Director

Mandar Gumaste 

B.Mus., B. Ed. 

Musical Director

Mandar is an intermediate music teacher at Longfields-Davidson Heights Secondary School in Barrhaven.  He is the former music teacher at A. Lorne Cassidy E.S. and Fielding Drive P.S. and began his teaching career at New Central P.S. in Oakville.  He has been a Band Director for over 20 years and in 2011, received the Ottawa-Carleton District School Boards Fine Arts Recognition Award for Intermediate Music.   Ensembles under his direction have performed at a very high level of excellence.  They have displayed their musical talents at the Capital Region Music Festival and Musicfest Canada Nationals, achieving many Gold Awards.  His school jazz band has won 16 consecutive Gold awards at the Capital Region Music Festival as well as 4 consecutive Most Outstanding Jazz Ensemble Awards at the Regionals. He has been the founder / director of OJJB since its inception.