October2022_CollegeNews

16 | October | College News Julio Gonzales is a Texas State University Music Student Teacher at Emile Elementary School in Bastrop ISD Donald Boomgaarden has been president of St. Joseph’s University, New York since 2017 Peyton Grover is the Director of Bands at San Marcos High School. This fall the band won 1st in class at the Seguin Marching Festival 4 5 6 STUDENT ACCOLADES Julio Gonzalez undergraduate music studies major has made wonderful connections with students at Bastrop Middle School [4] and Erik Gamez recently went viral on TikTok leading his Forest Elementary School students in their greeting song during their student teaching semester. Jonathan Martinez and Daisy Solomon were featured in separate University Star “Cats Walk” interviews discussing their love of music and involvement in Mariachi Nuevo Generación. Undergraduate saxophonist Robert Vasquez recently performed with the Reed Meisters Polka Band at Lazarus Brewing Company in Austin. ALUMNI ACCOLADES Emilee Biles is working as an assistant sound designer in New York City in the Broadway production of Cost of Living at the Manhattan Theater Club. Winner of the 2018 Pulitzer Prize, Martyna Majok’s powerhouse play is hailed by The New York Times as “gripping, immensely haunting and exquisitely attuned.” Dr. Donald Roy Boomgaarden , who graduated summa cum laude from Texas State University with a bachelor of music education degree (majors in choral conducting and piano; minors in music composition and English), has served as president of St. Joseph’s University, New York since 2017. [5] Saxophone alumnus Gene Centeno appeared as guest artist at the Winston Churchill 2nd Annual Jazz Festival in San Antonio. Alisha Gabriel , who received her bachelor's and master’s degrees in music education with an emphasis in Kodály pedagogy from Texas State University,