Staff Profile: Jonathan Jow
Jonathan Jow has had a relatively unconventional journey into the professional music realm with his starting points rooted in Saratoga’s music programs. He is currently a director of music at Redwood Middle School, a coordinator of instrumental music for the Saratoga Union School District, and serves as a visual instructor for the Saratoga High School Marching Band. A regular face to Saratoga music students since the Fall of 2006, Jon has actually been involved teaching since graduating from Saratoga High School in 2002 as a Redwood Summer Music staff member, and an instructor at both Redwood and Saratoga High School band camps. Embedded in his teaching comes a genuine love of the very same programs for which he now works.
Jon is alumnus of the many modern SUSD and Saratoga High music programs including its very first strings class during his fourth grade school year, the Redwood 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 and participating in numerous Santa Clara County Honor Bands and the California All-State Honor Band. He is a recipient of many Saratoga Music awards, the most prominent being the Rowland Schwab 8th Grade Music Scholarship in 1998, the Saratoga High School Outstanding Bandsman in 2001, and both the John Philip Sousa Band Award and the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award in 2002 – all voted upon him by his peers.
Jon attended U.C. Berkeley for his undergraduate education and received a B.A. in Mass Communications/Media Studies and a minor in Music. He graduated with high distinction in general scholarship (magna cum laude) and highest honors in his major. His academic excellence yielded him invitations and membership into the Golden Key International Honour Society and Phi Beta Kappa. Soon after graduating Cal, Jon decided to continue his studies in music and pursue a career in education. He is now a single subject credential candidate in music at San Jose State University. Along with taking classes, he has studied saxophone with Professor Dale Wolford, played in the SJSU Saxophone Ensemble, the SJSU Symphonic Band under the direction of Dr. Diana Hollinger, and the SJSU Wind Ensemble under the direction of Dr. Edward Harris.
Jon’s greatest goal is to pursue both of his passions of music and media studies, both of which he feels are overlooked and underrepresented but vital to our modern school system in providing all students with a comprehensive and meaningful education. Specifically, he aims to become a music educator as well as to advocate, establish, and ultimately provide instruction in media literacy to his future students and programs within the public education system.| go to Profiles |