Faculty
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Office: B-315 Office Hours: M 11:00 - 12:30 pm W 8:30 - 9:30 am Th 2:00 - 3:00 pm (online) F 10:00 - 11:30 am |
Taylor Smith joined the Cuyamaca College faculty in 2008. He earned a PhD in Musicology from Claremont Graduate University, and MA in Music (Historical Performance Practices emphasis) from CGU, and a BMA from BYU-Idaho. Dr. Smith frequently performs on double bass, viola da gamba, bass guitar, and as an electronic musician. Chair of Performing Arts Intro to Music Technology Intro to the Music Industry Music Industry Seminar Digital Audio Recording and Production |
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619-660-4322 Office: B-316 Office Hours:
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Mr. Sepulvado currently serves as Director of Bands and Professor of Music at Cuyamaca College in El Cajon, CA, an eastern suburb of San Diego. After a two year hiatus, James restarted the Concert Band at Cuyamaca College and since that time the group has experienced record high enrollment and performed ambitious literature including David Maslanka’s Symphony No. 7 in the Spring of 2017. Prior to his appointment at Cuyamaca College, James served as Instrumental Music Director at Point Loma High School in San Diego, CA from 2008 to 2016. During his tenure the Band, Orchestra and AP Music Theory programs more than tripled in size and the program was recognized for musical excellence and community service. James has carried over his belief in the importance of community performance from the Point Loma area where his high school groups performed over 100 times a year to east county where he is working to replicate that level of community engagement. James has studied tuba with Eric Weirather, Kelly Thomas and Brent Dutton and has studied conducting with Eric Weirather and Gregg Hanson. As a freelance professional tuba player James has appeared with Seaside Brass, Westwind Brass and the San Diego Winds. Mr. Sepulvado is a member of the American Federation of Musicians Union, Local 325. James is President and co-founder of the San Diego Winds. |
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Adjunct Faculty |
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History of Rock Music History of Jazz Rock, Pop, and Soul Ensemble |
Joe Bigham has been an adjunct faculty member at Cuyamaca Community College since 2008. He received his Ph.D. in music in 2013 from the University of California, San Diego, examining the intersection of “guitar culture” with internet media. Joe has previously taught the History of Rock (MUS 115) and History of Jazz (MUS 111) courses, and currently teaches the History of Rock online course (MUS 115). Joe is an active guitarist in Southern California, leading his band Mojo Sessions and performing with numerous corporate and event bands. In addition to teaching at Cuyamaca Community College, Joe lectures in the Culture, Art, and Technology program at UCSD.
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Class Guitar I & II |
Jonathan Davis began playing the electric guitar at the age of 13, and made the switch to classical at 17. He earned his Bachelor's degree in Classical Guitar Performance from the University of Arizona and his Master's degree (also in Classical Guitar Performance) from the University of Akron, where he was awarded a full scholarship as a graduate teaching assistant. Mr. Davis studied privately with Professors Thomas Patterson and Stephen Aron (at the Universities of Arizona and Akron, respectively) and in addition has performed in master classes for some of the most well known guitarists in the world, including Pepe Romero, David Russell, Paul Galbraith, Odair Assad, and others. Jonathan Davis has experience performing classical music in a variety of settings, including solo, chamber, and as a member of an orchestra. In addition, he has also played electric guitar in various rock bands and theater productions. In addition to teaching at Cuyamaca, he also teaches class guitar at Helix High School and a studio of private students. His debut solo CD, Très Viste, features music ranging from the Baroque to the Twentieth Century. |
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Dr. Ariana Warren is a woodwinds artist and educator in San Diego, CA. Comfortable performing in many settings, Dr. Warren can be heard performing in ensembles including Joe Garrison and the Night People, A Hundred Ghosts, Basser, City Ballet Orchestra, and San Diego Musical Theater. Dr. Warren holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree in Contemporary Performance from UC San Diego, as well as Masters and Bachelors of Music degrees in Clarinet Performance from the Peabody Conservatory of the John's Hopkins University. |
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Intro to World Music History of Rock Music |
Amy Hacker has been teaching World Music and Music History courses since 2008, after earning her MA in Music, with an emphasis on Ethnomusicology, from San Diego State University. She also owns and directs an Indonesian Gamelan ensemble, called Kembang Sunda, which performs regularly throughout Southern California. Ms. Hacker is well versed in musical traditions from around the world and has performed in various ensembles including: Javanese, Balinese and Sundanese gamelan; West African drumming and dance; Afro-Cuban and Afro-Brazilian drumming; Japanese Butoh dance; East Indian Odissi dance; and Zimbabwean Mbira and Marimba music. She has also traveled extensively and researched musical practices in over 30 countries in Asia, Europe, Africa and Latin America, including living in Indonesia for three years. Her educational and personal experiences combined together give Ms. Hacker an in-depth understanding of musical cultures from around the world that she passes on to her students. |
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Class Piano |
Merryl Nelson has been a music instructor for 46 years, teaching private and class piano and voice, as well as teaching music courses at the elementary, high school and college levels. Mrs. Nelson has also conducted choirs of all ages both in churches and in public schools. Her most recent position was at Granite Hills High School in El Cajon where she taught choral music from 1993-2012. The Granite Hills Choral program consisted of 190 students in five choirs and consistently won superior ratings at local, regional, and national festivals and toured throughout the United States and Europe. In the fall of 2010, Mrs. Nelson joined the faculty of Cuyamaca College where she conducted the Cuyamaca Choir from 2010-2014. In addition, over the years she has taught Music Theory, Ear Training, Sight Singing, Introduction to Music, Great Music Listening, and currently teaches the Beginning and Advanced Class Piano courses. Mrs. Nelson holds the Bachelor of Music degree in Organ Performance from the University of Redlands and the Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting from San Diego State University. She has taken additional course work at the Eastman School of Music, Butler University, University of California San Diego, Fresno State University, and Grossmont College. Mrs. Nelson began studying piano at age 7, the violin at age 8 and organ at age 15 and still plays the piano and organ today. She has sung in many community and church choirs throughout her life and simply cannot imagine her world without music in it. She loves people, especially the younger variety, and she loves teaching music. The idea of “turning on a light bulb” in a student’s brain where music is concerned is immensely rewarding and satisfying to her. She considers it an honor and a privilege to be able to share her love of music with her students at Cuyamaca. |
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History of Jazz History of Rock Music |
Scott Walton is a bassist and pianist whose music negotiates the terrain between jazz, free improvisation, and classical avant-garde. Praised for his “dramatic” soloing (Downbeat), “graceful fluidity” (All About Jazz), and “propulsive energy” (OneFinalNote), the Downtown Music Gallery proclaims that Walton “consistently shines.” He has performed throughout North America and Europe in a host of collaborative contexts, and has recorded with Vinny Golia, Nels Cline, Myra Melford, and Bobby Bradford, among many others. Current projects include duos with Steve Adams, Tim Perkis, and Gilbert Isbin, the Michael Vllatkovich quartet, the Bill Horvitz Sextet, and Alex Cline’s Flower Garland Orchestra. Walton holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of California, San Diego, and has designed courses and implemented online music instruction for universities and colleges in California and Colorado. He has served as an adjunct instructor for Cuyamaca College since 2001 |
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Doug McCulloch has had a rich and varied music career as a composer and as an instructor. He teaches a variety of music classes at Cuyamaca College in addition to his work as a composer and community musician. Doug earned both his BMus and MMus in Music Composition at the University of Hawaii, with an emphasis in ethnomusicology and cultural studies within music composition. |
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Choir Director |
Conductor and baritone Paul Thomas May is a stalwart vocalist and devoted church musician native to San Diego. Mr. May served as the Director of Music for St. Rocco Parish, the first and oldest Italian Parish in Cleveland, OH, for the 2017-18 season coordinating all liturgies and teaching music for the entire parish school. He is the former Director of Liturgical Music at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church where he was responsible for Saturday and Sunday morning Masses directing the OLMC Liturgical Choir (50+ voices) and Schola (20 Voices). Mr. May previously held the position of Bass Choral Scholar and Assistant Director for the Choristers (children’s choir) at St. Anne’s Catholic Church where he specialized in the performance and history of both Gregorian Chant and sacred renaissance/baroque polyphony. Though primarily a church musician, Mr. May is also the former director of the San Diego Mannskor, Norwegian Male Chorus, whose primary repertoire stems from the Northern European and Baltic regions. Additionally, he has worked closely with many other professional organizations in San Diego including the Bach Collegium San Diego, Folklore Music Guild, and San Diego Pro Arte Voices. His credentials include two degrees—Bachelor of Music and Master of Music—from San Diego State University in Professional Studies and Choral Conducting respectively. Mr. May is also the current director for the choir at Cuyamaca Community College and director of liturgical music at Our Lady of Grace Church in El Cajon, CA.
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Department Staff |
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619-660-4288 Music Technician Office: B-204 Office hours: M–F: 10:00am - 6:00 pm |
Derek has been Cuyamaca's Music Technician since September 2018. Derek is thrilled to be a part of what makes Cuyamaca's Performing Arts Department succeed! Derek plays guitar & bass. He has a passion for making videos, recording audio, & editing/mastering all types of music. His other hobbies include motorcycle riding (street & dirt), mountain biking, snowboarding, & hiking. |
James Sepulvado
Ariana Warren, PhD
Paul Thomas May
Derek Bertram
