
2024-25 Texas All-State Jazz Panels
Michael A. Cruz - State Jazz Audition Coordinator
REMOTE State Jazz Judges Panels!
Saturday, November 9 & Sunday, November 10
------------------AUDITIONS!! ------------------
Special thanks to Alex Parker - Exec. Director of TJEA & Director of Jazz Studies - Baylor University
This Jazz Panel SMORE will be the official site to see the names of all Panel Chairs, judge names, and contact information for each. I strongly suggest we have an alternate judge in case of an emergency.
(Note: This is view only. Yes, you can call my cell at 469-585-5386, but our conversation must be followed up by an email to document our decision so that I can make the changes to this page.) You must contact Michael Cruz via email @ Michael.Cruz@pisd.edu for changes.
Panel Chairs/Contact listed below and keep scrolling for all panels.
All-State Jazz 2024-25 Judge Panel Signup
We are fully REMOTE! Please see the requirements below. (We suggest and encourage a 6th judge on call/standby because you know how busy it gets during this time of year.) JUDGING COMPLETED BY NOVEMBER 9 OR NOVEMBER10. https://tinyurl.com/txjazzjudge <-Click
Trumpet A Panel - (Audition Completed by Saturday) Nov. 9, @ 5pm
*Chair (Judge 1): Dr. Kyle Milsap - Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Professor of Trumpet & Jazz
Chair cell/email: 901-628-4775 kyle.millsap@tamuk.edu
Judge 2: Jaime Ochoa - Roma High School Assistant Band Director
Judge 3: Joshua Molina - Los Fresnos High School/ Assistant Band Director
Judge 4: Kevin Kwaku - Belton High School
Judge 5: Javier Salinas - Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Director of Latin Jazz Ensemble
Alt. judge on call:
Trombone A Panel - (Audition Completed by Saturday) Nov. 9, @ 5pm
*Chair (Judge 1): John Matthew II - El Paso ISD Director of Bands at Jefferson-Silva HS
Chair cell/email: 915-474-2011 jmatthew@episd.org
Judge 2: Robert Underhill - Hull-Daisetta ISD Band Director
Judge 3: Bill Haugeberg - East Carolina University
Judge 4: Grant Shane - Lake Belton High School, Assistant Band Director
Judge 5: Jesus Portillo - Horizon Middle/High School
Alt. judge on call:
Trumpet B Panel - (Audition Completed by Saturday) Nov. 9, @ 5pm
*Chair (Judge 1): Maria Coronado - Harlingen HS, Director of Bands
Chair cell/email: 956-454-7069 maria.coronado@hcisd.org
Judge 2: Santana Rojaz - Trumpet Instructor at Greater Austin Music Academy
Judge 3: Erick Ramos - Rivera Early College High School, Assistant Band Director
Judge 4: Christian Griffin - Port Neches-Groves High School, Assistant Band Director
Judge 5: Chris Cermak - Freelance Musician, Educator
Alt. judge on call:
Trombone B Panel - (Audition Completed by Saturday) Nov. 9, @ 5pm
*Chair (Judge 1): Alex Cavazos - Port Isabel Early College High School, Head Director
Chair cell/email: 956-778-1906 alejandro.cavazos@pi-isd.net
Judge 2: Arturo Rivas - San Benito High School, Director of Jazz, Assist. Director.
Judge 3:Altin Sencalar - Visiting Professor of Jazz Trombone, San Francisco Conservatory of Music
Judge 4: Maximo Sierra - Pebble Hills HS- Head Band Director
Judge 5: Eddie Benitez - Retired Band Director,
Alt. judge on call:
ALTO SAX PANEL - (Audition Completed by Sunday) Nov. 10, @ 5pm
*Chair (Judge 1): Kevin McNerney - Collin College, Co-Coordinator of Jazz Studies
Chair cell/email: 214-616-7203 kmcnerney@verizon.net
Judge 2: Manuel (Manny) Hernandez - Harlingen HS Jazz director, assistant band director
Judge 3: Jesus Bermeo - Freelance Saxophonist, Educator
Judge 4: Jacob Guerrero - Lake Belton High School
Judge 5: Marcos Duran - Temple High School - Assistant Director of Bands / TJEA Board of Directors
Alt. judge on call:
TENOR SAX PANEL - (Aud. Completed by Sunday) Nov. 10, @ 5pm
*Chair (Judge 1): Mark DeHertogh - Grand Prairie Fine Arts Academy, Jazz Director
Chair cell/email: 214-577-9138 christopher.dehertogh@gpisd.org
Judge 2: Warren Sneed - Kinder HSPVA (retired)
Judge 3: Matthew Sawyer - Braswell High School Assistant Band Director, Board-Texas Jazz Educators Association (Director)
Judge 4: Ponder East - LASA High School
Judge 5: Julian Sutherland - Private lesson instructor
Alt. judge on call: Preston Pierce - Plano West Senior High Jazz Director
BARI SAX PANEL - (Audition Completed by Sunday) Nov. 10, @ 5pm
*Chair (Judge 1): Nick Flood - Eastlake High School - Director of Bands
Chair cell/email: 915-274-7498 nflood@sisd.net
Judge 2: Logan Banister - Lamar University, Assistant Prof. of Saxophone and Jazz Band Director
Judge 3: David Eckert - New Braunfels High School
Judge 4: John Pearson - Westlake HS, Assistant Director
Judge 5: Andre Acevedo - Missouri State University
Alt. judge on call:
Finals TRUMPET PANEL- (Audition starts Sunday morning and completed by Sunday, Nov. 10, @ 5pm)
*Chair: Dr. Keith Winking - Texas State University, Professor of Trumpet and Jazz
Chair cell/email: 512-557-8869 kw09@txstate.edu
Judge 2: Tito Carrillo - Associate Professor of Jazz Trumpet, Texas State University
Judge 3: Dr. Adrian Ruiz - St. Mary’s University
Judge 4: Jon Rickman - Boerne ISD
Judge 5: Karlos Elizondo - Bradley MS/ Director of Bands and Jazz Bands
Alt. judge on call:
Finals TROMBONE PANEL - (Audition starts Sunday morning and completed by Sunday, Nov. 10, @ 5pm)
*Chair (Judge 1): Dr. Pedro Martinez - University of Texas Rio Grande Valley - Prof. of Trombone
Chair cell/email: 956-929-6816 pedro.martinez@utrgv.edu
Judge 2: Oscar Diaz - Texas A&M University-Kingsville
Judge 3: Robert Underhill - Hull-Daisetta ISD Band Director
Judge 4: Alex Cavazos - Port Isabel Early College High School, Head Director
Judge 5: Altin Sencalar - Visiting Professor of Jazz Trombone, San Francisco Conservstory of Music
Alt. judge on call:
BASS TROMBONE PANEL - (Completed by Sunday) Nov. 10, @ 5pm
*Chair (Judge 1): Martin Padilla - Eagle Pass High School, Assistant Band Director
Chair cell/email: 830-776-3800 mpadilla@eaglepassisd.net
Judge 2: Tyler Estrada Simon - Reagan High School (associate director of bands)
Judge 3: Bobby Guess - WoodCreek JHS-Head Band Director
Judge 4: Maria Carbajal - Pebble Hills High School
Judge 5: Dean McCarty - Buna HS
Alt. judge on call:
BASS GUITAR PANEL - (Completed by Sunday) Nov. 10, @ 5pm
*Chair (Judge 1): Terence Guerrero - Midway Middle School/Orchestra Director
Chair cell/email: 254-229-8344 terence.guerrero@midwayisd.org
Judge 2: Jonathan Keith - "The President's Own" United States Marine Band
Judge 3:Evan LeBouef - University of Nebraska - Doctoral Student in Jazz
Judge 4: Keith Ruggles - Lumberton High School, Assist. Dir.
Judge 5: Steve Myers - Associate Band Director, Canyon Ridge Middle School
Alt. judge on call:
PIANO - (Audition Completed by Sunday) Nov. 10, @ 5pm
*Chair (Judge 1): Dr. David Mesquitic - Jazz Piano Professor
Judge 2: Theresa Chen - Assistant Professor of Jazz Studies, Texas A&M University Kingsvile (TAMUK)
Judge 3: Benjamin Irom - Temple College, Professor of Music, Director of Jazz Studies
Judge 4: Max Holm - Oklahoma State University
Judge 5: Chris Villanueva - Univeristy of Texas at San Antonio/Director of Jazz Area
Alt. judge on call:
GUITAR PANEL - (Audition Completed by Sunday) Nov. 10, @ 5pm
*Chair (Judge 1): Dr. Marco Antonio Santos - Dr. Of Musical Arts UTexas
Chair cell/email: 512-803-3330 Marco.Guitarra@hotmail.com
Judge 2: Dan Anderson - Temple College
Judge 3: Mark Scott - College Professor - Tarleton State University
Judge 4: Jacob Wise - Professor of Jazz Guitar, Austin Community College
Judge 5: Keith Ruggles - Lumberton High School, Assistant Director
Alt. judge on call:
DRUM SET PANEL - (Audition Completed by Sunday) Nov. 10, @ 5pm
*Chair: Michael Hernandez - Plano Senior High School
Chair cell/email: 972-345-0598 michael.hernandez@pisd.edu
Judge 1: Dr. Fabio Augustinis - Jazz Drum Set Professor at Texas Tech University
Judge 2: Norm Bergeron - Temple College Director of Percussion Studies
Judge 3: Raul Liendo - High School percussion instructor, jazz drum educator
Judge 4: Eric Hughes - Lone Star College, Professor of Drum Set and Percussion Studies
Judge 5: Jeremy Gomez - DFW educator, clinician, performer, & McKinney ISD beginner specialist.
Alt. judge on call: Michael Hernandez - Plano Senior High School