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 – Assistant Director PHHS/PHMS
Nathan Hochstetler is currently in his 15th year of teaching music. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Ball State University. This is his tenth year as the assistant director at Pendleton Heights High School and Middle School. Prior to his time at Pendleton, Mr. Hochstetler spent five years as the director at Alexandria-Monroe Schools during which the band program grew considerably. His students regularly perform in honor bands, ISSMA events, and the Pendleton Heights Jazz Festival. He 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, Mr. Hochstetler plays the trumpet in several ensembles, including The Directors Jazz Orchestra and Alpha Brass. Mr. Hochstetler enjoys biking, woodworking, and spending time with his wife Rachel, their 8 year old daughter Maizen, their 5 year old son Leland, and their dog Eden.
Catherine Maloney – PHMS Director of Bands
Catherine Maloney graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She earned a BA in Music Education and a BS is Media Studies/ Communication. At the U of I, Mrs. Maloney was involved in the Marching Illini as a piccolo section leader, member of Sigma Alpha Iota, Orange and Blue Basketball Band, and various University ensembles.Mrs. Maloney’s teaching experience includes summer clinics with Smith-Walbridge at Eastern Illinois University, private studio lessons for flute and piano, and Chick-Fil-A Bowlhalf-time production. She has also performed in several venues such as Ireland, London, Indianapolis, New York, and California. Mrs. Maloney has been fortunate to teach all around the country: Urbana High school in Urbana, IL,Evanston Township HS and Wilmette Jr. High in the Chicagoland area, and San Antonio, TX.Mrs. Maloney currently performs on flute with the Indiana Wind Symphony and serves in US Army National Guard 38th ID Band. She is also an active adjudicator for IMEA Solo & Ensemble and ISSMA Organizational Contest for middle school bands.Catherine Maloney is beginning her 8th year with South Madison Community School Corporation. She co-teaches the High School Wind Ensemble and works as a field tech for the Marching Arabians. Her primary responsibility is to run the Pendleton Heights Middle School Band Program. Over the last 11 years, the program has grown steadily and continues to maintain a high level of achievement in performance.