corps (DCI) from Sudbury, Ontario. Chris is also an active clinician, judge, and instructor for bands all around the Mid-Atlantic region.

A self described "eternal student of the marching arts," Chris has spent 13 of the last 14 summers with the Bushwackers. Chris was the longest tenured drum major in the history of the corps, serving ten seasons in that role and has spent the last six years as a staff member and administrator. In 2009, Chris was elected to the Bushwackers Drum & Bugle Corps Hall of Fame.

His elevation to the position of caption head comes after a successful stint as the Program Coordinator and Brass Arranger for the new Fusion Core Drum and Bugle Corps (DCA). In 2008, Fusion made history by finishing 2nd overall in Class A and walking away with the High Brass, High Color Guard, and High Visual honors...all this in just their second season ever! "Fusion was a great experience," said Chris Kilian. "The members there are truly terrific, and we all had a great summer working on a very challenging but cool show."

In 2009, Chris Kilian produced his first composition for concert band. "Traditional Christmas Variations," was premiered by the Penns Grove High School Concert Band (NJ), conducted by his wife, Dena, in December of 09. Many more compositions are planned for the 2010 season and "Traditional Christmas" is available for purchase by emailing us at cekiliandesigns@gmail.com.

Mr. Kilian's goal is to provide the finest in custom music arrangements and compositions to bands, drum and bugle corps, and other musical ensembles all over the world. Chris has teamed up with several percussion and drill designers, enabling C.E. Kilian Designs to offer total band, drum corps, and indoor drum line shows; from the design phase to the field. Now band directors can shed the burden of having to worry about writing when they could be teaching instead.

The list of organizations who have worked with one or all of us is ever growing. Many of our clients have been with us for several years now, proving that they are not only satisfied with the quality of the work, but that they feel it has helped their program enough to hire us back time after time.

"My work and the work of my colleagues speaks for itself. I look forward to working closely with you
and your staff to create the perfect show for your ensemble."

Read what some of our clients say:

"Chris Kilian was my Program Coordinator and Brass Arranger for the Fusion Core Drum & Bugle Corps for the 2008 season. His arrangements and his coordination of the show on the field led us to the DCA Class A Championship where we placed second and won High Brass, High Guard, and High Visual. His arrangements were very well received by the judges."

"Professional, dedicated, and talented, Chris Kilian writes and arranges with a quality that is unsurpassed. Mr. Kilian takes his menagerie of experiences and combines them into a product that has not only met, but surpassed our expectations. He has arranged music for my concert band and is currently working for my marching band. Chris’ professional integrity would not allow him to put out a product that is not of a high standard. He willfully made alterations to his arrangements to meet my expectations. He has mastered the skill of instrumentation and arranges for bands of any size. You will not be disappointed in the quality of his work."

"The music provided by Chris Kilian has not only met, but exceeded our expectations every year."

Mr. Brian Stike
Band Director
Lacey Township High School