Our Staff ...

Becky Dugan directs the 5th grade band program and teaches brass in her private studio. She received her .Bachelor of Arts in Music Education and her Master's in Applied Music from Arizona State University. She also has a master's in Theology from Fuller Seminary! Although Ms. Dugan's primary instrument is the trombone she also plays trumpet, tuba, piano, also bariton/euphonium and sings. Ms. Dugan's can be found performing as the Principal Trombone with the San Jose Wind Symphony and as a free-lance performer. She was co-founder and conductor of the Cupertino Chamber Music Project and was the Associate Conductorfor the San Jose Wind Symphony.

Jonathan Jow is a recent descendent of the modern Saratoga Music program, and with him comes a genuine love for the very program in which he now works. An alumnus of the many Saratoga district and Saratoga High music groups including strings, honor chorus, concert bands, marching bands, jazz bands (and even guard for a winter season!), Jon had the honor of serving as a drum major of the Saratoga High Marching Band for two years as well as participating in the Santa Clara County Honor Band for three years as well as the California All-State Honor Band during his senior year. He was a recipient of many music department awards, the most prominent being the Rowland Schwab 8th Grade Music Scholarship in 1998, and both the John Philip Sousa Band Award and Louis Armstrong Jazz Award in 2002 – all voted upon by his peers. A 2006 graduate of U.C. Berkeley with a B.A. in Mass Communications and a minor in Music, Jon is now pursuing a credential in music education at San Jose State University, assisting Mrs. Wyant at Redwood Middle School, and squeezing in saxophone-practice time whenever he can. His largest goal is to pursue both of his passions – to teach music as well as advocate and eventually establish a media literacy education program at whatever school he ultimately ends up.

Scott Krijnen is born in Antwerp, Belgium, Mr. Krijnen has grown up in musical surroundings. His parents were members of the Royal Flemish Opera Company, the San Francisco Symphony Chorus and later the Spokane Symphony. Having played for the last 17 years, Scott has moved through many musical circles. He received his first degree at the University of Idaho receiving the distinguished Presser Scholar award, and has achieved his Masters’ in Cello Performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Through various competitions, he has been featured as a soloist with the Coeur d’ Alene Symphony, the University of Idaho Symphony Orchestra, and the Spokane Symphony. He is a tenured member of the Washington Idaho and Coeur d’ Alene symphonies and has worked with many of our community orchestras in the Bay Area. Mr. Krijnen’s most recent performances have taken him to Europe for a world premier of a string quartet, the Monterrey Symphony and recitals with affiliation to the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He currently directs the orchestra at Castillero Middle School

Aryn Krijnen began her musical career playing, piano, flute and finally the violin and viola. During high school, she excelled under the instruction of her private teacher, Jeri Bentley and became concertmaster of the West Valley Orchestra. In her senior year she performed in the All State Orchestra and was a member of the Spokane Youth Symphony. Mrs. Krijnen received her B.A. in Music Education: certified K-12, instrumental music from Washington State University. There, she was a member of the WSU String Quartet, WSU Symphony Orchestra, Washington-Idaho Symphony and soloed with the WSU Chamber Orchestra.
Mrs. Krijnen has excelled in teaching and coaching string players throughout high school and college. She gained early experience assisting her high school orchestra director for two years with beginning and intermediate students. During the summers of 1999 and 2000, Mrs. Krijnen helped plan for and teach at the All-Spokane Valley String Summer Camp where she coached and directed the orchestra. Throughout her musical career, Mrs. Krijnen has taught private lessons to all age over the last ten years, in Pullman and Spokane, WA, as well as, San Francisco and Foster City. She currently resides in San Jose and teaches orchestra at Hoover Middle School and San Jose High Academy.

Naoki Taniguchi teaches jazz band at Redwood Middle School and at Saratoga High. He graduated from UCLA with bachelor's and master's degrees in music composition and saxophone performance. As a graduate student, Mr. Taniguchi was a teaching assistant for legendary jazz guitarist Kenny Burrell and big band leader Gerald Wilson.
During his years in Los Angeles, Mr. Taniguchi performed, and recorded with a variety of ensembles including jazz bands, rock groups, orchestras, and his own sax quartet. After graduate school Mr. Taniguchi played tenor saxophone with the current day Glenn Miller Orchestra, touring and performing throughout the U.S., Canada, and Japan.

Frank Wyant teaches the Redwood percussion ensemble and teaches privately. A 1983 Saratoga High School graduate, Frank earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in music performance from San Jose State University. He teaches music at Bellarmine Preparatory School, is the principle percussionist with the Monterey Symphony and principal timpanist with the Bay Shore Lyric Opera. Mr. Wyant performs as a freelance artist with various groups in the bay area. Mr. Wyant spent 10 years as the drum artist for the Columbia College Jazz Artist Series, performing with artists such as Bobby McFerrin, Richie Cole, Carl Anderson, and Bobby Shaw. In addition to the percussion instruments which are his passion. Mr Wyant studied violin, trumpet, piano and voice.

Tom Wyant teaches Redwoods Brass Ensembles, is Mrs. Wyant's Assistant Director during Marching and Solo and Ensemble Season and teaches all brass instruments privately. A graduate of San Jose State University with a Bachelors and Masters Degree in Music and a Minor in Mathmetics, Mr. Wyant was a member of the California Youth Symphony, San Jose State University Marching Band, SJSU Symphony Orchestra, SJSU Wind Ensemble, SJSU Opera Orchestra and the Phi Mu Alpha Music Fraternity. Mr. Wyant has taught in the Campbell Union High School District for 35 years. Mr. Wyant really enjoys helping Mrs. Wyant accomplish her musical goals.

Stephen Urata is an alumnus of Cupertino HS. Stephen began his drum corps career as a member of the Santa Clara Vanguard Cadets Snare line. In 2004 he became the center snare for the Santa Clara Vanguard Cadets and helped lead them to winning their first division II percussion title. He performed with the Santa Clara Vanguard A-Corps snare line in 2005, and then performed as center snare in 2006. In addition to serving as the marching percussion (Battery) caption-head at SHS, Stephen also teaches for the Santa Clara Vanguard Cadets. Stephen is currently working toward his degree in Music Technology.

Alex Conway has been involved with Dance and Color Guard for 9 years now and it has become one of her greatest passions. Alex is a Saratoga High Alumni and served as Color Guard captain her senior year where she served as a strong and propelling force in establishing the Color Guard (GVE) as a revered organization on the SHS campus. Alex is currently attending UCSC where she is completing a Double-Major in Art and Film. Alex remains incredibly dedicated to the Saratoga High School Marching Band, an organization very special to Alex, and plans to work with the students in this group as long as her career allows.

Allen Mamaril is Caption Head of the Front Ensemble (Pit) Percussion for the marching Band at Saratoga High School. An alumnus of Oak Grove HS, Allen has been teaching percussion at SHS and other various high schools since 2001, and has been a part of the SHS staff since 2005. His experience includes being a performing member of the Santa Clara Vanguard Cadets in 2000, 2001, 2003, and 2004. He returned later in 2006 as an instructor for the SCVC Front Ensemble percussion. For a brief time in his college career, Allen studied Art at San Francisco State University focusing on Traditional black and white Photography and Conceptual information Arts, and currently is completing his Computer Science Degree.

Traci Tsukida is the Front Ensemble (Pit) Percussion technician for the Saratoga High School Marching Band. Miss Tsukida graduated from UC Davis in 2007 with a degree in Animal Science and has been a percussionist in the UCDavis Concert Band, Percussion Ensemble, and Samba school. Ms. Tsukida has been a member of the Santa Clara Vanguard Cadets Front Ensemble from 2002-2004 and the Santa Clara Vanguard A-Corps from 2005-2007. The 2007-2008 school year marks Ms. Tsukida's second year at Saratoga High. In her free time she enjoys eating, knitting, and playing with her two lovebirds Twinkie and Ziggy.