Staff

STAFF

Leonard Ingrande

Composer

Leonard Ingrande is increasingly recognized as one of the most inspiring and exciting Conductors, Composers and Educators today with a significant impact on the world of classical music and music education. His career is...

Learn More

Dustin Byrd

Engraver, Editor, Composer

Dustin Byrd is a highly sought-after music educator, percussion designer, and composer based in California’s Central Valley. His ensembles have earned multiple indoor percussion championships across the region, and his creative work is recognized for its musical clarity, impactful pacing, and performer-focused design.
He currently serves as a full-time music educator in the Central Unified School District and as the Percussion Caption Head and Show Designer for Abraham Lincoln Middle School in Selma, California. Dustin holds a B.A. in Music Education and a Single Subject Teaching Credential from California State University, Fresno, where he studied under Joseph Lizama and Dr. Matthew Darling. A passionate advocate for technology and innovation in music education, he earned his Noteflight Learn Certification through VanderCook College of Music in 2018.
Dustin also serves on the Percussive Arts Society California Chapter’s competitive festival committee as webmaster, where he maintains the state chapter website and oversees documentation of the festival’s history and rules.
In addition to his educational and administrative work, Dustin is the founder of Byrd Music Production LLC, a business that provides custom compositions, percussion arrangements, and sound design for ensembles throughout the Central Valley and beyond.

JOHN MORRICE

String Editor

John Morrice, B.A. and M.A. from FSU, is retired this year as string instructor at FCC and concertmaster for the FCC Orchestra. He retired from FUSD after 38 years at Computech, Edison, and Bullard High, during which time he was assistant concertmaster for the Fresno Philharmonic for 34 years, and conducted the Fresno Philharmonic Youth Orchestra for a decade.
In his thirty years at FCC, he has reveled in enjoying the success his students have had, both with
students who have become professional musicians, and those who loved the music and play for their own enjoyment. Chamber music is one of his lifelong passions, performing with the Philharmonic Strings, the Roque River Quartet, and the Orpheus Chamber Ensemble. These ensembles have taken him all over England and Europe, as well as the top of Half Dome in Yosemite and down the Roque River, which earned him a spot with the Rouge River Quartet in Charles Kuralt’s Sunday morning show on TV. Remember the Upstart Crow Bookstore and Restaurant in Fresno? His string trio played there on Sundays for a decade in the 1980’s.
This year, he is coming up on his fifth decade teaching at the Lake Sequoia Music Camp, where middle and high-school-age students spend a week playing music in the mountains with a concert on the last day. Music is a central and unifying force. It is a common thread that weaves together the many parts of our lives, over time and across distance. May the echoes of our music continue to resonate in our hearts, and may the warmth of our shared experiences keep us company through life’s journey.