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Susan Burley - Concert Band
Scott Downs - Symphonic Band
Joseph Sosa - Orchestra
Dr. Otto Lee - Jazz A
Evan Hamada - Jazz B
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Grace Sledd (Large Ensemble Assist)
Theresia Gaffney (Flute Coach, Jazz Choir)
Brandon Muhawii (Clarinet, Jazz Assist)
Tim Shaghoian (Saxophone Coach, Jazz Assist)
Michael Neufeld (Low Brass Coach)
Mckenna Reeve (Percussion, Jazz Assist)
Trevor Jarret (Percussion)
Elijah Avila (String Coach)
Kirk Cleague (Low String Coach)
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Taylor Hamilton - Activities
Conner Sanchez - Activities
Marisol Jarrett - Snack Bar
Ren Burley - Administrative Assistant
Susan Burley
After 40 years as Music Director at Cherry Avenue Middle School in Tulare, Susan is currently the Visual and Performing Arts Advisor for Tulare City School District. She attended Kingsburg High School and received her bachelor of arts in music from California State University, Fresno under the baton of Dr. Larry Sutherland and Dr. Russell S. Howland.
She has been involved in Encore Theatre Company since it’s inception 45 years ago as a founding board member, President, as well as many more roles. Susan is the founder and director of the Mid Valley Jazz Festival, which hosts close to 40 bands a year in a 2 day non-competitive jazz festival that features top jazz educators from around the state.
Some of Susan’s accomplishments include Tulare County Teacher of the Year, California Finalist, CMEA Band Director and Jazz Band Director Award, Teacher of the Year, Region VII California League of Middle Schools Teacher of the Year, Tulare Woman of the Year, And CAJE Jazz Educator Award.
She has served many roles at La Sierra Creative Arts Camp over the years, including board member, camp director, and concert band director. Susan Burley loves music, loves kids, and has an ongoing passion to share music to all!
Scott Downs
Scott Downs began his career in music education at Clovis East High School and Reyburn Intermediate School in 2018, instructing the Reyburn Concert Band, Symphonic Band, Clovis East Symphonic Winds, and the marching band visual program. Since beginning his tenure, the Reyburn Symphonic Band and the Clovis East Symphonic Winds have continuously received Unanimous Superior ratings at State Festival Performances. Recently appointed as the Director of the Clovis East Wind Ensemble as well as the Clovis East Marching Band in the Fall of 2023, he has already made significant contributions to the program, working with his colleagues Levi Dougherty and Timothy Childs to lead the band to a historic 3rd place finish at the Western Band Association Championships in November 2023, marking the highest placement in Clovis East High School Marching Band’s history. Additionally, Mr. Downs and his team lead the Clovis East Wind Ensemble to be accepted into the California All-State Music Educators Conference, where they performed this past January, 2025, in Sacramento, California. Following this, the Clovis East Bands had their debut performance at Carnegie Hall in April of 2025.
In addition to his instruction with Clovis East, Mr. Downs has taught at numerous Drum Corps including Blue Devils "B" and The Santa Clara Vanguard Cadets. He currently teaches brass at The Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps in Denver, Colorado.
Before he began his teaching career, Mr. Downs was an accomplished performer with the Concord Blue Devils "A" Corps from 2012 to 2017, where he was a featured euphonium and trombone soloist. He holds a Bachelor's and a Master's degree in Music Education from the University of the Pacific, graduating in 2017 and 2018, respectively.
Outside of music, Scott enjoys spending time with his loved ones, his Quail Tuna her best friends, the button quail, and enjoys the great outdoors on a mountain bike or skis.
Joseph Sosa
For the past eleven years, Joseph Sosa has been teaching orchestras at Golden West High School and Valley Oak Middle School. His dedication has resulted in his groups receiving unanimous superiors at the California Music Educators Association Orchestra Festivals across the central valley. Not only that, but his Golden West Orchestras have also received 1st place gold ratings at the World Strides Music Festival in San Diego and Los Angeles, as well as a Gold rating at Forum Music Festival in San Francisco.
Aside from his teaching career, Mr. Sosa remains an active musician. He plays violin in mariachis, a string trio, and a bluegrass band. He holds a master’s degree in Educational technology from the University of Concordia, Irvine, and earned his Bachelors in Music Education from California State University, San Bernardino. He also obtained his teaching credential from California State University, Fresno.
In his personal life, Mr. Sosa enjoys watching his five-year-old son Hendrix play baseball and his daughter create various imaginary animals out of playdoh. He has been married to his beautiful wife Julieanna for ten years, who is also a choir teacher in Porterville. They often engage in philosophical music education talks, which Mr. Sosa finds enjoyable.
Mr. Sosa is deeply grateful for everyone who contributes to making La Sierra Creative Arts Camp possible each year. He recognizes the tremendous effort put in by the organizers, volunteers, students, parents, and fellow teachers to create a memorable experience for the students. As a music educator, he believes that creative arts camps like La Sierra are crucial in fostering young talents and nurturing their passion for the arts. Mr. Sosa considers La Sierra Creative Arts Camp one of the highlights of each summer, and he cherishes the opportunity to be part of such a remarkable event.
Dr. Otto Lee
Otto Lee is a saxophonist, educator, and composer. He has completed a B.A. in Instrumental Jazz Performance (2010) and a M.A. in Music Performance (2012) at California State University Fresno, and a D.M.A. in Jazz Performance and Pedagogy (2017) at the University of Colorado, Boulder.
Otto is currently teaching at both the University of California, Davis as the Director of the Jazz Ensembles, and California State University, Fresno directing large and small jazz ensembles as well as teaching saxophone lessons.
In addition, Otto continues to teach privately and works as a freelance musician throughout the Central Valley and the Bay area. He has performed with a vast array of musicians including Art Lande, Ernie Watts, Oscar Hernandez, Richard Lloyd Giddens Jr and many others.
Evan Hamada
Evan Hamada is the director of jazz studies at Clovis High School and Clark Intermediate. As a native of Fresno, he has been involved in the Fresno/Clovis music community from an early age. During his formative years Mr. Hamada was involved in the Milestones Jazz Workshop and La Sierra Creative Arts Camp as a camper and counselor, and he is excited to continue being involved with La Sierra as a director this year.
After graduating from Bullard High School in 2016, Mr. Hamada attended CSU Long Beach, graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Trumpet Performance with an option in Jazz Studies. In 2020, he then went on to the University of Oregon, where he received his Master’s degree in Jazz Trumpet Performance. During his time in Southern California and Oregon, Mr. Hamada has had the honor to perform with artists such as Wayne Bergeron, Andy Martin, Bob Sheppard, Jeff Hamilton, Rebeca Mauleon, and Ulysses Owen Jr.
Outside of teaching, Mr. Hamada continues to perform, compose, and produce on occasion. He is passionate about being involved in every aspect of the musical process and hopes he can encourage others to do the same.
Grace Sledd
Grace Sledd proudly serves as the Director of Instrumental Music at Kastner Intermediate School and the Director of Jazz for the Clovis West Area in Fresno, California. Now in her fifth year of teaching, she leads a comprehensive program of more than 220 students across Jazz, Band, Orchestra, Percussion, and Color Guard, fostering a high-achieving and inclusive music environment.
Ms. Sledd holds 2 Bachelors of Music in Music Performance and Music Education from the California State University, Long Beach, where she was the top of her class and was awarded the “2021 Outstanding Student of the Year” Her Honors thesis, One Size Does Not Fit All, examined Universal Design for Learning in secondary music settings and synthesized 55 research-based strategies for classroom implementation. She will complete her Master of Music Education through the American Band College in the summer of 2026.
Actively involved in the Central Valley music community, Ms. Sledd has served in multiple leadership roles with the Fresno Madera County Music Educators Association, including Band Manager for the Junior High Honor Jazz Band and Junior High Honor Concert Band. In 2026, she also served as Assistant Band Manager for the CMEA Middle School All-State Band. Additionally, she is a board member for La Sierra Creative Arts Camp, supporting the continued legacy of music educator Paul Shaghoian.
Theresia Gaffney
Theresia Gaffney holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music from CSU, Stanislaus and a Master’s Degree in Flute Performance from CSU, Fresno. She has been principal chair in the Fresno State Wind Ensemble and played in the distinguished President’s Quintet. She currently plays in The Five Woodwind Quintet. Sheplays the flute and piccolo professionally and has studied with Elizabeth Romani, Caryl Mae Scott, Teresa Beaman, Pam Ellzey, and Tracy Harris. She has taught music at all grade levels and has enjoyed the last 23 years teaching choral music in Clovis Unified. Theresia has also been a part of the La Sierra Creative Arts Camp faculty for 25 years and is on the board of directors. She is currently a junior high choral director at Kastner Intermediate School and has a studio of private flute students. She resides in Fresno, CA with her wonderful husband of 21 years and has two children.
Tim Shaghoian
Tim Shaghoian is a Los Angeles-based saxophonist and composer. He released his second album, Dusk Chorus, in 2025. The album features 8 of Tim's original compositions, brought to life by a quartet of LA-based musicians with Vardan Ovsepian on piano, Jonathan Richards on bass, and Dan Schnelle on drums joining Shaghoian on saxophone. Tim performs regularly in the LA area and has worked with a number of highly respected creative musicians in LA. Including the aforementioned bandmates on Dusk Chorus, he has performed with Mark Ferber, Darek Oles, Billy Mohler, and many others. Tim currently teaches at CalArts, the Los Angeles College of Music, and Clovis Community College. He holds a Master of Arts degree in Jazz Performance from California State University, Fresno and a Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz Performance from the University of Nevada, Reno.
Michael Neufeld
Michael Neufeld is a southern California based, award-winning trombonist currently living in Long Beach, California. He has performed with the Temptations, the Four Tops, the Brent Fisher Orchestra, and more, as well as recorded for several LA artists.
Originally from Fresno, CA, Michael graduated with his M.M. in Jazz Studies at the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at CSU, Long Beach, in addition to his B.M. in Jazz Studies from the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California with a minor in Classics. His unique take on genre crossing music has created a blend of jazz, pop, and rock that mirrors his philosophical blend of culture, theology, and artistry.
Michael performs in the Disneyland Band and the Legoland Brass Band amongst other ensembles across California, in addition to teaching students in ensemble and private contexts.
Mckenna Reeve
Mckenna Reeve (she/her) is a versatile drummer, award-winning composer, and accomplished educator based in southern California. Reeve, who relocated to Los Angeles in 2023, comes from a jazz background yet embraces many styles of music. She has toured the US as a sideman and was an in-demand performer in the Colorado music scene. She can be heard on Julie Koenig’s releases “The Intruder” (2024) and “Renaissance Woman” (2021), Benjamin Boone’s “Caught in the Rhythm” (2023), No Hands Brass Band’s “Off the Curb” (2021), her own releases “Live From Greeley” (2024), “Lavender Skies, Golden Plains” (2022), and live with a variety of artists and bands in California and occasionally Colorado.
Reeve’s original compositions for big band and studio orchestra have been performed by all three of the University of Northern Colorado’s Lab Bands, the Spectrum Jazz Orchestra, and their Jazz Festival All-Star Band. In 2023 her composition “Another Food Blues” was one of two winners in the inaugural University of Nebraska Omaha Women in Jazz Composer Award, and the piece is now available for purchase via eJazzLines. Recently she conducted the world premiere of her first piece for large brass ensemble, “Sayacmarca,” commissioned by the Los Angeles Brass Alliance. Her original works span from small group jazz to concert band, studio orchestra, big band, and percussion ensemble with an emphasis on compositions meant for educational level ensembles.
Originally from California's Central Valley, Reeve grew up surrounded by kind and passionate music educators and performers whose mentorship shaped her musical growth. Fresno's tight-knit community gave her a passion for educating others, and she teaches students and educators throughout the country. In addition to running a small private studio, Reeve has appeared as a clinician at the Fresno City College Jazz Festival, a guest conductor at the 2023 Pride Bands of America National Conference, a presenter at the 2024 California All-State Music Educators Conference, and as a teacher at multiple Central California summer camps for many years.
Reeve received her B.M. in Jazz Studies and M.M. in Jazz Composition at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley. When she’s not playing, writing, or teaching, she can often be found cooking, reading, or bouldering—always with a cup of coffee in hand.
Conner Sanchez
Conner Sanchez is a trombonist based in Fresno, California. He has had the honor of performing with John Daversa, Christian McBride, Shakira, Gloria Estefan, Dafnis Prieto, Trumpet Mafia, among many others. During his studies at CSU Northridge and University of Miami’s Frost School of Music, Conner had the opportunity to study with Bob McChesney, Ido Meshulam, and Dante Luciani. Currently, Conner inspires the love of music with over 400 students throughout 5 elementary schools in Southeast Clovis. When he is not performing with local jazz bands or getting students’ instruments fixed, he can usually be found playing games with friends or exploring the great outdoors.
Ren Burley
Ren Burley, originally from Tulare and now living in Visalia, serves as the Administrative Assistant for La Sierra Creative Arts Camp—a place that’s been woven into her life since the day she was born. Growing up at camp, Ren has experienced the magic from every angle: camper, counselor, activities director, and now behind the scenes supporting its mission and magic.
Ren is the Engagement + Education Manager at Salt + Light, where she supports in social media, communications, graphic design, photography, videography, and community engagement. She spends much of her work pouring into people—volunteers, neighbors experiencing homelessness, and community partners—through building genuine, lasting relationships. Ren holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Chico State University and carries a deep heart for community, connection, and filling gaps in society by supporting marginalized communities. She also has an especially soft spot for her dog, Matilda.
In her free time, Ren writes and performs her own music, creates and admires art, plays all kinds of games, and surrounds herself with the people she loves that inspire her daily. Deeply passionate about people and the power of community, Ren credits La Sierra Creative Arts Camp with helping shape the person she is today. Camp runs in her blood, and she’s grateful to continue serving a place that has opened doors and inspired generations of students and musicians across the Central Valley.
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