Brian Beck, Director of Bands
Brian Beck is currently the Director of Bands at Davis High School in Yakima, Washington. Brian graduated summa cum laude with his degree in Broad Area Music Education and a Douglas Honors College Interdisciplinary Honors Minor at Central Washington University in 2014. In 2021 he received his Masters in Music Education from CWU and in 2023 achieved National Board Certification.
Since starting at Davis in the fall of 2014, the band program has tripled in size. The marching band, percussion ensemble, jazz band, and wind bands are recognized as some of the top groups in the region/state. In 2019, the Davis Percussion Ensemble were selected as WIAA State Champions. The Davis Wind Ensemble has performed as a featured concert hour group at the 2019 NAfME Northwest Conference and the 2024 WMEA State Conference. The A.C. Davis Band Program was the Northwestern Region winner and one of five national finalists for the Foster Award recognizing excellence in music in Title 1 schools in 2019.
Brian is currently serves as Past-President of the Yakima Valley Music Educators Association. He has served on the staff of the Metro-Capitol Leadership Academy located in Salem, Oregon since 2016. Brian was selected as the 2020 YVMEA Regional Outstanding Music Educator of the Year, the 2026 WIAA/WMEA Washington State Music Educator of the Year, the 2026 National Federation of High Schools Section 8 Music Educator of the Year, and has received the prestigious Citation of Excellence from the National Band Association. He maintains professional memberships with the Washington Music Educators Association, the Yakima Valley Music Educators Association, the National Association for Music Education, and the National Band Association.
Outside of music, Brian is an avid skier who has been going up to White Pass Ski Area nearly every weekend since the age of four. Once the snow melts, you can find him hiking, camping, and mountain biking with his family and friends.
Ensembles: Marching Band, Pep Band, Concert Band, Advanced Band, Wind Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble 2, Jazz 2
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Samuel Howard, Director of Jazz and Percussion
Sam Howard serves as Director of Jazz and Percussion at A.C. Davis High School in Yakima, Washington. Currently in his fifth year at Davis High School, Sam is responsible for Jazz Band 1, Percussion Ensembles 1 & 2, and IB Music. He also co-teaches the Concert Band, and serves as assistant director for the competitive marching ensemble.
Under Sam’s direction, the A.C. Davis Jazz and Percussion Ensembles have excelled at numerous festivals and events across the Pacific Northwest. Notably, the A.C. Davis Jazz Band 1 was awarded first place in the 4A division at the Mead Jazz Festival in 2023, the Columbia Basin College Jazz Festival in 2024, and at the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival in 2025 where they were also selected to perform as a Sweepstakes Finalist. The Davis Percussion Ensemble 1 has consistently represented the Yakima Valley Region at the WIAA/WMEA State Solo & Ensemble Contest, earning 3rd place in 2022 and 1st place in 2025 for the Large Percussion category.
Sam is currently the Band Representative for the Yakima Valley Music Educators Association. He served on the brass staff for The Columbians Drum and Bugle Corps from 2022 through 2024. Prior to his role at Davis High School, Sam served as Band Director at Morgan Middle School in Ellensburg, Washington.
Sam attended Central Washington University, where he received his Bachelor’s Degree in Instrumental Music Education in 2020, and earned his Master’s in Music from the American Band College in 2025.
Ensembles: Concert Band, Advanced Percussion Ensemble, Intermediate-Advanced Percussion Ensemble, Jazz Band 1, Marching Band, Pep Band
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Elaine Fite, Color Guard Caption Supervisor
Elaine’s performance history includes Oklahoma State University, the Bluecoats, Black Gold Winterguard, Rhapsody Winterguard, and the Pandemic Performance Ensemble. She has taught at high schools across the country and worked with the Seattle Cascades, Spirit of Atlanta, Central Washington University, and Snowflake Lane. She graduated from Oklahoma State with an MS in Zoology in 2009 and currently lives near Seattle is the director of Rhapsody Winterguard, and teaches guard at Spirit of Atlanta Drum Corps.
Elaine loves working with Davis High School and continuing to grow the program and provide a positive experience for the students. Outside of color guard Elaine loves pursue other areas of dance/movement as well as occasionally go ice climbing.
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Martin Obrero, Visual Caption Supervisor
Martin Obrero is currently the Director of Bands at Washington Middle School in Yakima, Washington. He graduated from Central Washington University in 2018 with degrees in Clarinet Performance and Music Education – Instrumental Focus. Martin has performed as principal clarinet with the CWU Symphony Orchestra under Dr. Nikolas Caolie and with the CWU Wind Ensemble under Larry Gookin and Lewis Norfleet.
Martin is currently in his 6th year in his career at Washington. He also serves at the Visual Caption Supervisor for the A.C. Davis Marching Band, having served as a clarinet and visual instructor for several years prior to his beginning at Washington.
Other than being a band director, Martin spends his free time hanging out with his 5 pups at home, playing Valorant, dancing, or having fun on the Columbia River. You will also find him working on instrument repair as a spare hobby.
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Marching Band Design Staff
Brian Beck – Program Coordinator/Drill Design
Jeff Chambers – Wind Composer/Arranger
Nate Hunt – Percussion Arranger
Elaine Fite – Choreographer/Guard Visual Design
Tim Mitchell – Sound Design
Kevin Ford – Show Design Consultant
Sean Dorn – Prop Development and Design
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Middle School Band Teachers
Katelin Crowner – Wilson Middle School
Tammi Beam and Bill Beam – Lewis and Clark Middle School
Brian Petilo – Franklin Middle School
Martin Obrero – Washington Middle School
Linda Doria – Union Gap School