¡Musica Maestro!
Walnut Park Middle School offers music to all students, through a guitar-based music curriculum, or a concert band focus. We have recently been able to offer instruction to more students thanks to the additional instruments provided by the VH1 Save the Music Foundation. We have a variety of woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments for students to choose, and we perform throughout the year for various school and community events. For more information about joining a music class see Mr. Longstreet in the music room, #206 above the STEM office.
About the Maestro
Hello everyone! My name is Mr. Sanchez and I am the music teacher here at Walnut Park Middle School SAS/SJ. I earned my bachelor’s degree in Music Education from California State University, Los Angeles. Across my musical career, I have gained experience in playing all types of music. Some of the types of music I have gained experience in include classical music, jazz, and what is known as música Regional Mexicana (Mariachi, Banda Sinaloense, Tamborazo Zacatecano, Norteño).
I became a teacher because I wanted to give back to my community and help students who faced some of the same struggles that I faced growing up. I grew up in East Los Angeles which is not that different from this community. Outside of Los Angeles Unified School District, there is a misconception that LAUSD does not produce great young musicians. I want to help change that! LAUSD is full of bright, talented musicians with great potential and I want to help them reach that potential.
As a teacher, I like to challenge students by setting high standards for them. Playing music is a skill that takes a lifetime to master because there are so many different styles of music. Music is always evolving which means there is always something new to learn. I want to help students develop a lifelong love of music and instill in them the eagerness and motivation to always keep learning and growing as a person. I like to have our students play all types of different music from various cultures. Music can be an excellent tool to teach students about different cultures and instill in them tolerance and acceptance of others.
Here at Walnut Park MS SAS/SJ, we offer band, guitar, and mariachi. We perform for various school and community events throughout the year. If you are interested in learning to play an instrument and having fun, come join us in room A206!