Band Directors Association
2014 Honor Band Guest Conductors
Senior Honor Band
Jonathon Grantham
Jonathan Grantham, director of bands at Amador Valley High School in
Pleasanton, California, directs a band program of 300 students involved in five
concert ensembles, two jazz bands, the marching band, chamber ensembles,
winter percussion, and winter guard.
In his eleven years at Amador Valley the band program has grown to more
than double in size and has earned consistent superior ratings and high honors
at each event entered. Amador's top wind ensemble performed at the CBDA
state conference in 2007 and 2010 and most recently performed at the 67th
Annual Midwest Clinic in Chicago.
Mr. Grantham is active as an adjudicator, clinician and guest conductor. He
was an executive board member for CMEA Bay Section, currently serves as
past-president of the Western Band Association and served for five years on the
Special Projects Committee for California Band Directors Association. He is also
involved with several development committees on the Amador campus.
Jonathan received his bachelor's degree in music education/trombone
performance from Central Michigan University, graduating magna cum laude, and
has affiliations with several professional organizations. He recently completed
his master’s degree in conducting at the American Band College of Sam Houston
State University.
He was accepted into Who's Who Among America's Teachers, earned a
citation of excellence from the National Band Association, received the Prudential
Realty of California's Outstanding Educator's Award, was recognized by
Pleasanton Rotary North as an Outstanding Teacher of the Year, and earned an
Excellence in Education Award from Pleasanton Unified School District in 2009.
Most recently, Mr. Grantham was a recipient of the Crystal Apple Award for
Excellence in Education and was chosen as Pleasanton Unified School District's
2012-2013 Teacher of the Year.
Junior Honor Band
Jay Posteraro
Jay Posteraro is currently in his 20th year as band director at Mesa Verde Middle School in the Poway Unified School District. He is originally from New York and has been in California over 20 years. Mr. Posteraro earned music degrees from the State University of New York Potsdam (Crane School of Music) and the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music.
Mr. Posteraro’s bands at Mesa Verde consistently receive outstanding ratings at music festivals throughout California. In March 2011, The Mesa Verde Select Ensemble won the Chicago Festival of Gold, the first time in the thirty-year history of the festival a middle school group has gained such distinction. Jay has conducted the Escondido Middle School Honor Band twice, the San Diego Unified School District Honor Band, and the Anaheim Union School District Honor Band. He is also the director of the University of San Diego Pep Band, so Jay is never far from his college basketball!
Mr. Posteraro is an active trumpet player, having performed throughout the country, most notably as a member of the All-American College Orchestra in Disney World and as a musician at Busch Gardens, VA. In addition, he performs regularly in San Diego as a member/owner of Select Brass, a recently named performer with the Pacific Sound Brass Quintet, and as an in demand musician/clinician. Mr. Posteraro’s professional memberships include MENC, CMEA, SCSBOA, and the International Trumpet Guild. Jay was recently named the Poway Unified School District Teacher of the Year for the 2013-2014 school year and a Top-Ten Finalist for San Diego County Teacher of the Year. Additionally, he was named California Music Educators Association-Southern Border Section Educator of the Year for 2013.
Jay believes in teaching his students life skills through music in his band classroom. His philosophy is why settle for good when you can be great. Always be better than you think you can be!
