Staff
"To achieve great things, two things are needed: a plan and not quite enough time." - Leonard Bernstein
Ryan Perry
Director of Bands and Orchestra

Ryan Perry graduated with distinction from Sonoma State University in 2019 with a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education. Immediately after graduating, he received his California Single-Subject Music Teaching Credential in 2020, also from Sonoma State.
While attending Sonoma State, Mr. Perry was the principal clarinetist for the Sonoma State University Wind Ensemble (2015-2019) and Symphony Orchestra (2016-2019). In 2017, Mr. Perry was elected President of Sonoma State's National Association for Music Education (NAfME) Chapter by the students involved. During his two terms, Mr. Perry helped develop professional development opportunities and community outreach projects for other music education students.
Mr. Perry is goal-oriented and has a deep passion for teaching music. With a background in marching band, wind ensemble, and orchestra, he is committed to teaching fundamentals of music while instilling life lessons that push students to their goals after high school.
Jason Cruz
Co-Director of Bands; Percussion Instructor
Jason is a multifaceted percussion instructor that serves public schools in Sacramento County. Being Alumnus from Florin High School, Class of 2014, teaching at this school holds a special place in his heart. Cruz obtained an ADT in General Music from Cosumnes River College in 2018. Cruz is currently in pursuit of a Bachelors of Music Education and Teaching Credential from Sacramento State University.
Kenya Hilliard
Colorguard Instructor

Kenya Hilliard is a Sacramento State Sociology BA graduate (2016) and MFA Dance graduate from Mills College (2019). During her undergraduate experience, she pursued her passion for performance with the Sacramento State Marching Band and Colorguard where her love for dance and performance was amplified.
Kenya is trained in Contemporary, Jazz, Modern, and Afro Caribbean dance and has performed in many student and faculty-choreographed productions at Sacramento State as well as Mills College. She has had the privilege of performing works at the American College Dance Association in 2015 with "Morning Psalm" choreographed by Dr. Linda Goodrich which was invited to the Gala Concert and in 2019 with "We Have Not Come This Far to Fail" choreographed by Latanya Tigner. Also in 2019, Kenya's solo and self-choreographed piece, "Hand Me Down" was invited to the Informal Concert at ACDA. "Hand Me Down" was also performed for Sacramento State's S/BAD concert in 2020. For her Master's Thesis Concert, Kenya choreographed "Compos Mentis"; a whimsical commentary on the American social structure of today.
Kenya often teaches master classes of her developing pedagogy in Dynamic Self/ Body Awareness, a concept of dance as it relates and interacts with mindfulness meditation practices. Kenya currently teaches preschool dance in the Sacramento area, high school color guard, and is the Artistic Director of Florin High School's Master"Peace" Dance Company. She aspires to explore the therapeutic elements of dance through Dance/ Movement Therapy while incorporating elements of dance as activism.