Directors

Carlos Esquivel
Director of Bands

Mr. Esquivel has been Director of Bands at Palatine High School since 2013. He graduated in the Fall of 2007 with a B.A. in Music Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign and received his Master of Music Education at VanderCook College of Music in 2013. His ensembles have traveled and performed near and far, performing at school and community events, area festivals, and cities including New York, Washington D.C. and Orlando.

Mr. Esquivel completed his student teaching at Glenbard North High School and Jay Stream Middle School in Carol Stream, IL during the fall semester of 2007. He was the beginning band director at St. Thomas Catholic School in Philo, IL during the 2006-2007 school year and interim band director at Liberty Junior High School in New Lenox, IL during the spring of 2008. Before PHS, he was the Assistant Band Director and Jazz Band Director at James B. Conant High School in Hoffman Estates, IL from 2008 until 2013.

Mr. Esquivel's professional affiliations include the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) and the National Band Association (NBA).

On his off time, Mr. Esquivel enjoys hiking, cycling, watching live music, cheering on the Cubbies & Bears, adding to his ever-expanding CD collection, and spending time with his wife and daughter.

Katie Samayoa
Assistant Band Director

Katie Samayoa graduated from Northeastern Illinois University in 2019 with a B.M. in Music Education. Ms. Samayoa has played principal trumpet in NEIU's Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, as well as lead trumpet in the Jazz Band. She has participated in international music festivals such as the Beijing International Jazz Festival in 2014 and the Orvieto Musica Trumpet Festival in 2016. Ms. Samayoa also won the Elyse J. Mach Concerto Competition in 2019 and played the first movement of the Haydn Trumpet Concerto with the NEIU Orchestra. After that, she returned to NEIU for her master’s degree in trumpet pedagogy and is in the process of completing it. 

Outside of NEIU, Ms. Samayoa is an active performer in the Chicagoland area. In 2020 she was awarded an associate position with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. She has performed with ensembles such as The Discover Symphony and The Chicago Camerata. In addition to performing, Ms. Samayoa also teaches private lessons on trumpet and flute. 

When not playing, practicing, or performing, Ms. Samayoa enjoys listening to podcasts as well as reading and watching movies.  She is incredibly excited and honored to teach at Palatine High School! 

Steve Sinde
Drumline Instructor

Steve is a music instructor and percussionist who received his BA in performance from Columbia College in 2012, studied music education at Georgia State University from 2015-2017, and completed his licensure as an educator in the state of Illinois at Trinity College in 2018. After graduating with his performance degree, Steve spent several years pursuing performance opportunities in the worlds of symphonic, pop, and jazz music. Through his performance experience, Steve began to feel an obligation to provide a due service to the upcoming music community, so he decided to spend more time instructing. Since that decision, Steve’s passion for music education grew expansively and led to his enrollment at GSU to further his career as an educator. He is now directing 4th and 5th grade band at Fremont Intermediate School in Mundelein, IL. Steve’s belief that the arts are an essential building block in the development of the young mind drives his strong advocacy for the inclusion of music in school curriculum. While Steve has enjoyed many years as an instructor to children and adults at public and private schools, art/performance schools, after-school programs, and mentorship programs, he plans to take the realm of music education to new heights with a contemporary approach to the profession. Steve now resides in Des Plaines, IL with his wife Rachel, his son Campbell, and his dog Sally.