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Mark de la Vega (DLV) received a Masters in Music Education from the American Band College through Central Washington University (2018). He completed a single subject teaching credential from the Bob Cole Conservatory at CSU Long Beach (2011), and he double majored at UC Irvine, earning a BA in Political Science and a BM in Percussion Performance with a minor in Educational Studies (2008). He also earned an International Baccalaureate Diploma (2004).
Prior to joining the faculty at Canyon High School, he taught music at Pete Knight High School, San Marino High School, Quartz Hill High School, and Chaparral Middle School. His bands have qualified for SCSBOA Championships and his ensembles have received Superior or Unanimous Superior ratings at Festival. He has been an arranger and coach for several marching band and drumline programs including Canyon HS, Savanna HS, Esperanza HS, El Modena HS, Irvine HS, University HS, and Highland HS. He served as Drum Major (06-07) and tour director (10-11) for Pacific Crest Drum & Bugle Corps. He is a charter member of Pulse Percussion (2005) and earned a WGI Silver and SCPA Gold with Riverside Community College Winterline (2008). He is also a co-founder of the West Coast Performance Association (WCPA), a competitive circuit in an underserved area dedicated to providing performance opportunities for young people and providing meaningful feedback for improvement.
Cameron Hartich, Woodwoods Coach
Cameron Hartich is a professional oboist, English horn player, woodwind educator, and repair technician. He holds an MM in Oboe Performance from San Diego State University (2024), where he studied with Sarah Skuster, principal oboist of the San Diego Symphony Orchestra, and a BM in Oboe Performance from California State University, Northridge (2022). Cameron has performed with the San Diego City Ballet Orchestra and San Diego Winds. He now lives back in Los Angeles and performs regularly across Southern California as an active freelancer, gigging with a wide variety of groups and styles.
Cameron maintains a private teaching studio where he primarily teaches oboe but also offers lessons on most woodwind instruments. He coaches sectionals and is a professional woodwind instrument repair technician, having completed five summers of intensive internship training in that area.
Bob Lawrence, Low Brass Section Coach
Bob Lawrence was born in Orange County, California. He began playing trombone at the age of 10 and quickly fell in love with the world of jazz. He won spots in the All-Southern California All-Star Jazz Band every year from 2002-2008. From 2008-2010 Bob attended Saddleback College and studied under the direction of Joey Sellers. During that time Bob won the South Orange County Concerto Competition for his performance of the Morceau Symphonique. He graduated from the Los Angeles College of Music and has been living in LA where he's quickly establishing himself as a respected and highly in-demand trombone player, arranger, and music educator.
Bob has played trombone for Ebi Hamedi, Googoosh, Geronimo Rauch, Andy Montañez, the Billy Vaughn Orchestra, Craig Cammel Orchestra, the Baba Orchestra, the Afro-Peruvian Jazz Orchestra (currently nominated for two Latin Grammys for the album Tradiciones), Kim Richmond Orchestra, Luis Enrique, Tony Vega, Poncho Sanchez and his Latin Jazz Band, and many more bands and musicians around the world.
Jesse Katz, Low Strings and Jazz Rhythm Section Coach
Jesse Katz is a bassist, composer, and educator, based in Los Angeles, CA. He recently relocated from Miami, Florida, where he was very active as a bandleader and sideman in the region’s vibrant music scene. Over the years, Jesse has shared the stage with jazz luminaries Danilo Pérez, Brian Blade, John Patitucci, and Maria Schneider, to name a few. In addition to local venues, he has performed at the Greek Theatre, Detroit Jazz Festival, and St. Petersburg Jazz Festival. Recently, Jesse collaborated with filmmaker Karla Caprali to compose an original jazz score for “South of Fifth,” a short film that was invited to be screened at the prestigious Miami Film Festival.
Jesse has an ever-growing recording pedigree as a sideman, and is a member of the working bands of Jason Charos, Camilo Molina, and Marcelo Camacho, among others. Jesse is a graduate of the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, and Global Jazz Institute at the Berklee College of Music.
Stephen Hufford, Concert Percussion/All The Things
Stephen Hufford is thrilled to be back working with the exceptional ensembles in the Canyon High School Instrumental Music Program. Stephen graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with a Bachelor of Art in Music Education and Percussion Performance. At UCLA, he participated in and led several musical ensembles including the UCLA Bruin Marching Band as Head Drum Major and the UCLA Symphonic Band as Student Conductor. He then graduated from the American Band College of Central Washington University with his Master’s Degree in Music Education.
Stephen worked as a full-time band director in the William S. Hart School District with 8 years at Canyon High School and 2 years at West Ranch High School. In that time he taught Wind Ensembles, Percussion Ensembles, Jazz Ensembles, Orchestras, Marching Bands, and AP Music Theory.
Stephen has worked with renowned composers and conductors such as Frank Ticheli, Robert W. Smith, and Richard Floyd. He adjudicates state and local honor band auditions, judges festivals, and works as a guest clinician. Stephen loves working with the students at Canyon High School and strives to share his knowledge and passion for music for many years to come.
Holly Knoch, High Strings Coach
Holly Knoch is a violinist from Dallas, Texas, based in Los Angeles. She has most recently studied under the tutelage of Andrew McIntosh at the California Institute of the Arts, during which she received both modern and baroque violin instruction.
Holly works in the LA area as a freelancer, improviser, arranger and teacher. She has played with many orchestras including the Galveston Symphony Orchestra, the American Youth Symphony, and has been part of collaborations with REDCAT. Holly enjoys playing many styles of music, including fiddling, experimental, classical and baroque. She currently plays with Los Angeles Baroque as their Concert Associate on baroque violin.
Holly holds a Masters of Music for violin performance from the California Institute of the Arts and a Bachelor of Music for violin performance from the University of Houston.
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