Education Team

Blair Roberts is the Director of Instrumental Music at WHS. She earned a B.S. Music Education in 2018 from Western Connecticut State University. Ms. Roberts is currently enrolled in the M.M. Music Education program at Eastern Kentucky University. Her primary instrument is oboe and her favorite performance venue is in a pit orchestra for musical theater. Ms. Roberts began her marching arts career as a student at Norwalk High School, and went on to begin teaching at Westhill in the summer of 2014. At Westhill, Ms. Roberts has served as a woodwind technician, choreographer, and Assistant Band Director. Ms. Roberts has also spent time teaching at Trumbull High School Golden Eagle Marching Band, and with the Connecticut Hurricanes Drum and Bugle Corps. Ms. Roberts resides in southern Fairfield County with her fiancé and their two cats, Baxter and Binx

Ariana is a music educator, arts administrator, and longtime band geek. She began playing saxophone in fourth grade and eventually joined the East Lyme Viking Marching Band and Indoor Drumline in high school. Ariana earned her Bachelor of Music in Music Education from West Chester University of Pennsylvania in 2008, where she was a clarinet major and four-year member of the battery for the Incomparable Golden Rams Marching Band. She earned her Master of Arts Administration from CUNY Baruch College in 2019. Over the course of her career, Ariana has taught instrumental and general music in grades pre-k though 12 in public and private schools in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and New York, as well as marching band and indoor percussion programs in Pennsylvania and Connecticut. Additionally, she has worked with Fusion Core (battery member 2011, drum major 2013-2014, battery visual instructor 2014, 2018), the Philadelphia Wind Symphony (charter member), and pit orchestras for school musicals and community theater groups. Ariana is currently the upper school instrumental music teacher and performing arts coordinator for a private school in Westchester County, NY, and resides in Stamford, CT with her husband Tom and their cats Bird and Eliza.

Tom has been an active writer and educator in the CT marching arts scene since graduating high school in 2011. His marching career began at Danbury High School, where he spent four years in the drumline and the final two as a battery captain. His marching career continued through WGI Independent A finalist Stamford Black Knight Independent in 2011, the Connecticut Hurricanes in 2012, and WGI World Class Finalist United Percussion in 2015. Tom also has extensive experience teaching Drum Corps, and spent three seasons at Fusion Core in Morris County, NJ as the quad tech (2013, 2014, 2018). Tom was a graduate of Western Connecticut State University’s Audio and Music Production program in 2015, studying under David Smith, Douglas O’Grady, Doug Perry, and Ed Dzubak. He currently resides in Stamford, CT, and works full time as an Audio Visual and Control Systems designer and programmer.

Mark Scocchera has been active in the competitive marching arts since 2016 as a member of the Port Chester High School Winter Percussion Ensemble. Since then, he has gone on to win three national titles with the Port Chester High School Marching Band, and most recently, the 2023 DCA Open Class Championship with the Connecticut Hurricanes. Additionally, Mark began his career as a music educator, with both the Westchester Brassmen Drum and Bugle Corps., and the Westhill High School Marching Band and Winter Percussion Ensemble. This winter, Mark will be furthering his percussive excellence as a marching member at United Percussion 2.

Jeff Martinez is a recent graduate of Westhill High School. In his time as a member of the Westhill Band and Indoor Percussion units Jeff marched bass drum as well as playing percussion In the concert band. He is thrilled to be teaching back at his alma mater. Jeff Is continuing his education at UConn Stamford and plans to continue performing in the marching arts.

Jason Laynes is 22 years old and resides in Port Chester NY, where he marched both Fall and Winter percussion at Port Chester High School. Jason has been surrounded by music his entire life. He picked up my first pair of drumsticks at only 5 years old. Jason began ensemble music in band In 4th grade and has loved every second since. Today Jason makes music independent of an ensemble because of how Important he bekieves music to be personally. Jason is very honored and excited to be at Westhill High School to share and teach his passions with future generations. Although this is his first year officially teaching, he can not wait to see where it takes him!