ABOUT LVA BAND

JOHN SEATON serves as the Director of Bands at the Las Vegas Academy of the Arts, an arts magnet school in the Clark County (Las Vegas) School District, one of the largest school districts in the country. Mr. Seaton is in his 9th year at the Las Vegas Academy of the Arts and his 5th year as Director of Bands. His responsibilities include conducting the Wind Ensemble (V3) and Symphonic Band (V1), Co-Conducting the Philharmonic Orchestra (O4) and teaching Woodwind Techniques. Ensembles under Mr. Seaton’s direction have consistently garnered superior ratings in adjudication, and maintain an active schedule of travel and conference performances, recently receiving the invitations to perform at the 76th annual Midwest Clinic in 2022 and the Western International Band Clinic in 2023, and performing at and hosting the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA) W/NW Division Conference (2024). In 2018, Mr. Seaton was recognized as a “Teacher of Influence” at a reception hosted at UNLV, in which a recent LVA graduate submitted an essay highlighting his influence on their path to college. Mr. Seaton was recently selected by a student panel of the Las Vegas Young Artists Orchestra as the 2023 "High School Music Teacher of the Year," for "going above and beyond to offer students unique musical experiences, inspiring students to succeed, and exposing students to diverse repertoire, styles, and genres."

As a saxophonist, he has performed multiple times with both the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Las Vegas Philharmonic, and has performed concerti as a soloist with both the Wright State University Chamber Orchestra and Symphony Orchestra, the Miami Valley Symphony Orchestra, and The Desert Winds. Additionally, he has given recitals across the United States and on the international stage, including performances at multiple North American Saxophone Alliance (NASA) Conferences, the U.S. Navy Band International Saxophone Symposium, the Ohio Music Education Association (OMEA) State Conference, the Blue Wisp Jazz Club, and both a solo and quartet recital of world premieres at the 2012 World Saxophone Congress XVI in St. Andrews, Scotland.

Consistently in demand as a guest clinician and private instructor, Mr. Seaton has been invited to conduct honor bands including the Wright State University High School Honor Band (2020), Making Music Matter Foundation Summer Honor Winds (2017-present), and the Lake Tahoe Music Camp Symphonic Band (2023, 2024). He has previously taught applied saxophone lessons for the Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University, and district-wide clinics for the Clark County School District, and high schools across the United States. Students under his instruction have been accepted into the saxophone studios at the University of Michigan, Northwestern University, Youngstown State University, Wright State University, the Interlochen Saxophone Institute, and the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. An avid writer, he has been published multiple times by The Instrumentalist magazine with articles including “Adjusting Saxophone Fingerings” and “The Art of Teaching Saxophone: An Interview with Timothy McAllister.” Mr. Seaton has also recently presented invited sessions at both the Arts Schools Network and Nevada Music Teachers Association conferences.

Outside of the classroom, Mr. Seaton serves as the Associate Conductor and Principal Saxophonist of The Desert Winds: A Contemporary Wind Ensemble, which recently traveled to perform at The Midwest Clinic in 2016. The organization features a roster of performers that include many local music educators, college students and freelance musicians. Since its debut, the Desert Winds has reached thousands of people through both inspiring performances and educational programs. Mr. Seaton also serves as the wind section coach for the Las Vegas Young Artists Orchestra, a high school/collegiate extracurricular youth orchestra.

Mr. Seaton holds an M.M. in Saxophone Performance with Program Honors from the Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University and a B.M. in Music Education, summa cum laude, from the Wright State University School of Music. His primary teachers include Timothy McAllister and Shelley Jagow. Mr. Seaton is a Conn-Selmer Artist, D’Addario Woodwinds Artist, and Key Leaves artist. He performs exclusively on Selmer Paris saxophones, D’Addario reeds, and uses Key Leaves saxophone care products.

CHANDLER SISON is currently the Associate Director of Bands at the Las Vegas Academy of the Arts. His responsibilities there include conducting the Wind Symphony, Co-Conducting the Symphony Orchestra, as well as teaching Chamber Music, Brass Methods, and Music Theory.

He was formerly Associate Director of Bands at Desert Pines High School, in Las Vegas, from 2019-2021 where he assisted instrumental music ensembles, taught music appreciation and piano. Previous positions include teaching orchestra at Kenny Guinn Middle School and most recently was the Music Teacher at J.T. McWilliams Elementary School, in Las Vegas, NV reviving the choir program bringing them to the festivals including the Area Music Festival and Orff Festival.

In his youth, Mr. Sison attended the Interlochen Summer Arts Camp on a full ride Emerson Scholarship and held Principal Trombone in the World Youth Symphony Orchestra (WYSO) for the full duration of the camp. Mr. Sison teaches trombone private lessons to students in the Las Vegas valley and has given trombone clinics to high schools in CCSD and conducted trombone sectionals for the Making Music Matter Foundation’s “Band Camp Reimagined.”

He has performed multiple times with the Las Vegas Philharmonic, Vegas City Opera and Las Vegas Little Theatre. Mr. Sison has performed with the Honolulu Brass Quintet and remains on the sub list for Hawaii Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Hawaiian Band. His most active performing role is in the Desert Winds: A Contemporary Wind Ensemble as Principal Trombone. He has conducted the Desert Winds on several occasions.

Mr. Sison holds a Bachelor’s in Music Education  from University of Las Vegas, Nevada, summa cum laude with program honors. Primary trombone teachers have been Jason Byerlotzer and Nathan Tanouye.