Staff

Mr Golden

DIRECTOR OF BANDS

Titan Marching Band and Color Guard

Symphonic Band

Concert Band

Concert Percussion

Winter Percussion

Winter Guard

CONTACT

cgolden@centralunified.org

(559) 276-3185 school

Mr. Golden joined the staff at Rio Vista in Fall 2022. He teaches Band PE, Intermediate Winds, Advanced Winds, Percussion, and Guard. Under his direction, students in these classes perform at local and regional events including The Big Fresno Fair Big Band Review, California Music Educators Association (CMEA) Central Band Festivals, Fresno-Madera Counties Music Educators Association (FMCMEA) Honor Band, San Joaquin Valley Color Guard and Percussion Review (SJVCGPR), and Music in the Parks Festivals. Program achievements during his time at Rio include 1st Place for Concert Band at the Great America Music in the Parks Festival in 2023 and 2024, 3rd Place for Winter Percussion at SJVCGPR Show #2 in 2024, and Unanimous Superior ratings at CMEA Festivals for Concert Band in 2023 and 2024. Most recently, the Rio Vista Concert Band has been selected to perform at the CMEA State Festival at Sonoma State University in April 2025.

Before Rio Vista, Mr. Golden served as Director of Bands at El Capitan Middle School from 2014-2017 where he taught Marching Band, Concert Band, Percussion, and String Orchestra. He received the Eagle Service Award in 2016 and was nominated for Central Unified Teacher of the Year in Spring of 2017.

Mr. Golden has also held adjunct faculty positions at CSU Fresno, CSU Stanislaus, Fresno Pacific University, and College of the Sequoias. His horn students have been selected for NAFME National Honor Band, CBDA All-State Honor Band, CODA All-State Honor Orchestra, FMCMEA Honor Band and Orchestra, and earned Unanimous Superior ratings at CMEA State and Regional Solo Festivals.

Mr. Golden received his Bachelor of Music degree in Horn Performance from Northwestern University Spring 2010, studying Horn with Gail Williams and William Barnewitz. He received his Master of Music degree from UNLV Spring 2013 in Wind Conducting, studying conducting with Tom Leslie, Anthony LaBounty, and Zane Douglass, and horn with Bill Bernatis. Mr. Golden earned his Teaching Credential from CSU Fresno and was honored as an Outstanding Credential Applicant from the Kremen School of Education.

Mr. Madden

Woodwind Instructor

Steven Madden is a music educator and woodwind specialist and has trained and performed extensively in both jazz and classical genres. He holds a performance degree from CSU, Hayward (now CSU, East Bay), and has studied clarinet with David Alvarado, Eiji Maruko, and William Wohlmacher, saxophone with Daniel Zinn, and jazz with Dave Eschelman and Mike Dana. At CSU, Hayward, Steven participated in wind ensembles under Timothy Smith and jazz bands under Dave Eschelmann, in addition to forming and directing his own jazz quintet in the Bay Area.

Steven is a regular member of the Sequoia Symphony Orchestra, and the Russell S. Howland Clarinet Choir. He has also enjoyed performances with the Fresno Philharmonic and The Fresno Grand Opera Orchestra, among others, and is a founding member of the FCC Jazz Composers’ Orchestra. He performs regularly with local and visiting jazz bands, and has performed with entertainers such as Gladys Knight, Johnny Matthis, Wayne Newton, Bob Newhart, Regis Philbin, Don Rickles, The Temptations, and The Four Tops.

A veteran educator, Steven has taught woodwinds privately for over two decades and music in public schools for the past twenty-four years.

Ariell Ompad

Percussion Director, Garza HS

Stephanie Riley

Percussion Technician

Saul Ortiz

Guard Technician

Saul Ortiz attended Clovis High School and competed with their marching band and colorguard for both Fall and Winter seasons. Saul graduated from Fresno State with a B.S. in Business Administration, Accounting, and from Sacramento State with an M.S. in Accounting

Saul has mentored students from elementary to high school across various Fresno-area districts. Saul's journey began as a student volunteer and progressed to instructing at multiple schools, including Clark Intermediate, Clovis High, Glacier Point, Central East, Sunnyside High, and Kings Canyon Middle. A brief departure to Sacramento for further studies allowed Saul to teach at West Park High School in Roseville. Returning to Fresno reaffirmed a passion for education and the world of colorguard.

Saul is excited to start instructing at Rio Vista and see what the future holds for the program and Central Unified School District’s growth in this sport of the arts.

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