Jeremy Zander has been a band director in Beaverton School District since 2010. Having taught at Southridge High School for seven years, Mr. Zander moved to Mountainside High School when it opened in 2017 and has been here ever since! Prior to his time with Beaverton School District, Mr. Zander taught middle school band for three years in Tigard-Tualatin School District and two years in Salem-Keizer Public Schools. He holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education & Flute Performance from the University of Oregon and a Master of Music from Sam Houston State University. While at the University of Oregon, he received the Outstanding Service Award and graduated Magna Cum Laude.

Mr. Zander’s responsibilities at Mountainside include instructing and conducting the Wind Ensemble, Concert Band, Percussion Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, and Music Theory course. Under Mr. Zander’s direction, the bands at Mountainside have earned many recognitions, including Metro League Championships in Wind Ensemble and Jazz Band and several top-five finishes at the OSAA 6A State Band Championships. Mr. Zander is active as an adjudicator and clinician for several programs around the Pacific Northwest. He is a member of the Oregon Band Directors Association, the National Band Association, Phi Beta Mu, and has served on the executive board of the Oregon Music Education Association.

Blake Kuroiwa is a secondary teacher at Mountainside High School in the Beaverton School District. During the school day, Blake teaches STEM and IB Chemistry as well as being the AVID site coordinator. He also serves as Mountainside’s Auxiliary Director of Bands alongside Jeremy Zander. In this role, Blake directs, coordinates, and conducts the marching band and musical pit orchestra. Blake is excited and honored to be able to be a part of the Mountainside community in such an integral way! As a graduate from Pacific University, he has a Master of Arts in Teaching and Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, Music Education, & Music Performance.

Blake is an active instructor of the marching pageantry community in the Pacific Northwest. He has worked at numerous schools in the area including Sherwood HS, Westview HS, Southridge HS, Liberty HS, Mt. View MS, Highland Park MS, Meadow Park MS, and West Hills Christian School. Currently, he is the Program Director and Music Caption Head at Mountainside HS. In addition, he serves as the secretary for the Northwest Association for Performing Arts (NWAPA).

A Seattle native, Katy began her colorguard career at the age of 7, where she performed with Full Circle Winterguard for 11 years. In 2009 she traveled south to the Portland area where she performed with North by Northwest Winterguard in 2009, OC Indoor 2011-2013, and OC Independent 2014. Katy was a member of the Seattle Cascades Drum Corps in 2005, 2006 and 2007. She aged out in 2011 with the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps. Katy has been with Mountainside since the beginning, but she has also worked with Southridge High School for 7 years, 6 of which she was the Colorguard Director, the Oregon Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps for 5 years, 2 of which she was the Assistant Colorguard Caption Head. Outside of colorguard she also works with both Mountainside and Central Catholic High School's Drama program choreographing the musical productions.

Shannon Jackson is a percussionist and music educator from Sherwood, Oregon. Throughout high school and college, Shannon has been involved in marching percussion, concert percussion, chamber music, and music education. She is a graduate from Southern Oregon University, where she has studied under Terry Longshore, with a Bachelor of Science in Music. During her time at Southern Oregon University, Shannon has been given many performance opportunities such as the Northwest Percussion Festival, the Bang on a Can Long Play Festival in New York City, and marching in the Endymion parade in New Orleans. 

She began teaching during her sophomore year of high school, where she had the opportunity to work with the Sherwood Cadet Percussion Ensemble, and teach percussion lessons, and has loved to teach ever since. Shannon began working with the Mountainside Marching Ensemble in 2021, and is excited to continue to grow with this program in a new and more involved way.

Connor Westman is a student at Portland Community College, currently preparing to transfer to a four-year university to pursue a degree in music education. A dedicated trumpet player with nearly two decades of experience, Connor has a strong background in both performance and instruction. His performance experience includes three years with the Sunset High School marching band, four seasons of Drum Corps International with the Troopers from Casper, Wyoming, and one season of Winter Guard International with Impact Percussion from Kennewick, Washington.

Connor has been on the instructional staff at Mountainside High School from 2022 and is excited to serve in a new leadership role as the Visual Caption Head for the marching band program.