STAFF

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Chris Canby is a percussion instructor and arranger currently living in Mesa, AZ. He is an active educator and clinician, currently serving as Director of Percussion at Sandra Day O'Connor High School. Mr. Canby has previously been a member of the marching percussion staff for the Arizona State University Sun Devil Pride Marching Band, as well as Battery Coordinator at Breakthrough Indoor Percussion and Percussion Caption Head at Phenom Drum and Bugle Corps. Chris attended Arizona State University where he studied with Dr. J.B. Smith, Dr. Mark Sunkett, Simone Mancuso, and Dom Moio. He was a member of various large and small ensembles including Wind Ensemble, Lyric Opera Theater, Percussion Ensemble, and the Sun Devil Marching Band under the instruction of Roberto Paz and John McClean. As a marching member Chris has performed as a snare drummer with The Academy Drum and Bugle Corps, Mosaic Indoor Percussion, and Dark Sky Percussion. Outside of his role as an educator, Chris is an active performer with BOOM! Percussion Entertainment, Arizona Cardinals Big Red Thunder Drumline, and Samba de Cavalo. He is a frequent guest percussionist with Desert Echoes Flute choir as well as a drum set player with several local artists through out the Valley. He can be reached @ canchrisby@gmail.com

Tabitha Branson is a music educator and percussion instructor in Phoenix. She serves as the assistant band director at Moon Valley High School and front ensemble caption head at Sandra Day O’Connor High School. In collaboration with the percussion staff at O'Connor,  Tabitha was a founding staff member of the Sandra Day O'Connor Indoor Percussion program, which became a state medalist in their first year. She received her Master of Arts in Ethnomusicology from Arizona State University and Bachelor’s in Music Education, Cum Laude, with an emphasis in percussion, under the direction of Dr. Steven Hemphill from Northern Arizona University. While at NAU she received the prestigious Gold Axe Award for outstanding academic achievement, service, and leadership. Tabitha performed with the NAU Lumberjack Marching Band, Symphonic Band, Wind Symphony, Symphony Orchestra, Percussion Ensemble, and Panorama Steel Pan Ensemble. At ASU she was a member of the Javanese Gamelan Ensemble and Latin Marimba Band. Outside of school, she performed with Breakthrough Indoor Percussion and as a percussionist at The Church of the Red Rocks in Sedona. She started teaching private lessons on concert percussion and drumset in 2015 to middle school, high school, and adult students. Tabitha has previously been on the marching staff at Coconino High School and Mountain Pointe High School and taught K-8 General Music and Choir. Outside of teaching marching band, she works at the Musical Instrumental Museum on their Education Team. She is excited to continue working with Sandra Day O’Connor!

Todd Oehler is a Doctoral Candidate and Teaching Assistant for the Trumpet Studio at Arizona State University. Todd completed his undergraduate degree in May 2020 at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, MD, majoring in trumpet performance and music education, and completed his master's degree in trumpet performance in May 2022 at Wichita State University in Wichita, KS. Todd was the principal trumpet with the Peabody Conductor’s Orchestra and is a member of the Old Bay Brass quintet. Throughout his time at Peabody, he has had the pleasure of working with Joseph Young and Marin Alsop in numerous orchestras. Todd’s career has prominently featured soloing at numerous venues throughout the east coast and Midwest, including but not limited to Verizon Hall, the Baltimore Basilica, and the Wichita Cathedral. In addition to his performance career, Todd takes tremendous pride in his teaching, having worked with public schools in Maryland, Kansas, and Arizona, as well as Private Music Schools in Pennsylvania and Maryland, and has his own private trumpet studio. Todd has been a finalist in the Yale Gordon Competition, the Wolff-Bing Chamber Competition, and the Wichita State Concerto Competition, and has won the Pamela M. Marshall perpetual trophy and the Geoffrey B. Dougherty Memorial trophy in competition for his coach horn playing. Todd earned the Marie Evelyn Kinsman and the Deering Endowed scholarships by the Peabody Conservatory. Todd was also presented with the Wolff-Bing Chamber Scholarship at Wichita State University.

 Zack Whittier is a percussion instructor currently living in Glendale, Arizona. He is an active educator and clinician, currently serving as the Front Ensemble head at Mountain Pointe High School, a guest clinician at Moon Valley High School, as well as the current Electronics designer and coordinator at Sandra Say O’Connor High School. He has previously been the Front Ensemble Caption Head at Breakthrough Indoor Percussion, a percussion and visual staff member at Northern Arizona University, a staff member at several other middle and high schools around the state, as well as in California and Texas. 

Zack studied at Northern Arizona University where he studied with Dr. Steven Hemphill. He was a member of various large and small ensembles including the Wind Symphony, Orchestra, Percussion Ensemble, and the PANoRAMA steel pan group. Mr. Whittier has been involved as a performer with groups in both the WGI, and DCI Circuits, to include the Academy Drum and Bugle Corps (2010 – 2012, 2012 Section Leader), Pulse Percussion (2013), as well a marching member with the University of Arizona “Pride of Arizona” Marching Band (2009, 2010, 2013).

Mr. Whittier is a graduate of Northern Arizona University with a degree in Music Performance. In the past he has studied with Dr. Steven Hemphill, Ian Grom, John Mapes, Glen Crosby, Sean Gordon, Homero Ceron, and Dr. Andrea Venet.

Gerardo Estrada better known as “Tito”  is a Mexican American Visual Educator, Drill Writer, and Announcer. Tito began his performing arts career in Las Vegas, Nevada at Silverado High School where he participated in Concert Band, Marching Band, and Winter Drumline programs graduating in 2015. Tito’s performance background continued into college, spending two seasons in Northern Arizona’s Lumberjack Marching Band from 2017-2018. One season was spent as a member and his second as a Drum Major for the ensemble. Tito also spent four summers marching with The Academy Drum and Bugle Corps on tuba from 2015 until his age out in 2018.
Tito’s teaching experience began in 2015 after his first season with The Academy. He served as a Visual Instructor for Liberty High School and his Alma Mater Silverado High School. He continued working with the Silverado High School marching programs through 2019 helping build the culture and visual program while also serving in other critical roles such as prop designer and builder. Silverado High School went on to win several caption awards and is now a powerhouse in the Las Vegas area. Tito served on the Visual Team for Sage V Percussion for their debut season in 2019-2020 where he also designed and built props. In addition, Tito was a part of the Visual Team for Phenom Drum and Bugle Corps in 2020 and most recently with The Academy Drum and Bugle Corps in 2022. Currently, Tito works with various groups across the Phoenix Valley including Sandra Day O’Connor HS as a Visual Tech, Tempe HS as the Visual Caption Head, and Moon Valley HS as the Drill Writer. 
Aside from teaching, Tito is an Announcer for the Winter Guard Association of Southern California (WGASC) and the American Drumline Association (ADLA) indoor circuits. His debut season was in 2022 announcing six shows for the Las Vegas Valley and one final show in SoCal for WGASC Championships.

Carter Goldsworthy is from Peoria, AZ. He participated in the marching, jazz, and concert music programs at Sunrise Mountain High School, graduating in 2016. He then went on to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to earn his degree in Aeronautical Science, graduating in 2019.
In 2016, Carter performed with The Academy Drum and Bugle Corps as a euphonium player, where he continued to develop as a musician, educator, and leader. He continued with the organization through the 2017 and 2018 seasons. In 2020, Carter was contracted to spend his final season with the Blue Knights Drum and Bugle corps. The return of DCI in 2021 would allow Carter to march his age out season in 2021. Over his time spent as a performer with these organizations, his passion for education and serving others became clear.
In the 2021 Fall Season, Carter worked with Canyon View High School, serving as their program’s first visual caption head. Since 2022, Carter has served as music and brass technician at SDOHS. For the summer of 2023, he served as a visual technician at The Academy Drum and Bugle Corps.  
At Sandra Day, Carter feels that it is a remarkable opportunity to work with the students alongside the amazing team of educators. For Carter, being able to be a part of this great organization and educate this hornline is a very special responsibility and privilege.

Analyce Gonzalez is a passionate Mexican American flutist and piccoloist born and raised in Glendale, AZ. As a youth, Analyce studied privately with valley flutist, Kristina Johnsen. Analyce obtained her Bachelor's in Music Performance from Northern Arizona University in 2015, studying under Dr. Emily Hoppe.  Analyce obtained her Master’s in Music Performance degree in 2021 from the University of Northern Colorado, studying under Dr. James Hall.
Analyce received first place in 2015 at the Arizona Flute Society’s Founder’s Scholarship Competition performing Frank Martin’s, Ballade. As a graduate student at UNCO, Analyce was a finalist in the Southard Music Competition in 2020 performing Katherine Hoover’s, To Greet the Sun. She was also a finalist in 2021 performing Jake Heggie’s, Fury of Light. Analyce was named the runner-up for the 2023 National Flute Association Amateur Adult Competition.
Analyce has performed with the NAU Wind Ensemble, NAU Symphony Orchestra, UNCO Wind Symphony and UNCO Symphony Orchestra. In the valley, Analyce has performed with the Chandler Symphony Orchestra, the North Valley Symphony Orchestra, La Forza Chamber Orchestra, and ProMusica Arizona. In 2016, Analyce traveled with the American Festival Orchestra to China as their piccoloist. 
Analyce has performed in master classes for Dr. Julee Walker, Carol Wincenc, Aaron Goldman, Conor Nelson, Viviana Cumplido, Haley Bangs, Dr. Emily Hoppe, Dr. James Hall, and Marco Grenados. Analyce has also adjudicated for AMEA Regional auditions, as well as AMEA solo and ensemble performances. Analyce has had over 10 years’ experience teaching flutists, ranging from young children to adults. Her students have qualified for regional and all-state ensembles, as well as achieving superior ratings in solo competitions. Analyce's students have won positions in youth symphonies and rank in the highest chairs in their school programs. 
Analyce has dedicated her time in assisting young flutists in school music programs and emphasizes an outreach to Title I schools for equal opportunity in private lessons and master classes.  Analyce is the current flute/piccolo instructor for Sandra Day O'Connor High School. She serves as the Vice President for the Arizona Flute Society and heads the Equity and Inclusion committee. Analyce is also the piccolo instructor for the ASU Sun Devil Marching Band.

  Calvin Juel Rigney is a percussion educator through the marching arts in Tempe. He currently teaches at Sandra Day O'Connor High School and Moon Valley High School as a front ensemble instructor. Calvin attended Williams Field High School where he participated in competitive activities such as marching band, indoor percussion, and concert percussion ensemble for three years. He now attends Arizona State University, studying Molecular Biology and Biotechnology at the Tempe campus. Outside of scholastic organizations, Calvin has been a part of Flux Indoor Percussion, the Academy Drum & Bugle Corps, and Carolina Crown Drum & Bugle Corps as a member of the front ensemble. Through different seasons in the marching activities, Calvin has learned about mallet percussion and sound design from the best. He is looking forward to working with Sandra Day O'Connor in upcoming seasons!"

  Hannah Kalas is an alumnus of the SDOHS marching band, and was a part of the SDOHS colorguard and winterguard program from 2015-2019. She currently attends Arizona State University, and will graduate in 2023 with a degree in Graphic Design and a minor in Digital Culture. Hannah is currently in her third season with Fenix Independent Winterguard, competing at a national level. 

  This will be Taylor's 7th year teaching at OC. An alumni of OC, she went on to graduate from Arizona State University with a degree in Medical Studies. During college Taylor marched several years with the Sun Devil Marching Band as well as Fenix Independent. When she isn't teaching, she works at the HonorHealth Research Institute in the clinical research lab. Taylor loves working with the band because it provides the special opportunity to give back in the community and to an organization she loves very much. Some of the most valuable life lessons have come from being part of the program such as leadership skills & perseverance. Additionally, she met her husband in OC band (who was in the drumline) -so the program will always have a special place in her heart!