ENSEMBLES 2014

Homestead High School Symphonic Wind Ensemble

Homestead High School is a comprehensive public high school located in Cupertino, California, a one-hour drive south of San Francisco, in the heart of the “Silicon Valley”. Homestead’s enrollment is approximately 2,200 students. Homestead has been honored as a “National Blue Ribbon” School.

Over 500 students are enrolled in the music program at Homestead which includes three concert choirs, two orchestras, Music Appreciation, Advanced Placement Music Theory, instrumental and vocal jazz ensembles, and three concert bands, which combine with the Homestead Color Guard to form the 220-member Homestead Marching Band, one of only 10 bands selected nation-wide to perform in the 2011 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade!

In addition to consistently earning high ratings at regional festivals, the Homestead Wind Ensemble has performed in the following venues:
2011, Evening Concert, Carnegie Hall, New York City
2011, Command Performance at the Pacific Basin Music Festival, Honolulu, Hawaii
2010, CMEA State Conference Featured Performance, Sacramento, California
2009, Gold Award, International Music Festival, Sydney Opera House, Sydney, Australia
2007, Showcase concert, New York Band and Orchestra Festival, Carnegie Hall
2005, Special Guest Band, Charity Concert for the Children of the World, Tokyo, Japan
2003, Youth and Music Festival, Vienna, Austria
2001, Alpine Music Festival, Saas-Fee, Switzerland

John Hamilton Burn

Director

John Burn is the Music Department Chair at Homestead where he has taught since 1991. He teaches Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, Marching Band, Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, and Music Genesis, a computer-based Music Appreciation course.
John is humbled and honored to have recently received several significant commendations including: 2012 CMEA (California Music Educators Association) “President’s Award”, 2011 Teacher of the Year, awarded by the City of Sunnyvale Chamber of Commerce, 2010 CMEA “Don Schmeer/Byron Hoytt” California Band Director of the Year Award, and John is a 2009 Inductee to the John Philip Sousa Foundation’s Bandworld Legion of Honor.
John is a Past-President of the California Band Directors Association (CBDA), the Bay Section of CMEA, and the Santa Clara County Band Directors Association and has adjudicated and/or guest conducted in California, Nevada, Australia and France.

Eric Weingartner

Associate Director

Eric Weingartner is currently in his fourth year as the Associate Director of Bands at Homestead High School in Cupertino, California. He teaches the concert band, symphonic band, wind ensemble, and marching band. This year he is also teaching band and orchestra at Monta Vista High School in Cupertino, California.
In 2010 the Homestead marching band placed 3^rd in WBA 4A/5A State Finals, in 2011 the Homestead marching band performed in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Ensembles under his direction have received Superior and Unanimous Superior ratings at CMEA concert band festivals.
In the fall of 2005 Eric began his undergraduate studies in music education at Arizona State University, where he studied with renowned tubist and Breathing Gym author, Sam Pilafian.
In the spring of 2010, Eric earned his bachelors degree in music education from Butler University, where he sat principal euphonium in the wind ensemble and taught private lessons throughout the Indianapolis area.
Since moving to Northern California Eric has become very involved in the music community performing with the San Jose Wind Symphony, Silicon Valley Brass Band, and Chabot Wind Symphony. He currently maintains a private studio of tuba and euphonium players that have earned spots in the CBDA All-State concert bands.
Since 2011 Eric has been on staff for the Blue Devils B Drum and Bugle Corps from Concord, California. In 2011 Blue Devils B was the Drum Corps International Open Class Champion. In 2012 Eric moved into the role of Brass Caption Head, and the brass has earned 2nd place finishes in DCI Open Class each year.
Eric's professional affiliations include NAfME, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and the California Band Directors Association.

Competition Program

Additional Concerts Program