All parents/guardians of Band, Choir, Orchestra, and Color Guard students are encouraged to attend. Our meetings are typically held the 2nd Monday of the month, 6pm, in the Choir Room F111 opposite the Band Room F114. See the Music Department Calendar. Learn more about how you can support your child's success in music at the Boosters website mvmb.org.
John Gilchrist - Instrumental Music Director
Concert Band
Symphonic Band
Wind Ensemble
String Orchestra
Chamber Orchestra
John Gilchrist currently serves as the instrumental music director at Monta Vista High School. Born and raised in Pacifica, CA, John is a native of the San Francisco Bay Area. Mr. Gilchrist earned his BM in Music Education from San Jose State University, where he also studied percussion under the mentorship of Galen Lemmon. During his time at SJSU, Mr. Gilchrist served as principal percussionist of the SJSU Wind Ensemble and won several awards for his playing. Notably among them: First prize in the California PAS Marimba Competition, and First Place in the 2016 SJSU Concerto Competition. Following his undergraduate studies, Mr. Gilchrist would later go on to complete his student teaching at Homestead and Lynbrook High Schools. Before settling at Monta Vista, John spent one year teaching band and percussion at Milpitas High School. In his time at Monta Vista High School John has taken his groups to perform at Carnegie Hall, the Royal Conservatory of Music in London England, the Royal Scottish Symphony Hall in Glasgow, the California All State Music Education Conference (CASMEC), and the internationally acclaimed Midwest Clinic in Chicago, Illinois. In 2023, John was presented the Gilbert T. Freidas Award by the California Music Educators' Association (CMEA) Bay Section for outstanding music educator with under 7 years of teaching experience. In 2024, he was awarded the Richard L. Levin Orchestra Educator Award by the California Music Educators Association. In addition to teaching, John stays an active performer, playing regularly with San Jose Wind Symphony and as a regular performer with numerous professional ensembles throughout the Bay Area.
Lofn (LAW-fin) Young - Vocal Music Director
A Choir - "Low Key" (Tenor/Bass)
B Choir - "Esperanza" (Soprano/Alto)
Adv Treble Choir - Bella Voce (Soprano/Alto)
Mixed Vocal Choir - "Variations" (Sop/Alto/Ten/Bass)
Lofn Young is a native of Florida where she attended high school as a 4 year All-State Musician, then attended Florida State University, earning a Bachelor of Choral Music Education. They taught elementary and middle school music before teaching at a high school for 5 years, then moved to the Bay Area to get a Master's in Choral Conducting from SJSU with Dr. Jeffrey Benson. Ms. Young has been singing for about 25 years, involved in a choir of some kind every year since the age of 6, including collegiate and professional ensembles. He has performed in over 20 stage musicals, including several at equity houses, and holds several awards for performance based scholarships and competitions over the years, including NATS (The National Association for Teachers of Singing) and the SJSU Music Study Club.
Ms. Young had the opportunity to sing backup for Josh Groban on his Bridges tour, and performed with Game of Thrones on tour at Shoreline Amphitheatre as well as the SAP Center. She also served as Choirmaster for Andrea Bocelli in 2023 for his SAP Center performance, and serves as the Music Director for SJSU musical productions including Addams Family (Fall of 2023) and Cabaret (Fall of 2024).
Back to Monta Vista High School