Lone Star College-Montgomery welcomes Cristina Mendoza as the newly appointed director of bands and professor of music. |
Mendoza as the newly appointed director of bands and professor of music. Beginning this fall, Mendoza will conduct the college’s symphonic band and jazz ensembles.
“I am really excited for the opportunity to get started here at Lone Star College-Montgomery,” Mendoza said. “The position is everything I was looking for, coming out of my doctoral program.”
Mendoza recently completed her coursework toward her DMA degree in instrumental conducting at the University of Houston and is working on her dissertation. While at the University of Houston she served as doctoral graduate assistant with the university bands. She conducted the wind ensemble, symphonic and chamber winds, symphonic and concert band, as well as the marching and pep bands. She also taught high and low brass methods courses.
Mendoza received a master of music degree in trombone performance and a bachelor of arts degree in music from the University of Notre Dame, where she was involved in the marching, concert, and jazz band, and orchestra programs. Additionally, she earned all-level teacher certification in instrumental music at The University of Texas at Austin.
Prior to her appointment at LSC-Montgomery, Mendoza served as the assistant director of bands and instructor of brass at Nicholls State University in Thibadaux, Louisiana, where she directed the jazz ensemble, coached brass chamber groups, and taught courses. Mendoza has additional teaching experience in the Brownsville and Los Fresnos schools, and served as assistant conductor and trombonist with the McAllen Symphonic Band.
“I’ve been fortunate to work with a variety of band programs,” she said. “State, private, big, and small colleges; they have all brought me to the program here at Lone Star College-Montgomery. I am really looking forward to getting started, meeting the students, and making some music with them.”
Some of Mendoza’s educators include David Bertman, Franz Anton Krager, Frank Crisafulli, Donald Knaub, Mark Fisher and Steve Wolfinbarger. Her professional affiliations include Texas Music Educators Association and College Band Directors National Association. She is an active member of Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity, and an honorary member of Kappa Kappa Psi Honorary Band Fraternity and Tau Beta Sigma Honorary Band Sorority. She is also a member of Pi Kappa Lambda music honor society, Alpha Lambda Delta academic honor society, and Phi Kappa Phi honor society.
Mendoza hopes to take both the jazz and symphonic bands on recruiting and performance trips, to bring awareness of what LSC-Montgomery has to offer the schools and community.
“I feel really strongly that a community college can bridge the gap and bring high school students into their own success as college students,” she said. “I look forward to being a part of the team that helps bring more students success.”
Students and community members can still register for the jazz ensemble or the symphonic band until Monday, September 8, and auditions are still being heard for the music department’s other performing ensembles including concert choir, chamber singers, symphony orchestra and chamber ensemble. Contact Mendoza at cristina.e.mendoza@lonestar.edu for more information.
LSC-Montgomery offers a very dynamic and professional music curriculum, designed so that all completed music classes count toward a degree in music and transfer to any music program at a Texas four-year college or university. For more information on the music program, visit LoneStar.edu/Music-Montgomery.
LSC-Montgomery is located at 3200 College Park Drive, one-half mile west of Interstate 45, between Conroe and The Woodlands. For more information about the college, call 936.273.7000, or visit www.LoneStar.edu/montgomery.
Lone Star College System has been opening doors to a better community for more than 40 years. Founded in 1973, LSCS remains steadfast in its commitment to student success and credential completion. Today, with 78,000 students in credit classes, and a total enrollment of more than 90,000, Lone Star College System is the largest institution of higher education in the Houston area and one of the fastest-growing community college systems in the nation. Dr. Steve Head is the chancellor of LSCS, which consists of six colleges including LSC-CyFair, LSC-Kingwood, LSC-Montgomery, LSC-North Harris, LSC-Tomball and LSC-University Park, seven centers, LSC-University Center at Montgomery, LSC-University Center at University Park, Lone Star Corporate College, and LSC-Online. To learn more visit LoneStar.edu.