Curricular Ensembles
Adam J. Freeman - Director of Bands
Hackettstown High School
Adam Freeman is currently the Director of Bands at Hackettstown High School in northwest New Jersey. Before making the switch to the high school he spent 13 years as the middle school director. Adam graduated with honors from William Paterson University with a concentration in Euphonium performance and education certification. During his time there he was a member of the Wind Ensemble, Legion of Lows Tuba/Euphonium Quartet and was featured as a soloist with the High Mountain Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Freeman just recently completed his Masters in Wind Conducting from Messiah University. He has studied conducting with Dr. James Colonna and Dr. J. Craig Davis. He has also worked with Dr. Travis Weller, Dr. Jason Noble and Dr. John Lynch. He is currently pursuing his Doctorate of Musical Arts in Music Education from Boston University.
Mr. Freeman credits a huge portion of his musical training to the marching arts. He began marching in the Hawthorne Caballeros from 2000-2003 concluding with a DCA championship in 2003. He then went on to march The Cadets from 2004-2005 winning a DCI world championship in his final marching year. He spent some time on the staff of the Cadets, the Reading Buccaneers and the Jersey Surf winning a total of 4 DCA and 1 DCI World Championships . Most recently he was the Music Coordinator for the Hawthorne Caballeros.
Sarah Chimileski - Director of Bands
Hackettstown Middle School
Adam is a music and visual designer for many bands in New Jersey, Florida, Arizona, Maryland, Pennsylvania and New York. He was also the brass arranger for the 2014 Sun Devils Class A drum corps and 2015 Solaris Drum and Bugle Corps. Recently, Adam has been presenting independent and NJMEA clinics on the marching arts. In the past, he has conducted the NJAB Jr. Area Band, NJAB Percussion Ensemble, NJSMA Region 1 Intermediate Band and NEPA Arts Festival Honors Band. He is a former member of the Hanover Wind Symphony community band. In 2023, he was awarded the 50 Directors Who Make a Difference by School Band and Orchestra Magazine. He was the NJ Governor’s Educator of the Year for Hackettstown in 2014 and 2022. In his 20 years at Hackettstown, both the high school and middle school bands have consistently received high marks and gained notoriety in the area for their performances, in addition to being named one of NAMM’s Best Communities for Music Education.
Mr. Freeman currently resides in New Jersey with his amazing wife, Alyssa and two incredible sons, Miles and Nolan.
Contact me at afreeman@hackettstown.org
Ms. Sarah Chimileski is the Hackettstown Middle School 5th-8th Grade Band Director and 6th Grade General Music Teacher. She has served as the front ensemble technician for the West Milford Highlander Marching Band and Indoor Percussion programs since June 2020. During her time in college, Sarah has performed as a soloist at venues such as the New Jersey Flute Fair and has performed at Carnegie Hall with William Paterson's Chamber Winds and at NJMEA. Sarah was a part of multiple honor societies and organizations during her collegiate career- Kappa Delta Pi (Education honor society), Sigma Tau Delta (English honor society), NJEA Collegiate Club President, and was the President of the NAfME chapter on campus.
Sarah earned a degree in Music Education with a focus in Classical Flute Performance and a Bachelor of Arts in English- Creative Writing from William Paterson University. Outside of teaching, Sarah often participates in pit orchestras as a woodwind double, on flute, clarinet, and alto saxophone. Sarah also teaches flute and mallet percussion in her private lesson studio in her spare time.
Contact me at schimileski@hackettstown.org
Additional Staff - Marching Band
Jeff Klein
Jeff Klein is currently one of the Elementary Band Directors in the Irvington School District. For the past seven years, he has also been the Assistant Band Director of the Hackettstown Tiger Band. Jeff graduated from Montclair in 2018 where he played with a saxophone quartet, saxophone soctet, and the Symphonic Band. Currently, Jeff plays with Noname jazz band in his free time. Mr. Klein formerly worked at The Strand in Hackettstown as a private lesson teacher. Currently, he is currently teaching saxophone and trombone lessons to students in NJ.
Andrew Seeley
Andrew Seeley is currently a student at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, where he is working towards a degree in Computer Science with a concentration in Data Science. A 5-year alumni of the Hackettstown HS marching band and winter guard, he took on the role of Colorguard Director in 2022. Since then the marching band has earned numerous 'Best Color Guard' awards at local competitions, most notably at the 2024 Ludwig Musser Classic. Andrew also reestablished the HHS winter guard in 2023, its first competitive season since 2019. Over the course of three seasons the team has earned two class promotions and many top placements under his leadership. Currently, Andrew is a member of the Hawthorne Caballeros colorguard, where he spends the summer performing and honing his skills.
Angelo Oliver
Angelo Oliver is a passionate multi-instrumentalist and music educator based in North New Jersey. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Music Performance in 2023 and has since been actively making his mark in the music world.
As a performer, Angelo has toured internationally with orchestras and chamber choirs, visiting eight countries across Europe during tours in 2017 and 2024. He has performed at prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall and collaborated with renowned musicians, including David Kim: Principal Violinist of the Philadelphia Orchestra, and Yezi Chen: Director of Pianos at Temple University.
Angelo began his teaching career in 2019, and since graduating, his experience as an educator has grown rapidly. He has worked with students of all ages and skill levels through private music institutions since 2022, helping both young and seasoned musicians develop their talents.
In addition to his work in music education, Angelo has been involved with professional marching bands, including the Sunrisers Drum and Bugle Corps and most recently in 2024, the Hawthorne Caballeros Drum and Bugle Corps. These experiences have opened doors to further opportunities, such as instructing at Hackettstown High School, Passaic County Technical Vocational Schools in Wayne, NJ, and Pequannock High School. He currently serves as the Assistant Director of the Hackettstown Marching Band.
Angelo is always enthusiastic about new opportunities and approaches each endeavor with dedication and excellence.
Mila Ballela
Bio Coming Soon