Our Staff

Ms. Yasmine Brackens -  District Director of Percussion, Music Teacher West Fresno Elementary School

Ms. Yasmine Brackens has been the Director of Percussion Studies for Washington Unified School District in Easton, California where she teaches concert percussion fundamentals to students in grades 5-12 since 2017. She is also teaching General Music at West Fresno Elementary School. During her time in WUSD, she has completely transformed the percussion program to ensure all students leave the program as well rounded percussionists. Under her direction, the American Union Percussion Ensemble and the Washington Union High School Percussion Ensemble have won numerous accolades, including Unanimous Superior ratings at festivals and placing 1st at numerous Winter Percussion competitions. 

Ms. Brackens attended California State University, Fresno and studied percussion under Dr. Matthew Darling. While attending Fresno State Ms. Brackens has performed in nearly every ensemble offered to her which includes the Wind Orchestra, under the direction of Gary P. Gilroy, the Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Thomas Lowenhein, and the Percussion Ensemble under the direction of Matthew Darling. Ms. Brackens has also been a member of DCI and WGI ensembles. She is an alumni of the Eta Omega chapter of the National Honorary Band Sorority, Tau Beta Sigma. Ms. Brackens currently serves on the Board of Directors for the California Band Directors Association (CBDA) as the Student Host.  

Ms. Brackens was born and raised in Fresno, Ca where she still resides. She graduated from Edison High School in 2009. In her spare time she enjoys playing and managing percussion sections for various community and summer bands in the Fresno/Clovis area, playing games on her nintendo switch, spending time with her fiance as well as being a turtle mom to her two aquatic turtles, Nugget and Squirtle.    

Mr. Jeff Jacox - Director of Bands, West Fresno Middle School 

Jeff Jacox is in his 35th year as a music educator and is starting his 9th year in the Washington Unified School District at West Fresno Middle School. Mr. Jacox began his career in Minnesota where he taught for a dozen years before coming to California.  Since that time, Mr Jacox has taught in the Kingsburg Elementary School District and at Clark Intermediate School in the Clovis School District.  Under his management, all of these programs flourished, earning consistent superior ratings at state festivals.

Throughout his career, Jacox has been actively involved in the creation of new music for wind band. In 1999, he was selected as one of 15 teachers nationally to host a composer-in-residence by the American Composers Forum for their New Band Horizons project. While teaching in Kingsburg, his band commissioned “Kingsburg Festival Overture” by San Francisco based composer, Katrina Wreede and in 2018  he created a grant through DonorsChoose.org which fully funded local composer Richard Hembree to write a 5 movement work based on Mexican folk songs that were chosen by students and their families here at West Fresno Middle School.

Throughout his career, Mr. Jacox has been selected by his peers to serve on the board of several state and local professional organizations. He currently lives in Clovis with his wife, Patricia DeBenedetto, their son Joshua and an overactive black terrier named Amadeus.

Mr. David Hinsley - Band Teacher American Union Elementary

Mr. David Hinsley has been the Assistant Band Director at Washington Union High School and Music Teacher at American Union Elementary for Washington Unified School District in Easton, California since August 2021. Mr. Hinsely received his Bachelor Degree in Music Education in 2020. He is proud to be an alumni of West Park Elementary and Washington Union High School..

Mr. Hinsley teaches Marching band basics and music fundamentals at Washington Union High School. Mr. Hinsley also directs the Washington Union Symphonic Band and the Intro to Guitar class. Mr. Hinsley is also the music teacher at American Union Elementary where he directs a general music program for K-4th grade and 5-8th grade bands. 

Mr. Hinsley's primarily instruments are the euphonium and guitar. He performed with many groups after high school including the Bulldog Marching Band and Bulldog Beat, the Fresno State Jazz ensemble, the Low Brass Ensemble, the Fresno State Wind Orchestra, and currently plays with Banda Revolucíon de Misael Gutierrez.

In his free time, he enjoys performing at gigs across the valley with Banda Revolucíon every weekend. He also enjoys working on projects for his home where he lives with his girlfriend Lesly, his dog Peaches, and two cats Smokey and Dahlia. He loves playing video games, jamming with friends, gardening, hikes and spending time with his pets. He hopes to inspire his students to share the joy of music even after their musical education.  

Mr. Fuechi Xiong - Marching Percussion Caption Head

Biography Coming Soon!

Mr. Cody Kong - Marching Band Support Staff

Biography Coming Soon!