I am currently on the full time faculty at Mt San Antonio College in Walnut, CA, where I teach low brass lessons, studio class, chamber music, and academic courses, such as music history and appreciation.
I love Mt SAC for a number of reasons – first, because SoCal is beautiful – but mostly because I believe in the mission of two-year colleges, which is to engage with and support the local community in ways that are meaningful, and really change the landscape, in terms of what is possible for local students. One of the biggest projects I’ve undertaken is SoCal Trombone Day, which currently attracts nearly 200 teachers, professionals, and students, annually, and has brought world-class artists to the region. But, I’ve also really enjoyed working with Mt SAC students directly, and have been proud to watch them succeed, and move on to great programs, including Cal Poly Pomona, Cal State Long Beach, Cal State LA, and Cal State Fullerton.
Students choosing Mt SAC for college level study can complete the first two years of any degree plan in a music or music-related field, earn an associates degree, and then successfully transfer to a university, for the completion of a bachelors program. Best of all, it is super cost-effective, making a top notch education truly accessible to everyone! Best of all, my department is currently working on a brand new initiative to support music-learning for local high school band programs – I will be excited to share news, as it develops!
Before moving to Southern California, I taught for fifteen years at San Jacinto College, in Pasadena, TX, a suburb of Houston. Throughout that period, I also taught lessons, sectionals, and masterclasses for middle and high school students and band programs, and continue to enjoy working with students at that level today.
Dr. Karen Marston, Trombone 