Band Directors

Bob Delwarte
Fall 1960 to Summer 1963
I left Taft to teach at San Fernando Valley State College, Northridge, now Calif. State University, Northridge. In 1963 I started the Jazz Band at the University, and the Matador Marching Band. I also conducted the Concert Band. These were the High School Music Institute years. I finally did what I was hired to do, and that is Music Education. I was supervisor of student teachers until I retired in 1992.

I taught an additional five years with the FERP, Faculty Early Retirement, teaching one semester a year. I did teach an additional one semester, totally retiring in 1998. Since that time I have kept busy judging band and orchestra festivals in Southern California. I did judge the Taft Festival this past year. The Taft program is still going strong.

Freida and I do a lot of traveling, and still have our boat in Channel Islands. The boat keeps me broke and busy. We had four kids, all played and play music. We have four grandchildren, ages 20, 18, 9 and 4, who also keep us busy. We look forward to hearing from everyone. [August 2002]

fdelwarte@aol.com

Richard Carlson
Fall 1963 to Summer 1964
In memoriam: Richard Carson, longtime faculty member and Chair of the Music Department at LAVC, passed away on December 8, 2003. Richard Carlson established the LAVC Marching Band, which represented LAVC in the Rose Parade and other national parades. [From the College Bulletin of Los Angeles Valley College (LAVC) for the week of December 15, 2003]

Ken Kamp
Fall 1964 to Summer 1995
In memoriam: Mr. Kamp passed away at his home in Woodland Hills on October 10, 2006.

One of his former students posted a moving eulogy to him: The Music Man.

Steve Burch
Fall 1995 to Summer 2007
Band and orchestra teacher. Our marching band is very small—but powerful, as you'll be able to see from the band website. Check it out.

steve@burchmusic.com

www.burchmusic.com

Dennis Ryan Bortz
Fall 2008 to present
[June 2008]

dennis.bortz@lausd.net