South Hills High School Music Program employs a talented and diverse staff of professionals to provide top quality education to your students. Our extremely capable and gifted professional staff lead many distinctive sections and ensembles in our program. Their ability to teach our students new skills helps them grow musically, artistically, and emotionally. The success of our program is, in part, a result of our professional staff’s efforts to bring out the very best in each student. They provide the instructional and coaching support necessary to run this very large organization throughout the entire school year. To find out more about them, click the “Read more” link.
“Music has a power of forming the character, and should therefore be introduced into the education of the young.”
Aristotle
Mr. Bobby Frey
Sierra Vista Middle School, Band Director
Bobby Frey is a music teacher in Covina California, teaching at Sierra Vista middle school. He received his Bachelor’s of Music Education from the Bob Cole Conservatory. In addition to his major studies, Mr. Frey was the principal trombonist as well as the winner of the 2014 conducting mentorship.
Outside of his work with the bands at Sierra Vista MS, Mr. Frey has taught many schools in California including; East Whittier MS, Long Beach Poly HS, Millikan HS, Los Altos HS, University HS, and Live Oak HS. He is also a drill designer … Read more
Color Guard
Andrew Arce
Color Guard Caption Head
Andrew Arce has been involved in the Color Guard activity since 2011. He is passionate about the creativity and discipline involved in the competitive marching arts. He has competed as a performer in the WGI circuit with Fantasia Winterguard and also in the DCI circuit with the drum corps: Gold, The Academy, and The Madison Scouts … Read more
Edgard Areas
Color Guard Staff
Edgard Areas is an aspiring educator with a passion for Color Guard and Dance performance. He is a South Hills High School alumnus who graduated in 2007. Originally a trumpet player, he started playing music in middle school and continued throughout most of his time in high school. It was not until … Read more
Jessica Gaitan
Color Guard Staff
Jessica is an active performer and coach in the colorguard community. She is a future high school educator obtaining her Bachelor’s Degree in English Education as well as a Single-Subject Teaching Credential. She graduated from South Hills High School in … Read more
Percussion
Jesus Alcantar
Percussion Caption Head
Jesus is in his tenth year teaching the South Hills High School Band and Color Guard Percussion section. Jesus has taught at various high school and junior high programs throughout southern California. Jesus maintains a year round private instruction roster with students with skills ranging from elementary to collegiate levels. Before teaching Jesus was a performer in the … Read more
Weston Amaro
Front Ensemble Caption Head and Designer
Weston Amaro has been a Southern California based designer, composer, and educator for numerous marching bands and indoor percussion ensembles since 2005. In that time he has written and taught at every competitive level available, from junior high to independent world, and from concert to marching, in addition to wind arranging for marching band. To date … Read more
Chaiya D. Odle
Percussion Staff
Chaiya D. Odle is a percussionist, educator, and composer born and raised in Washington State, but recently moved to Temple City, CA to continue her career and be close to her friends and loved ones in California. She currently arranges and teaches at Temple City HS, teaches at … Read more
Daniele A. LasMarias
Percussion Staff
Daniele currently serves as a Percussion Staff for South Hills High School Marching Band and Color Guard as bass drum instructor. Through middle school and high school, he participated in concert, jazz, and marching band, playing in the percussion section, and on the drum line as a bass and snare drum player. He is currently pursuing. … Read more
Visual
Michael Ting
Visual Caption Head
Michael Ting is a drill designer and visual instructor based in Southern California. He has had the opportunity to teach at many high schools in the area over the years but dedicates most of his time serving as the program coordinator and visual caption head at South Hills High School (West Covina, California) and … Read more
Matthew Lackey
Visual Staff
Matt Lackey is a media producer and performing arts educator. He currently produces creative projects for a variety of industries including gaming, non-profits and the arts. He proudly serves as Vice President for Pulse Percussion, is the Visual Caption Head at El Dorado High School, and is a member of the visual staff with … Read more
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Additional Band Staff
Carl W. Nelson
Field Show Consultant
Carl has a long history in the marching and pageantry arts activity that covers over 30 years of experience as a performer, designer, instructor, administrator, and adjudicator. Carl graduated from Cypress High School in 1989 after a successful high school music career, and went on to be a member of the six-time world champion Santa Clara Vanguard from 1990 – 1992. During this time, he began to instruct in the Southern California region, and … Read more
Noe Gomez
Drill Designer
Noe Gomez is a lifelong resident of Los Angeles, California and prolific educator and designer within the marching arts. He has over seven years of performance experience, including Impulse, Santa Clara Vanguard Cadets, and half of a decade with the Santa Clara Vanguard, where he … Read more