Daniel Castellanos has served as the band director at Katella High School since 2024. He possesses a strong academic background, having completed graduate studies in wind conducting under the mentorship of Dr. Dustin Barr at California State University, Fullerton (CSUF), where he obtained a Master of Music degree in Wind Conducting. He also earned his Bachelor of Arts in Music Education and a teaching credential from CSUF, where he actively performed both as an ensemble player and a soloist in the CSUF University Wind Symphony and studied saxophone under the guidance of Dr. John Hallberg.

Before his current position, Castellanos taught music at Day Creek Intermediate School, John L. Golden Elementary, and C.P. Lightfoot Elementary. During his time at these schools, his ensembles received Unanimous Superior ratings from the Southern California Band and Orchestra Association. Additionally, his students have consistently been selected to perform with prestigious honor groups, such as the SCSBOA All-Southern and CBDA All-State honor ensembles, and the RCC Sousa Honor Band

His passion for fostering the growth of young musicians drives him to advocate for music education in public schools, ensuring that future generations have the opportunity to experience the transformative power of music. With a commitment to excellence and a heart for mentorship, Daniel Castellanos strives to inspire and empower his students to reach their full potential.

Marc Young was born and raised in Southern California. He is an educator and designer in the marching arts, teaching several groups in the Orange County area. Marc was the Percussion Caption Head and Program Coordinator for Impulse Drum and Bugle Corps (2018-2020) and has also taught for other independent groups, including Odyssey Indoor Percussion (2017) and Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps (2022). Marc is the founder of Instinct Percussion (2019-present), where he serves as the Program Director and Battery Arranger. Groups he has marched with include Impulse Drum and Bugle Corps (2010 - 2012, 2014) and POW Percussion (2012).

Marc is an active performer with Aerial Experience Productions, a professional performance group that showcases various forms of artistry, including aerial acrobatics, dance, and rudimental percussion. In addition to his experience in music, he is also involved in theater, where he performs, collaborates, and devises work in the Los Angeles area and is a founding member of Contigo Theatre Company. Marc attended California State University, Long Beach, where he studied Music Performance and Theater.

Marc is a proud endorser of Vic Firth and Zildjian.

James Gow is a Southern California native with years of experience as a visual instructor, designer, and choreographer.

As a visual designer, James has worked with Southwind Drum and Bugle Corps (2017-2018) and The Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps (2018-2022), and serves as the drill designer and choreographer for multiple high school programs across the country.  He also designs visual programs for scholastic and independent winter drumlines and is currently a choreographer and visual instructor for WGI gold medalist, Broken City Percussion.  

James serves as one of the current visual caption heads for The Mandarins Drum and Bugle Corps, as well as the caption head, visual designer, and choreographer for BOA semi-finalist Vista Murrieta High School.  He has been a member of the visual staff for the Sacramento Mandarins (2011), The Cadets (2012), and The Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps (2013-2018).

Alexis teaches the visual programs at Westminster High School (2019-present), Loara High School (2022-present), and Katella High School. Outside of teaching high school programs in the Southern California area, she was also the visual caption head for Impulse Drum and Bugle Corps from 2019-2020 as well as the caption head and associate director for Instinct Percussion (2020-current). Her marching experience includes Impulse Drum and Bugle Corps (2011, 2013) and the Troopers Drum and Bugle Corps (2014, 2017). She holds a bachelor’s degree in Communications from CSU Los Angeles.

Rich Gordon has been the band director at Sycamore Jr. High School since 2002, and he has taken great pride in developing a well-rounded music program at Sycamore.  Mr. Gordon has been invited to conduct several honor bands, including the RCC Honor Band, the ABCUSD Honor Band, and the HLPUSD Honor Band.  Rich has served as a percussion instructor, composer, arranger, and show designer for many high schools in southern California, including Anaheim, Katella, Magnolia, Saddleback, Savanna, and Trabuco Hills High Schools.  With over 25 years of experience writing and teaching for high schools and junior high schools, Rich has led his students to many successful and educational seasons that included several championships and medals in various circuits, including S.C.S.B.O.A., W.B.A., A.D.L.A., S.C.P.A., and W.G.I.  As a performer, Rich marched with both the Pacific Crest and the Santa Clara Vanguard Drum Corps (where he won a D.C.I. Championship), and he worked as a percussionist at Disneyland for many years. Currently, Rich serves as an adjudicator for the S.C.S.B.O.A. field tournaments and has also served as the percussion caption coordinator and percussion representative on the Field Adjudication Steering Committee. Mr. Gordon received his B.A. from California State University, Fullerton, and his Master's Degree in Music at the University of Southern Oregon. 

Kaho Akiya is a designer and color guard instructor based in Southern California, with a BFA in Illustration from California State University, Long Beach. She combines her artistic background with a deep passion for the performing arts to create impactful visual experiences both on and off the floor.

Kaho began her color guard journey as a performer at Palm Desert Charter Middle School (2007–2010) and Palm Desert High School (2010–2015). In 2016, she performed with Diamante Winterguard’s Independent Open team before transitioning into a teaching role. Since then, she has dedicated herself to developing young performers as an instructor.

Currently, Kaho serves as the Color Guard Director at Westminster High School (2017–present) and Katella High School (2025–present). Her teaching experience also includes Edison High School, Mater Dei High School, Instinct Percussion, and other programs throughout Southern California.

In addition to her work in instruction, Kaho has been designing costumes and floors for color guard and indoor percussion ensembles since 2018. She is currently a Costume Designer at Creative Costuming & Designs, where her custom creations have been featured by programs across the country.

Amanda Pagett began her Color Guard career as a performer at Los Alamitos High School(2009 to 2014). Following her time as a high school performer, she went on to march with Fantasia Winterguard in 2015 and 2018, performing at WGI World Championships and establishing herself in the competitive Color Guard community.

In 2015, Amanda transitioned into teaching, quickly establishing herself as a dedicated and skilled instructor. She has since worked with several prominent schools throughout Southern California, including Westminster High School, Mater Dei High School, Chino Hills High School, and Gahr High School. This year, she is excited to join Katella High School, where she looks forward to contributing to the program's growth and success.

In addition to her teaching role, Amanda is a Costume Designer and Print Coordinator at Creative Costuming & Designs. In this role, she applies her expertise in Color Guard design to create costumes for performers nationwide, all while further honing her skills and expanding her experience in the field.

Christopher Fausto is a color guard instructor and performer based in Southern California. He's a passionate performer who utilizes skills acquired from multiple programs he has been a part of to educate his students on the art of color guard effectively. 

Chris began his color guard journey as a performer at Mater Dei High School (2015-2018). In 2020, he marched with a newly formed group titled Fantasia. After that, he went on to march with Fantasia’s world-class group in 2021. Later, he marched with another newly formed independent open-class group, titled Zoetic (2022). After that, he marched with an independent open-class group, titled Emerald, for two years (2023-2024). Finally, he marched with a parade group for three consecutive years titled Socal Pride colorguard (2023-2025). He continues to seek new opportunities to fuel his passion for performing while maintaining his role as an educator.

Currently, Chris serves as a color guard instructor at Gahr High School (2022-present), Lakewood High School (2025-present), and Katella High School (2025-present). His teaching experience also includes Westminster High School (2018-2025), Mater Dei High School, Ross Middle School, Edison High School, and other programs in Southern California.