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Mr. John Gonzalez - Band/Choir Director

John Gonzalez is the Director of Bands and Choirs at Easton Valley CSD. He was born and raised in the Southside of Chicago, Illinois but currently lives in Preston, Iowa. He received his education at Western Illinois University earning a Bachelor of Music in Music Education, a minor in Jazz Studies, and an endorsement in English-Language Arts. During his time at WIU, he participated in and was section leader for every instrumental ensemble such as the Marching Leathernecks, Concert Band, Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Jazz Band, Jazz Studio Orchestra, and Symphony Orchestra. He studied trombone under John Mindeman (WIU), Dr. Mark Babbitt (Illinois State University), and Dr. Zsolt Szabo (Western Carolina University) as well as conducting under Dr. Matt Thomas and Dr. Mike Fansler (WIU). He has also studied jazz improvisation extensively under Dr. John Cooper, Dr. Michael Stryker, and John Vana (WIU). He has performed in many local and community choirs as well as the WIU Concert Choir. As a professional musician, John has performed throughout the Midwest and internationally in various ensembles including the Southeast Iowa Symphony Orchestra, South Suburban Jazz Orchestra (IL), Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra, the Manny Lopez Big Band, and the Illiana Brass Quintet. Currently, John is the 3rd trombone in The Julien Winds (Dubuque, IA) and will be performing with the wind ensemble at Carnegie Hall in New York City this upcoming June. In his free time, John likes to play guitar, collect records and CDs, go to live concerts, go camping, and travel. He is an avid fan of the Chicago White Sox, Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, and the Chicago Blackhawks.

Hello! My name is Kayla Zeimet and I will be serving as Easton Valley’s drama director for this coming school year. Prior to this year, I was actively involved in my high school drama programs and worked professionally at both the Clinton Area Showboat Theatre and the Utah Festival of Opera and Musical Theatre. I recently completed my degree in Theatre from the University of Northern Iowa. I look forward to creating some theatre magic and assisting students in telling stories for the community!