A Vision of Excellence

Pendleton Heights High School Band

Directors &  Staff

Audrey Peterson –Director of Bands PHMS

Miss Peterson is the Director of Bands at Pendleton Heights Middle School.  She is currently in her fourth year of teaching.  At PHMS, her responsibilities include teaching 7^th grade beginning woodwind, brass, and percussion classes, directing the 8^th grade band, and directing the jazz band.  She also assists at the high school with Marching Band, Concert Band, and Wind Ensemble.

Prior to teaching in Pendleton, Miss Peterson taught at Guyer High School in Denton, Texas, a Dallas suburb.  Her responsibilities there included co-teaching the marching band, directing Concert Band, assisting with Wind Ensemble, assisting with Jazz Band, and teaching AP Music Theory.  She also taught for a year in O’Fallon, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis, as Assistant Band Director at Ft. Zumwalt North High School and Ft. Zumwalt North Middle School.  Her responsibilities included co-teaching the marching band, directing Concert Band, assisting with Wind Ensemble, teaching 6^th grade beginning woodwind, brass, and percussion classes, directing the 7^th grade band, and assisting with Jazz Band.

Miss Peterson graduated summa cum laude from the University of Missouri in December of 2003, where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education.  She was Drum Major of Marching Mizzou for 3 years and also performed with the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, University Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Mizzou Horn Choir.

             Miss Peterson is excited to come to Indiana and be a part of the future of the Pendleton Heights Band Program

Dave Elliott –Assistant Director of Bands PHHS/PHMS

 

Chris Taylor –Director of Bands PHHS

             Christopher Taylor is currently in his sixth year of teaching music. He is currently the Director of Bands at Pendleton Heights High School in Pendleton, IN which he began in the summer of 2007.   He began his career at Highland High School.  At Highland, he co-taught up to three levels of concert bands (Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, and Concert Band) and also taught up to three levels of jazz bands (Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Lab Band, and Blues Band).  He also taught a percussion class and Bagpipes for a year.  The Highland Jazz Ensemble was selected to perform at the 2006 IMEA Convention.  He co-taught the marching band focusing on the visual program.  The marching band was successful in ISSMA field shows (placing 5th in Class B State Finals) and the Indiana State Fair Band day earning 1st place in 2005.  Since Christopher was at Highland, the marching band has performed in the Walt Disney World and Disneyland parades, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Indianapolis 500 Parade, and the Hollywood Christmas Parade in 2006.

             In 2006, he began the Madison County Jazz Festival for bands in the area.  He brought in outstanding clinicians and guest artists, which is helping the festival grow each year.

             Christopher graduated from Ball State University cum laude in 2000 and Madison Heights High School in 1996.  At Madison Heights, he was drum major for 2 years and received the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award for two years and the John Philip Sousa Band Award one year.  While at Ball State, he held leadership positions in the collegiate Music Educators' National Association chapter and the marching band, including drum major.  Christopher was a member of the wind ensemble, symphonic band, first and second jazz bands, pep band, and brass quintets. He spent seven years teaching marching bands, concert bands, and jazz bands at Anderson, Delta, Yorktown, and Greenfield-Central High Schools.  He student taught at Carmel High School and also served on their marching band staff. 

             He is involved in the Indiana Music Educators Association along with MENC.  He is a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia and the International Association for Jazz Educators.  He has twice served as a clinician for the IMEA Non-Competitive Festival.  In 2007, he presented a clinic at the IMEA Convention.  He has served on staff for the Indiana All-Star Marching band for two years.  Recently, he has begun escorting bands with a music travel company.  Christopher also directs the Madison County Area Directors’ Jazz Band, a group of music teachers from the area who perform throughout the year.  The group was selected to perform at the 2005 IMEA Convention.  He is currently a visual adjudicator for the Central States Judging Association and a zone representative for the Indiana State School Music Association (ISSMA). 

             Christopher is an Eagle Scout and is very involved in being an adult volunteer for Boy Scouts.  He is currently the Boy Scout Roundtable Commissioner, Order of the Arrow Section C-2C Adviser, and on the council youth leadership program, “White Stag,” staff.  He also teaches math and reading after school and teaches private lessons.  He is a member of his church’s choirs at First United Methodist.  He resides in Anderson with his two dogs Basie and Jazz.

Regina Cantrell –Guard Director

             Regina Cantrell is currently in her third year at Butler University- Psychology Major, Gender Studies Minor. She is an active member of the Indiana Gamma chapter of Pi Beta Phi Fraternity for Women. She is Certified Peer Educator for Planned Parenthood of Indiana and a 2005 graduate from Highland High School where she spun flag one year (most outstanding Flag award 2001-2002), weapon 3 years (most outstanding weapon award- Fall season 2003-2004, winter season 2004-2005) (Color guard Memorial Award 2005).  While she marched, they  were state finalists in Open Class two years and state finalists in A Class one year.
Regina has taught at Mooresville High School 2005-2006 Winter guard season-movement and weapon.  8th place at State Finals/participated in 3 WGI Regional events. She was the Assistant Director at Highland High School 2006-2007-Marching band and Winter guard seasons-Movement and Weapon tech.  She currently resides in Indianapolis, IN.

Matthew Lum –Marching Band Staff

 

 

Todd Miller –Marching Band Staff

Chris Boots –Marching Band Staff

Kyle Griffith –Percussion Director

 

 

             David Elliott is in his first year of teaching instrumental music, having graduated cum laude from Butler University in May of 2007.  While a student at Butler, he played in the Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, Marching Band, Basketball Pep Band, and both Jazz Bands.  He also served as drum major for the Marching Band for one year, and was drum major for the La Porte High School Marching Jazz Band for two years.  While a member of the Butler University Wind Ensemble, Dave had the opportunity to travel to Russia and perform in several historic venues, including the Philharmonic Hall where Dmitri Shostakovich premiered many of his great works, and   played on Sergei Rachmaninoff’s personal piano.  He has served on the staff of bands from Knox, Perry Meridian, and Greenwood High Schools, as well as the Indiana State All-Star Band that performs at the Indianapolis 500 Festival Parade.

             In January of 2007, Dave was awarded the Outstanding Future Music Educator Award at the 2007 IMEA Convention, and also received the Outstanding Instrumental and General Music Education Major Award from Butler in April of the same year.  In February of 2004, he was granted one of the Outstanding Soloist Awards at the Elmhurst Jazz Festival.  In the summer of 2006, he was a member of the East Coast Jazz Drum & Bugle Corps that received the silver medal at the 2006 Drum Corps International World Championships in Madison, Wisconsin.  Dave has played regularly with several community concert bands and jazz bands in northwest Indiana, and can currently be seen with the Madison County Area Directors’ Jazz Band, under the direction of Mr. Chris Taylor.

             David’s professional memberships include MENC, the Indiana Music Educators Association, Kappa Kappa Psi, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and Pi Kappa Lambda.  A native of La Porte, Indiana, Dave currently resides in Fishers.