Mr. Harold W. Anderson  1929/30 – 1931/32 (3)

Mr. Anderson was the Director of Instrumental Music at Glendale High School for XX years before moving to open Hoover.  He taught both band (20) and orchestra (20) in his first year.  In his second year he taught only the orchestra (39), with the addition of George Shochat taking the band (37).  

Mr. George Shochat  1930/31 – 1949/50

The following was written by Emily Shochat Whytock, the daughter of Mr. George Shochat in July 2017:

George Shochat was born in Brooklyn, New York, on Bastille Day, 1908.  His family moved to Los Angeles in 1925.  He attended UCLA, graduating as valedictorian of the class of 1930.  

He began his career at Hoover High School that same year, at first directing the bands at Glendale High and Toll Junior High as well. He taught instrumental and choral music as well as harmony.  He also directed the choir at Central Methodist Church in Glendale. He was married in 1938, and had a daughter and a son. 

During these years Hoover instrumental and choral ensembles won many awards and honors. With his colleagues, Florence Rogers and Edna Mae Wells, he directed a long string of outstanding operetta performances, including The Red Mill, Rio Rita, HMS Pinafore, No No Nanette, The Vagabond King, The Chocolate Soldier, and others. George was the head of the music department from 1945 through 1950.

In 1951 George took a sabbatical leave to study in Switzerland. He attended the University of Lausanne and was a member of the university's choir. He and his family traveled extensively during their fifteen-month adventure, and it was here that he developed his love of the French language and all things Swiss.  

In 1956 George returned to Hoover as a member of the foreign language faculty, at first teaching French, German and Spanish.  He earned a Master of Arts in French from USC in 1960, and retired as head of the foreign language department in 1972, having taught exclusively French for a number of years, always incorporating music into his curriculum.

George Shochat passed away in 1984 at his home in Glendale. Both his daughter and one of his granddaughters have been career Glendale teachers, carrying on the legacy of a man who loved his family, his students, his school, his profession, the mountains, books, music, and life in general.

Mr. Hobert McLaughlin  1950/51 – 1951/52 (2)

Started the Twisters in the 1950/51 school year with 5 members.  Orchestra (30), Band (26), Twisters (10), Drill Team (40).

Mr. John R. Jolley  1952/53 – 1953/54 (2)  

Orchestra (30), Dance Band (14), Twisters (8), Band (41) Rose Parade, Drill Team (36).

Richard J. Schieberl  1954/55 – 1955/56 (2)

Band (48) Rose Parade, Orchestra (36), Twisters (7), Drill Team (47), Majorettes (12).

John L. Shafer  956/57 (1)

Chamber Orchestra “Concertettes” (10), Orchestra (25), Twisters (8), Band (26) did not march.

Robert A. Campbell  1957/58 – 1960/61 (4)

Band (56), Orchestra (9), Drill Team (73), Twisters (8), Dance Band (10).

Mr. Campbell took the band to the Rose Parade in 1959/60 school year.

Mr. Rhees noted the following in May 2017:

"I had an interesting conversation about a month ago with, Mr. Robert Campbell.  He is 90 years old now, and living on the east coast at a retirement community.  It was a wonderful conversation to have, as I am quite interested in the history of our school.  Most of what I have learned comes from the extensive collection of Hoover's yearbooks (the Scroll). 

He was only at Hoover for a total of four years, but according to him, he enjoyed his time at Hoover immensely.  In the end, he was recruited away by the Bakersfield schools where he spent the remainder of his career."

Mr. Campbell's Drum Major, Steve Hunt (1958-59) noted the following in May 2017:

"I remember very little about Mr. Scheiberl. Back in the 50's Toll was 7th, 8th, and 9th grades. Hoover was 10th, 11th, and 12th. I was invited to play with the Hoover Band for the Days of Verdugos parade when I was in the 9th grade. This would have been the only time when I had a chance to meet Mr. Scheiberl.

I do remember Mr. Schaffer. He, in my opinion, was more a musician than a teacher. He was very good at teaching theory and technique but taught at a college level. He did not have a strong connection with the students.

Then there was Mr. Campbell. My first memory was receiving a letter from him asking that all band members report to school two weeks before school started so we could learn how to march. I remember telling a friend "He must be crazy to think I am going to give up my last two weeks of summer vacation to learn how to march." Well I showed up for those two weeks and learned a whole lot about marching. And he was out there step by step helping and connecting with the students.

A fun story that happened during the first couple of weeks of school. Mr. Campbell was from the south. During a morning class/practice the phone in the band room range. It was the principal asking Mr. Campbell if the band was ready to play the national anthem at an upcoming assembly. Mr. Campbell asked which national anthem the principal wanted us to play. He wanted to know if we should play Dixie or the Star Spangled Banner. My grandmother would have been happy if we had played Dixie.

I remember the first halftime show. We played and marched on the field. But clearly we had not learned everything about marching. Our lines were crooked and we played out of tune. By the end of my senior year we, and the drill team, were a well trained, disciplined, fine tuned marching half time show. Mr. Campbell took us from a hesitant come in two weeks early poorly trained band to a well trained, I want to come in early before school starts, award winning marching band.

I believe I marched in the Rose Parade three times. Back in those days the Tournament of Roses Association invited local bands to march in the parade. A Glendale band was invited every year maybe because the City of Glendale had a float in the parade every year. It was common for the high school band that was invited to march to invite members from other school(s) to participate with them. If I remember right there was Hoover High, Glendale High, and the Glendale Police Boys band. The Glendale Police Boys band used to rehearse in the lobby of City hall.

Mr. Campbell made me a better student and he made all of us better students. He is just one of a few teachers I remember during my 16 years of education."

Mr. Campbell's Drum Major, Michael D. Stone, noted the following in March 2017:

"Mr. Campbell was a very thorough teacher.  I knew my music theory from his work teaching us in band.  He also gave students who were interested the opportunity for leadership.  I was his drum major, and played a solo with the high school band."

Mr. Vernon Read  1961/62 (1)

Twisters (7), Dance Band (14), Orchestra (37), Band (41), Drill Team.

Mr. Hugh Wallace  1962/63 – 1978/79 (17)

Mr. Wallace presided over the largest band ever at Hoover.  In 1973 he had 78 in the band and 71 in the drill team.  He taught orchestra, Twisters, and the stage band.  Rose Parade band in 1969.

Mr. Cameron Malotte  Sep. 1979 – June 1981

Cameron Malotte took over the band shortly after California voters passed Proposition 13, which initially had a devastating effect on funding for schools. Mr. Malotte taught band and one period of P.E. at Hoover and band and orchestra at E.J. Toll Junior High. With cutbacks to electives, Mr. Malotte was asked to also take on the music program at two elementary schools in addition to his work at Hoover and Toll. He chose to accept a position in another district. During his tenure at Hoover, he started a "zero period" class, the first in school history. He also worked closely with Drill Team director, Kathi Sarkin, to produce some very impressive half-time shows for football games. The highlight was probably the BGD game when Hoover was celebrating its 50th anniversary. The "Magic of Hoover" was the theme and included a helicopter hovering over the field with a message board scrolling, "The Magic of Hoover...50 Golden Years."  Mr. Malotte also collaborated with choir director, Ken Wilson, who was a gifted arranger and wrote arrangements utilizing the talents of individual band and choir members for the Spring Musical Revue.

In June 2017 Mr. Malotte retired from teaching after 38 years in education, 24 years of it as a middle school principal. 

Mr. Cameron Malotte can be reached at cmalotte@gmail.com.

Mr. Ken Wilson

Mr. Gaston

Mr. Chuck Saint   1983/84 - 1996/97 (14)

In 1983, Mr. Saint was hired by Glendale School district as a Traveling Music Teacher to begin to resurrect elementary and secondary music programs that had been devastated by state tax initiatives. At that time he was assigned to simultaneously direct the Hoover Marching Band, restore the discontinued Roosevelt Middle School instrumental program, while recruiting and directing 5 elementary instrumental music programs (In 1983, due to state tax cuts slashing funding for the arts, elementary school students were required to pay a fee for their instrument and instruction). In 1985, he was assigned to Hoover High school exclusively where he directed instrumental music through 1997. During that period Mr. Saint also taught Glee, Beginning Guitar and Music Appreciation.

In 1992, he moved from his duties as Marching Band director to the development of an innovative Music Technology program (utilizing synthesizers and computers to create, produce and record music). Mr. Saint successfully directed this program for 5 years.  As of 2017, he is currently the longest tenured teacher at Hoover High. Over 34 years Mr. Saint continues to enjoy helping young people grow and find their own path through Music, Social Science and Computer Literacy instruction.

Mr. Saint earned the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at U.C.L.A.  He holds a degree of Master of Arts in Education from C.S.U.L.A.  Mr. Saint’s music studies at U.C.L.A, L.A. City College and CSULA have included instrumental performance, vocal performance, songwriting, composition, arranging, orchestration, conducting, record engineering and record production.  After graduating from U.C.L.A. he was a professional musician/entertainer/composer for seven years before he decided to become an educator.

Although he is an accomplished performer on a number of wind, percussion and string instruments (the latest one being the ukulele), his instrument of choice is always the voice. Mr. Saint continues to perform locally when possible and will occasionally be seen sitting in with Mr. Rhees’ outstanding Hoover Jazz and Twister ensembles.

Mr. Victor Guder

The following excerpt is courtesy of www.allears.net:

During the summer of 1967, Richard Carpenter performed at Disneyland with John Bettis as a banjo and piano duo. They played at Coke Corner on Main Street. Being a time-specific land, they were instructed to play certain pieces from the early 1900's. However, they were frequently asked by guests to perform more contemporary songs. Being young and cocky, they ignored their directive and honored the guests' requests.

Disneyland's talent supervisor Vic Guder spoke to them numerous times about straying from the approved song list, but his words had little effect on the duo. Eventually, they were fired.

Being young and not completely understanding how the supervisor-subordinate relationship works, they thought they had received a raw deal. To vent their frustration and outrage they collaborated on an "anti-establishment" song titled, Mr. Guder in honor of their Disneyland boss. The song was later recorded by Richard and his sister Karen and was released on the "Close to You" album in 1970.

In later years, Richard admitted that perhaps he should have been satisfied with having a job and not behaving as he did. 

We have no way of authenticating the following post on February 10, 2010 at 6:45 PM at:  http://disneylandcompendium.blogspot.com/2008/09/this-is-for-vintagedisneylandtickets.html

"Just to set the record straight.....I never fired Richard Carpenter...a great musician. Richard only worked at Coke Corner for our summer seasons and special events...Karen appeared at a special event ....so sad we lost Karen..a wonderful talent.Also for the record I am still playing the woodwinds and happy to have the wonderful memories of the Disney days and my 20 years in Music education and directing Broadway Musicals...Music is the highlight of my life and may the world of Music continue to live in our lives. I do miss the Carpenters and their unique sounds..but the recordings continue to reflect their great music....now you have the facts..MR> GUDER"

Dr. Craig Kupka

Ms. Beth Richey

A native of Kansas City, Missouri, Ms. Richey completed her undergraduate degree in both Choral and Instrumental Music Education at the University of Missouri, Kansas City, Conservatory of Music and Dance. She received her Master's of Music in Choral Conducting at UCLA with the world renowned Donald Neuen. She conducted the UCLA Chamber Singers, Chorale and UCLA Symphony Orchestra.

Mr. Martin Rhees (2009 - 2019)

Award winning Los Angeles freelance hornist, Mr. Rhees has been the Director of Instrumental Music at Hoover High School since 2009.  Mr. Rhees holds the degrees of Bachelor of Music in Horn Performance as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Instrumental Music Education from the California State University, Fullerton.  Mr. Rhees completed post-graduate work at the University of Southern California where he earned a Master of Music degree in Horn Performance. 

He has performed with many symphony orchestras including: the Chicago Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Opera, Honolulu Symphony, and Grant Park Mr. Rhees has also performed with Frank Sinatra Jr., Tony Bennett, Natalie Cole, the Percy Faith Orchestra, the Mantovani Orchestra, and Manheim Steamroller.  As a recording musician, he has worked in all of the major motion picture studios and can be heard on a range of media, from the ”Got Milk?” and “AT&T” television advertisements, to music for the “James Bond 007” motion pictures. He has performed at Walt Disney Concert Hall (LAPO), Dorothy Chandler Pavilion (Wagner’s Ring Cycle), the Amanson Theater (Mary Poppins) and the Mark Taper Forum (Parade).

As a music educator, Mr. Rhees began coaching brass chamber groups in the public schools in 1982.  Mr. Rhees has worked for the world-renowned Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps of Santa Clara, California.  In his first year teaching the corps, Mr. Rhees helped the Vanguard to win the 1989 Drum Corps International World Championship with a record setting high score.  Prior to teaching at Hoover, Mr. Rhees was the Head of Brass Instruction for the Tenrikyo Aimachi Band of Nagoya, Japan where they won six National Championships and tied on score for another. These were the first such titles in the group’s 40-plus year history.

Mr. Bryan Lackey (2019-2021)

Mr. Dylan Koester (2021-2022)

Mr. Koester is a passionate educator, conductor, performer, and researcher. He has taught students at both the K-12 and university settings. Before arriving at Hoover in the summer of 2021, Mr. Koester served as the Director of Bands and Instructor of Music at St. Thomas University in Miami, FL, where he directed the athletic and concert bands and oversaw all aspects of instrumental music. His musical and teaching background is extensive and is an accomplished trumpeter.

Ms. Melissa Campbell (2022-present)

Melissa Campbell is a passionate educator and a practiced saxophonist. She has had experience teaching music in all aspects to students ranging K-12. Ms. Campbell holds a Bachelor’s of Music Education degree from Grand Valley State University (Allendale, MI), including a minor in Psychology, recognition of Performance Honors in saxophone, and completion of the Honors College program. Before her time at Hoover High School, Ms. Campbell taught in both the Pasadena Unified School District (Pasadena, CA) and Grand Rapids Public Schools (Grand Rapids, MI), in addition to holding many marching band instructor positions in various districts.