SAVANNA REBEL BAND & COLORGUARD

Fernando Penaloza is in his seventh year at Savanna High School as Director of Bands and Visual and Performing Arts Chair.

​Prior to his appointment at Savanna High School, he taught three years of middle
school band, orchestra, and choir at Buena Park Jr. High School in thecity of Buena Park, CA.

​Mr. Penaloza has 17 years of professional music education experience that include teaching students in a variety of settings, ranging from
public school classroom to free lance work such as: private studio musiclessons, coaching marching bands across Southern California, working

with church music groups, playing professionally, or doing recording studio and music production work.

​At Savanna High School, Mr. Penaloza oversees all instrumental music education courses, and serves  as department chair for Visual &Performing Arts.

​Mr. Penaloza has served as field music adjudicator for the CSBC circuit,and currently serves as festival music adjudicator for SCSBOA
(Southern California String Band & Orchestra Association) and serves on the board for the Southeastern Division of CMEA (California Music
Educators Association). He has also served on presentation panels for NAMM, CSU Fullerton, CSU San Bernardino, and the Music Education
Summit. In 2018, Mr. Penaloza published and co-authored a book entitled “Best Practices for Music Educators: The Lifestyle Guide for

Consistent Growth and Ef ectiveness”. Mr. Penaloza is a published author in the most recent CMEA Quarterly Magazine (April 2024). In
2018 he was nominated as an Orange County Outstanding Arts Educator.

In 2024 he was nominated as Teacher Of The Year at Savanna. High School.

Mr. Penaloza has hosted, observed, and mentored several music education student teachers from CSU Fullerton, CSU Long Beach, and

Biola University.

Mr. Penaloza holds an Associate of Arts degree in Music form Fullerton Community College, a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from CSU Fullerton,

a Master of Music in Wind Conducting from Messiah University (Pennsylvania), and is currently a doctoral candidate in
Music Education through William Carey University (Hattiesburg, Mississippi). His primary conducting teachers include:
Dr. Mitch Fennell, Dr. Greg Whitmore, Dr. Shannon Kitelinger, Dr. Jim Colonna and Dr. Wes Dykes. Mr. Penaloza has also had the privilege to work with the following
educators and conductors at a variety of workshops and symposiums: Dr. Emily Moss, Richard Floyd, Dr. Shanti Simon, Jerry Junkin, Bob Reynolds, Dr. Giovanni Santos,

Dr. Emily Moss, Dr. Thomas Bough, Dr. Bianco, Dr. Wendy Matthews, Kevin Mayse, Allan McMurray, Dr. Peter Boonshaft, Dr. Rickey Badua, and many others.

Mr. Penaloza enjoys spending time with his family, loves the outdoors,

traveling, and working on his photography hobby.