Meet the talented directors of Pendleton Heights High School and Middle School Bands.
Chris Taylor – PHHS Director of Bands
Christopher Taylor is currently in his twenty-first year of teaching music. He is the Director of Bands at Pendleton Heights High School in Pendleton, IN which he began in the summer of 2007. He began his career at Highland High School. At Highland, he co-taught up to three levels of concert bands (Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, and Concert Band) and also taught up to three levels of jazz bands (Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Lab Band, and Blues Band). He also taught a percussion class and Bagpipes for a year. Under his direction, the Highland Jazz Ensemble was selected to perform at the 2006 Indiana Music Education Association (IMEA) Convention. He co-taught the marching band focusing on the visual program. The marching band was successful in ISSMA field shows (placing 5th in Class B State Finals) and the Indiana State Fair Band day earning 1st place in 2005. Since Christopher was at Highland, the marching band performed in the Walt Disney World and Disneyland parades, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Indianapolis 500 Parade, and the Hollywood Christmas Parade.
At Pendleton Heights, he has helped increase membership in all areas of the band program. The Wind Ensemble and Jazz Ensemble have received superior ratings every year since arriving. The Wind Ensemble was selected to perform at the 2013 and 2022 Indiana Music Education Association Conference, Percussion Ensemble was selected in 2016, and the Jazz Ensemble in 2021. The marching band earned top 16 finishes at the Indiana State Fair his first two years. After moving to the ISSMA field shows, the band reached Semi-State for the first time in 2012 and again in 2014 to present. They placed 2nd in the Class 4A Mid-States Championships in 2017. In 2018, they reached the ISSMA State Finals for the first time in school history and repeated that feat in 2019. They were selected to participate in the 2011 and 2015 Philadelphia Thanksgiving Parades, 2014 Disney World Parade, and the 2019 Hollywood Christmas Parade.. The program now has two winter guards and an indoor percussion group, which won its first state championship in 2014 and placed 2nd in 2019 and 2021
In 2006, he began the Madison County Jazz Festival (now Pendleton Heights Jazz Festival) for bands in the area. He brought in outstanding clinicians and guest artists, which is helping the festival grow each year. The festival has brought in artists such as Delfeayo Marsalis, Jeff Coffin, Bobby Shew, Mike Tomaro, Eric Marienthal, Roger Ingram, and Gregg Bissonett. Also within Madison County, he coordinated 6 high schools to combine for an All-County Marching Band that performed in the Indianapolis 500 Parade.
Christopher graduated from Ball State University cum laude in 2000. While at Ball State, he held leadership positions in the collegiate Music Educators’ National Association chapter and the marching band, including drum major. Christopher was a member of the wind ensemble, symphonic band, first and second jazz bands, pep band, and brass quintets. In 2018, he was named “Outstanding Alumnus” of the Ball State School of Music. He spent seven years teaching marching bands, concert bands, and jazz bands at Anderson, Delta, Yorktown, and Greenfield-Central High Schools. He student-taught at Carmel High School and also served on their marching band staff.
He is involved in the Indiana Music Educators Association. He has served as a clinician and state chair for the IMEA Non-Competitive Festivals. He has served as the Honor Band chair for four years. Christopher recently completed a term as the President. He has served on staff for the Indiana All-Star Marching band. Christopher also directs the Directors’ Jazz Orchestra, a group of music teachers from the area who perform throughout the year. The group was selected to perform at the 2005, 2009, 2011, and 2017 IMEA Conferences. He has been a zone representative for the Indiana State School Music Association (ISSMA) and has served on the Indiana Bandmasters Association and Indiana Jazz Education Association board. He was inducted into the honorary bandmaster fraternity, Phi Beta Mu, in 2012.
Christopher is an Eagle Scout and has been involved in being an adult volunteer for Boy Scouts. He was an Order of the Arrow section adviser, and served on the council youth leadership program, “White Stag,” staff which he directed 3 of his last 4 years. He is a member of his church’s choirs and leads a community café team and Joyful Jazz at First United Methodist church in Anderson.
Christopher resides in Anderson with his wife Sarah, a music therapist, and children Caroline and Jackson.
Nathan Hochstetler – PHMS Director of Bands
Nathan Hochstetler is currently in his 18th year of teaching music. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Ball State University. Mr. Hochstetler served 12 years as the Assistant Director of Bands at Pendleton Heights High School and Middle School. He is currently the Director of Bands at Pendleton Heights Middle School. Nathan’s duties at Pendleton include conducting each of the 4 ability based concert ensembles at PHMS, overseeing the Middle School Jazz Band, and assisting with the Marching Arabians at Pendleton Heights High School.
The PHMS Jazz Band is an extra-curricular jazz band that performs throughout the area including the Pendleton Heights Jazz Festival and the ISSMA Jazz Competition. Nathan has helped the band program grow tremendously while at Pendleton. Under the direction of Nathan, the Pep Band had been invited to perform at Worthen Arena at Ball State University and Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The Marching Band has earned numerous awards including advancing to the ISSMA State Finals Competition for Class B in 2018, 2019 & 2022. The Marching Band also placed 2nd in the Class 4A Mid-States Championships in 2017.
Prior to his time at Pendleton, Mr. Hochstetler spent five years starting the Alexandria-Monroe Schools band program. Before he started, the program had one class and grew to multiple ensembles at the Intermediate and High Schools. His students regularly performed in Concerts, Honor Bands, ISSMA events, Basketball Games and Jazz Festivals. Nathan is an active member of the Indiana Music Educators Association and is a regular attendee of both the IMEA State Conference and the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic.
Outside of school, Nathan plays the trumpet and bass in several ensembles, including The Directors Jazz Orchestra and Alpha Brass. Nathan is also a member of the First United Methodist Church choir in Anderson Indiana. Nathan is an Eagle Scout and has been involved with council leadership in the White River District near Anderson. Nathan enjoys biking, camping, and spending time with his wife Rachel, their 11 year old daughter Maizen, their 8 year old son Leland, and their dog Winston.
Adam Brosman – PHMS/PHHS Director of Percussion
Adam Brosman is currently in his 16th year of teaching music. As the Percussion Director for both Pendleton Heights High School and Middle School, he sees all percussion students from their beginning year in 6th grade through middle school and high school. He has directed the percussion sections of the Marching Arabians to numerous awards including ISSMA State Finals in Class B in 2018 and 2019. Adam also directs the Indoor Percussion Ensemble at Pendleton Heights, competing in the IPA concert classes. The ensemble has seen some great success over the years from a Concert A Class State Championship in 2014 to various silver and bronze medals in Concert Open Class.
In 2016, his high school percussion ensemble was chosen to perform at the Indiana Music Educators Association conference. His students have been awarded IPA scholarships, gone on to study music and music education at the collegiate level, and perform with various drum corps.
He holds a Master’s degree from University of New Mexico and a Bachelor’s degree from Butler University (Go Dawgs!).
Adam lives in Noblesville with his wife Lisa and their son Simon, twin boys Elliott and Emerson, and a goldendoodle named Lucy.
Makayla Arzate – PHHS Guard Director
Makayla Arzate‘s bio is coming soon!