User:Montoya d
From Wind Repertory Project
Daniel Montoya Jr., Austin native, jelly bean lover, and inveterate sweet tea drinker, continues to rise in the world of wind band, percussion, and the marching arts. An active composer and arranger, Montoya is currently pursuing a master's degree in music composition, under the tutelage of David R. Gillingham, at Central Michigan University. He also holds a bachelor's degree in music composition from Texas State University and has studied privately and participated in composition master classes with William Bolcolm, Kevin Puts, and Russell Riepe.
Throughout the past few years, Montoya has gained recognition for his contributions in the area of percussion ensemble and wind band literature. His initial work for percussion ensemble, The Canyon, was published in 2002 and was quickly followed by The Rapids, The Highway, and his latest piece, Spatial Tendencies. His first piece for symphonic winds, Danse Moods, qualified him to study with Mark Camphouse, David R. Gillingham, and Frank Ticheli as part of the National Band Association's "Young Composer Mentor Project." He was commissioned by the Frank M. Tejeda Middle School Band to compose his second work for symphonic winds, Myth, and has forthcoming performances planned for his latest works, Crystal Microphone, and Winter's First Whisper. Additionally, his works have been performed at the Texas Music Educator's Association Conference, the Texas Bandmasters Association Convention, and the Percussive Arts Society International Conference. Montoya has been a consecutive ASCAPLUS Award winner for his body of work since 2004.
Concurrent with his success in the field of composition, Montoya has quickly become an acclaimed arranger for the marching arts. He has been praised for his innovative approach to musical design, which he achieves while still maintaining the musical integrity of the original compositions. Bands using his arrangements have garnered accolades such as winning state championships and Bands of America Class and Regional Championships, as well as placing in state finals, Bands of America Regional, Super-Regional, and Grand National Finals.
Prior to becoming a full-time composer and arranger, Montoya served as percussion specialist at Plymouth-Canton Educational Park (Canton, MI) in 2006, percussion assistant at Ronald Reagan HS (San Antonio, TX) from 2004-2006, and percussion specialist at James Bowie HS (Austin, TX) from 2000-2004. During the summers of 2003 and 2004, Montoya was the composition department assistant and percussion assistant at the Sewanee Summer Music Festival.
Montoya's percussion music is published by Drop 6 Media, Inc. and his works for symphonic winds and marching band are available through his publishing company, Underwater Theme Productions. Montoya is an Artist/Educator for Innovative Percussion, Inc. and is a member of ASCAP, Percussive Arts Society, Texas Bandmasters Association, Texas Music Educators Association, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.
