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All-State Festival Conductors
The Nevada Music Educators Association (NMEA) is hosting the All-State Festival, which features guest conductors from diverse professional backgrounds. These conductors bring a wealth of experience in music education, encompassing both elementary and secondary schools as well as university, military, and professional levels. Our goal is to provide our students and teachers with a unique musical, motivational, and educational experience.
2027 Nevada All-State High School
Band Conductor
High School Band Conductor
Jason Caslor
Associate Professor of Music and Director of Bands at Arizona State University
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Born and raised in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, Canada, Jason Caslor is currently an associate professor of music and the director of bands at Arizona State University (ASU). In addition to directing the wind ensemble, he also mentors graduate conducting students and teaches undergraduate and graduate conducting courses. Recent highlights include the ASU Wind Ensemble’s commercial recordings of Kevin Day’s Concerto for Wind Ensemble and Nicole Piunno’s Sunflower Studies, being a recipient of the Canadian Band Association’s 2022 International Band Award, presenting at the 2024 WASBE Conference (Gwangju, South Korea) and the 2024 Midwest Clinic, and guest conducting the United States Army Field Band.
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From 2015-2019, Caslor was an assistant professor and the associate director of bands and orchestras at ASU. Highlights of that time include founding the now firmly established ASU Philharmonia and being nominated for ASU’s Outstanding Master’s Mentor Award. From 2010-2015, Caslor was an assistant professor of instrumental conducting at Memorial University in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada where he conducted the wind ensemble and oversaw the undergraduate and graduate instrumental conducting programs. Prior to that, he spent three seasons as resident conductor with the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra (TBSO). During his tenure with the TBSO, he conducted more than 75 concerts (including a CBC Radio national broadcast) and recorded a full-length, internationally distributed CD with Canadian blues artist Rita Chiarelli.
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A Conn-Selmer Educational Clinician, Caslor has guest conducted or adjudicated in every province in Canada and throughout the United States. In addition to numerous regional engagements, Caslor has conducted the National Youth Band of Canada, the South Dakota All State Band, the South Dakota Intercollegiate Band, and the Alberta Wind Symphony.
A fiercely proud Canadian currently living amongst cacti, Caslor’s co-founding and leadership over the Canadian Band Association’s (CBA) Howard Cable Memorial Prize in Composition lead to him being the recipient of the CBA’s 2022 International Band Award. The award recognizes those individuals who have embraced the ideals of the CBA and have contributed to the promotion, growth and development of the musical, educational and cultural values of Canadian band outside of Canada.
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As a researcher, he has presented his work at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, the WASBE International Conference, the CBDNA National Conference, the IGEB International Conference on Wind Music, the International Society for Music Education World Conference, and the Riksförbundet Unga Musikanter Wind Band Symposium (Sweden). He has also published numerous articles, most prominently in the Canadian Winds journal.
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Caslor completed his doctorate in conducting at Arizona State University. Prior to earning a master’s in conducting from the University of Manitoba, he earned dual bachelor’s in music and education from the University of Saskatchewan, Canada.
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2027 Nevada All-State Middle School band Conductor
Middle School Band Conductor
LORI K. HART
Conductor and Educator Wickenburg School Bands​
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All bands, small to large, beginning band to college and community band level, are essential. This has been the guiding force behind the 47 year career of Lori K. Hart. Bands under Ms. Hart’s direction have enjoyed consistent superior ratings, Best in Class awards, and Grand Championships including the 2021 Alabama 3A Marching Band Champion. The Wicksburg High School Symphonic Band, under Ms. Hart’s direction, performed at the 2020 Alabama Music Educators Professional Development Conference.
Lori currently teaches in Hoover, AL with the Berry Middle School and Spain Park High School band programs as the instrumental music intervention teacher. Ms. Hart is also currently serving as Past President of the Alabama Bandmasters Association. During Ms. Hart’s time as ABA District VIII Chairman, she established the John M. Long Memorial Scholarship for deserving band students in the
district. Twice her peers elected Ms. Hart as the Wicksburg High School Teacher of the Year, and in 2020 she was the Secondary Teacher of the Year for Houston County Schools. In April of 2024, Lori was presented with the Outstanding Bandmaster Award from the Rho Chapter of Phi Beta Mu and was selected as one of the 50 Music Teachers Who Make a Difference by the School Band and Orchestra Magazine for 2024. Ms. Hart was most recently bestowed membership into the inaugural class of the Fanfare Society of Distinguished Alumni from the Troy University Band Alumni Association.
Sought throughout the United States as a clinician and educator, Ms. Hart’s recent engagements include the Midwest Clinic, The Honor Band of Nevada, Athena Music and Leadership Summit, SEUS Middle School Honor Band, UNA Honor Band, SEUS High School Honor Band and numerous All-District and All-County Honor Bands Ms. Hart is currently serving as the Past President of the Troy University Band Alumni Association. Lori serves the band community faithfully through her involvement in numerous professional organizations.
As an advocate for young directors, Lori spends a great deal of time mentoring across the Southeast US. She strongly believes young directors should be given motivation and direction, thus improving the outlook for the future of Music Education.
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2027 Nevada All-State High School
Orchestra Conductor
High School Orchestra Conductor
Dr. Heather LofDahl
Assistant Professor of Music Education at The Ohio State University
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​Dr. Heather Lofdahl is Assistant Professor of Music Education at The Ohio State University, where she directs the string education program and conducts the Campus Orchestra. In addition, she serves as Music Director of the Newark-Granville Youth Symphony and music education specialist for Play Us Forward, a community partnership aimed at increasing access to string instruction for underserved students. Dr. Lofdahl is the recipient of the 2025 Ohio State School of Music Distinguished Teaching Award and President-Elect of the Ohio String Teachers Association.
Dr. Lofdahl is published in the String Research Journal and American String Teachers Journal. She has presented research and pedagogy sessions at the Symposium for Music Teacher Education; National Association for Music Education Research and Teacher Education Conference; International Society for Music Education Conference; American String Teachers Association National Conference; and various state conferences. Her research is focused on equity and access in music education, best practices of outstanding string teachers, and practice behaviors of string players.
Dr. Lofdahl holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in Music Education and Viola Performance from Augustana College, Master of Music degrees in Music Education and Viola Performance from the University of North Carolina Greensboro, and a PhD in Music Education from the University of North Carolina Greensboro. She is an active guest conductor and clinician throughout the United States and abroad.
2027 Nevada All-State Middle School
Orchestra Conductor
Middle School Orchestra Conductor
David West
Orchestra Director, Celia Cruz HS
Conductor, Cellist, and Conductor
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​​David West is a versatile and accomplished conductor, cellist, educator, and founder of numerous influential music initiatives in New York City. He has served as the Director of Orchestras and Chamber Music at Celia Cruz High School of Music since 2005, where he has inspired and mentored many young musicians and educators, fostering a deep appreciation for classical music while encouraging creative expression and building a sense of responsibility to one’s community.
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He is the Principal Conductor of the All-City Orchestra, a group of some of NYC Schools’ best high school musicians. Additionally, he works with the prestigious New York Youth Symphony’s Crescendo Program.
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Throughout his career, Mr. West has explored the power of bringing people together through the shared joy of music, self-improvement, and peer mentorship. He is a founding chair of the Bronx Orchestra Festival, uniting over 300 string players in shared music making every Spring. He is a founding member of the Summer Strings Program at Celia Cruz High School every July, offering 4-12 graders free access to an intensive music camp experience at any level of playing and experience. He has led numerous String Summits, bringing high school-aged students from different locations and backgrounds together in music-making through shared repertoire and collaborative rehearsals.
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Mr. West is in demand as as a clinician, guest conductor and mentor nationwide. He has been Citywide Facilitator in Music for the Dept of Education, presented at Juilliard, Carnegie Hall, NYSSMA and ASTA Conferences, and guest conducted at numerous All-State/Honors Festivals nationwide.
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2027 Nevada High School All-State Choral Conductors
​TTB High School Choir Conductor
Chris Maunu
Conductor, Educator, and Composer
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Chris Maunu is a conductor, educator, and composer dedicated to inspiring singers of all ages and shaping the future of choral music. He serves as Artistic Director of the Pacific Youth Choir and Affiliate Faculty at the Portland State University School of Music. Previously, he led the award-winning choirs of Arvada West High School (CO) for 17 years.
A four-time GRAMMY® Music Educator of the Year Finalist and two-time CMA® Foundation National Music Teacher of Excellence, Chris has earned national recognition as a passionate advocate for music education. Maunu has conducted choirs at 14 major conferences of National and Regional ACDA and Music Educators Association events, and led the 2025 National ACDA 11-12 Honor Choir. His ensembles have received honors including The American Prize in Choral Performance and a Gold Diploma at the Rimini International Choral Competition.
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In demand as a guest conductor and clinician, Chris regularly leads All-State and Honor Choirs nationwide and abroad. As a composer, his award-winning works are performed internationally, and he serves as editor of the Pacific Youth Choir Choral Series with Pavane Publishing. His writings appear in the Choral Journal and A Choral Conductor's Companion.
Chris has been honored with Colorado's "Best of the Best" Teacher Award, a House of Representatives Commendation, and the Distinguished Alumni Award from Northern State University, where he delivered the Commencement Address. He also co-founded the professional Anima Chamber Ensemble, recognized for its impeccable artistry and innovative community engagement.
​SSA High School All-State Choir Conductor
Beth Gibbs
Choral Director Activities at the University of Nevada, Reno
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Beth Gibbs, DMA, is the Director of Choral Activities at the University of Nevada, Reno. Prior to this appointment, Gibbs was Professor of Music and Director of Choral Studies at Florida Southern College in Lakeland, FL. In addition to choral direction, she also teaches courses in conducting, choral pedagogy, Caribbean music, and music and wellness. She earned the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Choral Conducting from the University of Miami in Coral Gables, FL, Master of Music degrees in Choral Conducting and Vocal Performance from East Carolina University in Greenville, NC, and a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Stetson University in DeLand, FL.
Gibbs spent six years teaching at the high school level in Atlanta, GA. She is a frequent clinician for district, regional, and statewide choral festivals and has conducted in the Chartres Cathedral in France, St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, and at International Choral Festivals in Santiago de Cuba and Barcelona, Spain. In the spring of 2022, Gibbs became a Fulbright Scholar, teaching at
Musikene, the Higher School of Music of the Basque Country, in San Sebastian, and working with choirs throughout Spain. Since then, she has presented at Regional and National conferences on Basque Choral Music and is the editor of a new series highlighting the music of this region of Spain with Walton Music, Abesbatza Artea.
2027 Nevada All-State Vocal Jazz Conductors
​Vocal Jazz All-State Choir Conductor
MaryAnne Muglia
Composer, Arranger, Vocalist
Arizona-based composer, arranger, pianist, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist MaryAnne Muglia is an award-winning, genre-defying artist. Beyond her work as a songwriter and recording artist, MaryAnne moves fluidly between the jazz and choral worlds. Her contemporary choral and vocal jazz works are performed by ensembles worldwide, with music published by Alfred Music, Hal Leonard, Graphite Publishing, Anchor Music, and Shawnee Press. She is also the founder of Red Letter Daze, a professional vocal ensemble with more than 200,000 followers and multiple CARA Award recognitions.
As an educator, MaryAnne has served as a clinician for the Boston Sings Festival (2023), Jazz/Madrigal Festival (2024), Oceanside Jazz Festival (2024), Arizona All-State Jazz Choir (2025), and Tiffin Festivox Festival (2026). MaryAnne’s expressive artistry has also found a wide audience online. Her performance videos and behind-the-scenes harmony breakdowns have garnered millions of views, building a community of more than 200,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok. Through her music and educational content, she continues to inspire listeners, singers, and educators around the world.
2027 Nevada All-State Middle School Choral Conductor
Middle School Choir Conductor
Dr Diane White-Clayton
Composer, Conductor, and Educator, UCLA
Dr. Diane White-Clayton, affectionately known as “Dr. Dee,” is a composer, conductor, vocalist, pianist and speaker. Originally from Washington, DC, she holds a PhD & MA in Music Composition from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a BA in Music from Washington University in St. Louis. She studied classical piano at the Ecole Normale de Musique in Paris, France as a Rotary Scholar and Ambassador of Goodwill. Dr. Dee is a member of the music faculty of UCLA and a Teaching Artist with the Walt Disney Corporation. She is the conductor of a professional, community, and university choir and travels extensively as an artist, conductor, and clinician, with choral compositions which have been performed across the globe. She ownsa publishing and artist support company along with her husband, famed R&B percussionist, Joe Clayton. A Baptist preacher’s daughter, she commands both stage and podium with grace, eloquence and power.
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2027 Nevada All-State High School Jazz Conductor
High School Jazz Conductor
Jeff Jarvis
Director of Jazz Studies at Bob Cole Conservatory at California State University Long Beach
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Jeff Jarvis comes from a family of music educators and has distinguished himself as a trumpeter, composer, professor and music publisher. He is an S.E. Shires trumpet artist and has served as Director of Jazz Studies at the Bob Cole Conservatory at California State University Long Beach since 2005. As a trumpet soloist, adjudicator and clinician, Jeff makes frequent appearances at educational jazz festivals, jazz camps, and music education conferences. Jarvis composes commissions for school, military, and professional big bands and pops orchestras. He has composed and/or arranged over 175 published works for Kendor Music, Belwin Jazz, iJazz, and UNC Jazz Press. Jeff co-authored The Jazz Educators Handbook with Doug Beach (which is also translated in Japanese), The Chord Voicing Handbook with Matt Harris, and Effective Etudes For Jazz, Volumes 1 & 2 with Mike Carubia. As a conductor, Jarvis has led honors jazz ensembles in 39 states and 4 Canadian provinces. He is a Past President of the California Alliance for Jazz, served as Vice-President of the International Association for Jazz Education, Music Director of the Central New York Jazz Orchestra from 1998-2005, and was co-owner of Kendor Music Publishing from 1985-2015. Jeff is a member of the International Society of Jazz Arrangers and Composers and is a Gold Medal winner in the Global Music Awards, an international arts organization that honored him in 2019 for “Lifetime Contributions to Jazz and Jazz Education”.
Jeff’s solo recordings as a jazz trumpeter and composer have won critical acclaim and placed high on national air play charts. His early career as a studio trumpeter encompasses over 100 R&B and disco recordings for such names as Lou Rawls, Michael Jackson, Melba Moore, The O’Jays and more. Live performance credits include Gladys Knight, Van Morrison, Dizzy Gillespie, Louie Bellson, Joe Williams, Benny Golson, Jon Hendricks, Jimmy Heath, Joe Lovano, Henry Mancini, Slide Hampton, Kevin Mahogany, Grady Tate, Eddie Daniels, Rob McConnell, and Doc Severinsen.
Jeff Jarvis has performed throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia and Indonesia. He has been a featured guest soloist with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Denver Symphony Orchestra, Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, USAF Airmen of Note, US Army Jazz Ambassadors, US Army Blues, Jazz Knights of the United States Military Academy Band at West Point, USAF Commanders Jazz Band, USAF Shades of Blue, Riverside Jazz Orchestra, Dallas Jazz Orchestra, Oslo Big Band (Norway), Frank Mantooth Jazz Orchestra, Tom Kubis Big Band and more.
2027 Nevada All-State Guitar Conductor
High School Guitar Conductor
Dr. Kevine Vigil
Chair for the NAfME Council for Guitar Education
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Dr. Kevin Vigil (Dr. V) holds degrees from Shenandoah University (DMA), Yale University, (MM) and the University of Memphis (BM). He joined the faculty of Heritage High School in 2005-06. He was named the 2014 Shenandoah University Teacher of the Year for LCPS and presented with a Sir Winston Churchill Commemorative Crown by Churchill Fellow Helen Sanderson for his work in guitar education (2017). In 2020, Dr. V was chosen as the Joan C. Edwards Distinguished Professor in the Arts at Marshall University.
Dr. V’s students have had workshops and masterclasses with Dr. Glenn Caluda, Risa Carlson, David Leisner, Martha Masters, Michael Nicolella, Benjamin Verdery, Jason Vieaux, Andrew York, Matthew Denman, Dr. Kenneth Meyer, Marco Sartor, Helen Sanderson, the Tantalus Quartet, the Canadian Guitar Quartet, the Texas Guitar Quartet, the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, Duo Noire, Kithara Duo, Beijing Duo and the Great Necks Trio. They have performed for the Appalachian State University Guitar Fest, Radford University International Guitar Festival, and the 2006, 2009, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2020 and 2025 Yale Guitar Extravaganza at the invitation of Benjamin Verdery.
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Dr. V’s articles have been published in several national and international music magazines/ journals to include SBO+, American String Teacher, Teaching Music, GFA Soundboard and Gendai Guitar. He has presented lectures for the Guitar Foundation of America (GFA), VMEA, NAfME, the Leyenda Foundation as well as Yale, James Madison, Marshall, and Shenandoah Universities. He is nationally sought-after as a clinician, adjudicator and guest conductor.
Several of his instruction videos are featured on GFAtv (Episodes 14, 15, 18. 21, 23, 26, 28, 30 & 32): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7fUsUPViE8&list=PLUlfsWlbQHnAGtSdY7YB8wCCybSUflNCz
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Dr. V currently serves as Chair for the NAfME Council for Guitar Education.
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2027 Nevada All-State High School
Mariachi Conductor
High School Mariachi Conductor
To Be Announced
Musician and Director
To Be Announced​
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2027 Nevada All-State Middle School
Mariachi Conductor
Middle School Mariachi Conductor
Crystal Hernandez
Professional Musician and Educator
Crystal Hernandez is a seventh-generation mariachi musician and the youngest daughter of José Hernández, founder and director of Mariachi Sol de México and Mariachi Reyna de Los Ángeles. Carrying forward the Hernández family legacy, Crystal represents a new generation of mariachi musicians dedicated to preserving tradition while shaping its future.
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Born May 30, 2000, in Newport Beach, California, Crystal began studying violin, piano, and voice at age four. In 2005, she made her first major stage appearance at the annual Mariachi Sol de México concert at the Balboa Bay Club & Resort, performing “El Pastor,” the beloved classic by Los Cuates Castilla. From an early age, she demonstrated musical discipline and a natural command of the stage.
Crystal expanded her musical experience through musical theater, orchestra, and choir before earning a Bachelor of Music Education from Texas Christian University in 2023. While at TCU, she co-founded TCU Mariachi Sangre Royal (“Royal Blood”) in 2020, helping establish the ensemble as a vibrant presence at cultural and university events.
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A dedicated music educator, Crystal serves as a teacher with the Jose Hernandez Mariachi Academy, mentoring young musicians and helping cultivate the next generation of mariachi artists.
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Crystal currently performs as a violinist and vocalist with Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles, America’s first all-female mariachi ensemble and a Grammy-nominated group. She is also the first and only female member of Mariachi Rams, the official mariachi ensemble of the Los Angeles Rams.
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Through performance and education, Crystal honors her family’s legacy and Mexican heritage while creating greater opportunities for young women in mariachi. Her work reflects a commitment to keeping this music alive, relevant, and inspiring for generations to come.
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