Jesse Leyva
Director of Bands
Mr. Jesse Leyva is only the third person in the last 50 years to hold the position of Director of Bands at Henderson State University. Building upon the rich HSU tradition of excellence in music education and performance, Mr. Leyva guides all aspects of the storied and multi-faceted Henderson band program.
Mr. Leyva is a candidate (ABD) for the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Arizona State University, where he studied wind conducting with Professor Gary W. Hill and euphonium with Professor J. Samuel Pilafian. Mr. Leyva holds degrees from California State University Stanislaus (B.A. - Music Education) and San José State University (M.A. - Instrumental Conducting), where he was a student of Dr. Edward C. Harris. Mr. Leyva has also served as a graduate teaching fellow at the University of North Texas, where he was a student of Eugene Migliaro Corporon.
Mr. Leyva taught music in the California public and private schools for four years, where concert and jazz bands under his direction consistently received superior ratings at festivals. He also served as a part-time member of the faculties of San José State University, where he taught courses in conducting and music education, as well as Stanford University, where he was the Assistant Conductor of the Stanford Symphony Orchestra. Upon his graduation from the Academy of Military Science, Mr. Leyva received his commission as an officer and served in the United States Air Force Band Program as Commander/Conductor of the Air National Guard Band of the West Coast.
Published in the fifth and sixth volume of the GIA series Teaching Music Through Performance in Band, Mr. Leyva will also be a Research Associate for the upcoming seventh volume. Further research interests include the wind music of Mexican composers Carlos Chávez and Silvestre Revueltas, and the pedagogical practice of The Breathing Gym in the wind band rehearsal setting.
Jonathan Whitaker was appointed Assistant Professor of Trombone and Low Brass at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, AR in 2004. Currently, Whitaker is also completing his doctoral studies at Indiana University where he served as Associate Instructor of Trombone from 2001-2004. Whitaker holds degrees in trombone performance from Murray State University and the University of Minnesota. As a performer he has held positions with several professional orchestras and has recently been appointed Principal Trombone of the South Arkansas Symphony. Whitaker has also appeared as a soloist with the Indiana University Wind Ensemble, the Augustana College Symphonic Band, the Purdue University Orchestra and the HSU Symphonic Band. In addition to performing and teaching, Whitaker serves as the chief administrator for the Alessi Seminar, web assistant for the International Trombone Association and Webmaster for the websites of Peter Ellefson and M. Dee Stewart. Whitaker’s primary teachers include Ray Conklin, Tom Ashworth, M. Dee Stewart, Peter Ellefson and Joseph Alessi with additional studies with Arnold Jacobs and Edward Kleinhammer. Jonathan Whitaker is an artist/clinician for the Edwards Instrument Company and exclusively plays Greg Black Mouthpieces.
Jonathan Whitaker
Music and Visual Instructor
Dr. Rick Dimond is presently the Principal Timpanist with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, and Professor of Percussion and Jazz at Henderson State University. His musical experiences are rich and varied. As a child, Rick studied, oboe, piano, stringed instruments, percussion, and accordion. Schooled mainly in Classicism, Dimond has performed and explored commercial music, most often on keyboards in jazz and pop groups.
Dr. Rick Dimond
Professor of Percussion
Gary Juarez (pictured right) marched in Drum and Bugle Corps with Pacific Crest, Velvet Knights and the 1997 and 1998 Blue Devils. Mr. Juarez works with many high schools throughout the Los Angeles and Phoenix area and has won numerous awards from WGI,WGAZ, B.O.A SCSBOA, and ABODA. Included in these awards are the 1997 PAS Indoor Marching Champions with Nogales High School where he was caption head. Formerly the percussion instructor for the 2003 Capital Regiment Drum and Bugle Corp (Columbus, Ohio), he is currently instructing for The Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps (Concord, Ca), Arizona State University Drumline, Momentum Percussion Theatre (Gilbert, Az), Horizon High school (Scottsdale, Az) and Hamilton High school (Chandler, Az). Gary has studied under Stuart Pompell, Paul Rennick, Tom Float, Sean Vega, and Scott Johnson. Gary is an active marching percussion clinician and proud endorser for Dynasty USA and Vic Firth drumsticks.
Gary Juarez
Percussion Arranger and Clinician
Mike McGehee
Color Guard Designer and Instructor
Jody Digby
Percussion Instructor/Technician
Jody Digby is currently the percussion instructor at Texas High School in Texarkana, Texas. He is an alumnus of Henderson State University where he was a member of Kappa Kappa Psi Honorary Band Fraternity and section leader of the drum line for 3 years. He has taught at high schools in Arkansas and Texas. Under Jody’s direction, his high school drum lines/percussion ensembles have won numerous awards.
Dr. Justin Stolarik
Assistant Director of Bands
Dr. Justin R. Stolarik (b.1980 Southampton, New York) was recently appointed as the Assistant Director of Bands at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia AR, where he will assist with all aspects of the university band program.
As a former graduate teaching assistant at The University of Texas at Austin, he worked extensively with the Longhorn Band, Basketball/Volleyball Band, undergraduate conducting classes, the Longhorn Concert Band, and was on faculty for the Longhorn Summer Music Camps. His wind arrangements were frequently performed by the athletic bands at football and basketball games before audiences of 85,000. In addition to athletic bands, he has arranged for The Dallas Wind Symphony and The University of Texas Wind Ensemble (with premieres across Europe this summer), as well as instrumental back-ups for Carolyn Wonderland, Roky Erickson, Ray Benson, Jerry Jeff Walker, and Ghostland Observatory.
Dr. Stolarik is also active in the public schools as a clinician and adjudicator. He has taught and arranged for marching bands throughout Florida and Texas, as well as for the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps. Dr. Stolarik holds a bachelor’s degree with highest honors in Music Education from The University of Florida and a master’s degree in Performance from The University of Texas at Austin. His past performances have been featured in issues of Modern Drummer and Percussion News.
Dr. Stolarik is an honorary member of Kappa Kappa Psi (Alpha Tau) and Tau Beta Sigma (Beta Gamma), and holds memberships in CBDNA, WASBE, ASCAP, MENC, and PAS.