CSBC is proud to offer our third year of Concert Band Festival in 2025. This festival, held at Colony High School in Ontario, California will offer a unique experience for Students, Directors and Parents.
Performing ensembles will be given a 30 minute timeslot on the stage that will include 10 minutes of set-up / tear down and up to 20 minutes of performance time. The clinicians will record audio commentary of the performance in Competition Suite for each ensemble. After each performance, ensembles will receive an in-person clinic. There will be no written commentary or ratings / ranking given.
CSBC will not be issuing a prescribed music list (PML). Instead, Directors are given the opportunity to select compositions that are appropriate for their ensemble and are worthy of the performance opportunity. Directors are further encouraged to select pieces of work from an underrepresented composer. (Underrepresented composers are defined as people of color, women, or other marginalized communities). Directors may choose how to use their performance time (up to 20 minutes) by choosing one of the following methods:
CSBC only hosts concert festivals on Saturdays to encourage audience attendance. Parents, friends, family members, and members of the community are highly encouraged to attend and support all of the ensembles. Each ensemble will be required to watch a minimum of two other performing ensembles.
Registrations will be through Competition Suite. Even existing CSBC groups will need to have a new "Concert" ensemble group created. To have your group set up, e-mail [email protected].
Giovanni Santos serves as Director of Bands and Associate Professor of Music at La Sierra University, where he directs the University Wind Ensemble, Chamber Winds, Big Band, and teaches courses in graduate and undergraduate instrumental music education, popular music, conducting and composition.
Dr. Santos has proudly implemented a yearly wind band conducting workshop at La Sierra University and has worked alongside H. Robert Reynolds, Thomas Lee, Larry Livingston, Travis Cross and Allan McMurray, helping some of the brightest young music educators in the United States. Santos also organizes yearly workshops. clinics and conversations with conductors and composers, such as Frank Ticheli, Mallory Thompson, and most recently, Maestro Leonard Slatkin. A strong advocate for music education, Santos frequently presents at conferences, school in-service days, classrooms, and as clinician for young ensembles across the United States, Mexico, and Europe. Most recently, Dr. Santos presented at the Midwest Clinic’s High School Leadership Institute, California All-State Music Education Conference (CASMEC), for the California Music Educators Association’s ‘Casting a Wider in Net’ at Azusa Pacific University, for the North American Division National Teachers Convention, the Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference in Chicago, CBDNA National Convention in Arizona, for the 2019 SCSBOA Professional Development Conference, and for the World Association of Symphonic Band and Ensemble International Conference (WASBE) in Prague. Santos also maintains a busy guest conducting/clinician schedule, with recent residencies at the Manhattan School of Music, University of the Pacific, Cal State University (Fullerton), University of Illinois (Chicago), the University of Connecticut and for the Association of Concert Bands conference in Orlando.
As a composer, Santos has premiered his works across the United States, Asia and Europe, including a premiere with the United States Naval Academy Band Brass Ensemble at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. under his baton. His works have received premieres and performances by ensembles at the University of Michigan, University of Illinois, Michigan State University, University of North Texas, Florida State University, University of Florida, Yale, Ball State University, Oklahoma State University, UCLA, Pacific Symphony Youth Wind Ensemble, Illinois State University, Tanglewood Young Artist Wind Ensemble, Interlochen World Youth Wind Symphony and many more. His works for wind ensemble, orchestra, chamber music, and solo wind instruments are published exclusively by Murphy Music Press, LLC. His compositions and passion for music education have received many recognitions, including a Meritorious Achievement Award by the Minority Band Directors National Association for “exceptional contributions to the wind band repertory.”
Dr. Santos earned graduate degrees from the University of Southern California (MM) and Florida State University (PhD).
Ricardo Espinosa most recently served as interim Associate Director of Bands at Cal State Long Beach's Bob Cole Conservatory of Music. Prior to this he was the Director of Bands at Missouri Southern State University. He was the principal conductor of the Wind Ensemble and Concert Band and directed the Lion Pride Marching Band and Lion Pride Pep Band. He instructed both beginning conducting and advanced instrumental conducting courses, composition, music technology, and marching band techniques/methods courses. He also composed and arranged for various ensembles. During his tenure in Missouri he conducted the SWMMEA District Honor Band, the SEKMEA District Honor Band, and the Texas UIL Region 14 top band - The Honor Winds.
Dr. Espinosa currently serves on the Board of Directors for Vanguard Music & Performing Arts, a member of Drum Corps International. He has also been a Trumpet/Brass instructor for the Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps.
Prior to his appointment at MSSU, Dr. Espinosa served as the Assistant Director of Bands at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. For six years he was an essential part of this prominent band program, leading their Courtside Players pep band to venues across the nation, serving as Associate Director of the Baylor Golden Wave Marching Band, and teaching conducting courses to hundreds of students. He also served as faculty sponsor for Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma, the national honorary band fraternity and sorority.
A native of Los Angeles, Dr. Espinosa holds the Doctor of Musical Arts degree and Master of Music degree, both in wind conducting, from the University of California, Los Angeles, studying with Dr. Thomas Lee. Additionally, Dr. Espinosa earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Composition from the California State University, Los Angeles, where he also studied wind conducting with Dr. Abel Saldivar Ramirez and composition with Dr. John Kennedy and Dr. Sara Graef. He has served in trumpet instruction and band leadership roles for the UCLA Marching Band, the Pasadena City College Lancer Marching Band, the Tournament of Roses Band and Herald Trumpets, and the Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps and for various California high school bands.
Ricardo Espinosa resides in Los Angeles and enjoys spending time with his wife, Michelle and his two boys, Ethan & Lucas.
Gary Wampler graduated from California State University Long Beach where he earned his degree in music education. He went on to teach at Marina high School from 1976 - 1982 before taking his position at Fountain Valley High School where he would remain for the next 32 years. He also worked as an Adjunct Music Faculty Instructor for Vanguard University for 10 years where he taught music education classes.
Aside from his teaching experience Gary has worked as a consultant / clinician for numerous organizations throughout California, and a music adjudicator for SWJN, SCJA, SCSBOA, MBOS, and various other organizations
Rickey H. Badua is the Director of Bands and Instrumental Music at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, CA, where he conducts the Wind Ensemble. He teaches beginning and instrumental conducting and oversees all aspects of the instrumental music program.
Prior to his appointment at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, Dr. Badua received his Doctor of Musical Arts in Wind Conducting from the University of Georgia where he studied with Dr. John P. Lynch. His dissertation titled “The Maverick: An Analytical Study of Carter Pann’s Symphony for Winds: My Brother’s Brain (2014)” investigates the wind-band music of Pulitzer-finalist and Grammy-nominated composer Carter Pann through an extensive study of his most prodigious work for large ensemble. Dr. Badua was also the recipient of the Director’s Excellence and Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant award.
Dr. Badua’s scholarship includes wind band research in Saint Petersburg, Russia for which he received a presidential grant from the University of Georgia to study the unpublished manuscripts of 19th-century Italian composer, Gioachino Rossini at the Saint Petersburg Museum of Theatrical and Musical Art. His most current research efforts have been studying the wind-band developments in Australia and Asia.
Dr. Badua is active as a presenter and guest conductor throughout the U.S. and abroad, with appearances at the Midwest Band & Orchestra Clinic, the Georgia Music Educator’s Association, and the National Association for Music Education-Northwest Division Conference; his most notable engagements include being one of the first American conductors to guest-conduct the Admiralty Navy Band of St. Petersburg, Russia and being selected as finalist for The American Prize in Wind Conducting Competition in 2015.
From 2007-2011 Dr. Badua was the Director of Bands and Arts Department Chair at Peninsula High School and District Music Coordinator of the Peninsula School District in Gig Harbor, WA. In these roles, he developed a comprehensive band program, which included a Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Jazz Band, Percussion Ensemble, Marching Band, Color Guard and Winter Guard. During his tenure, he raised the standard of excellence and increased enrollment from 68 to 120 students over four years, with each ensemble consistently receiving “Superior” ratings at all festival and contests in the region, most notably the Wind Ensemble’s performance at the 2011 National Association for Music Education Conference-Northwest in Bellevue, WA.
Dr. Badua is a native of Honolulu, Hawaii but upon high school graduation moved to Washington to earn his Bachelor of Music in Music Education degree from the University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA where he also received an honorary fellowship to complete his Master of Arts in Teaching and was a conducting student of Dr. Robert Taylor. He holds professional memberships with the California Music Educator’s Association (CMEA), Southern California Schools Band & Orchestra Association (SCSBOA), College Music Society, National Association for Music Education (NAfME), World Association for Symphonic Bands & Ensembles (WASBE) and the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA).