Our Team
David DuPlessis
DIRECTOR OF BANDS, MARCHING BAND DRILL WRITER
David DuPlessis is the Director of Bands at Corona del Sol High School in Tempe, Arizona. He serves as President of the Arizona Band and Orchestra Directors Association (ABODA), and previously served as Vice President of High School Band Activities.
Previous to that, Mr. DuPlessis was the AMEA West Region Governor for regional honor ensembles and the solo/ensemble festival for eight years. Mr. DuPlessis has taught music for eighteen years, four years as band director at Skyline High School in Mesa, and the last fourteen years at Corona del Sol High School. Ensembles under his direction have achieved numerous accolades, including “superior with distinction” ratings at ABODA and out-of-state festivals, as well as a consistent finalist in the Division 1 Arizona State Marching Band Championships.
The Aztec Marching Band has been a finalist in 21 past Bands of America Regional Championships. Mr. DuPlessis is a member of Phi Beta Mu, an international bandmasters’ fraternity. He also writes marching band drill and choreography for dozens of Arizona marching bands in all four divisions. Active as an adjudicator, Mr. DuPlessis judges for ABODA middle school & high school concert festivals and marching band invitational events.
Mr. DuPlessis has served as an honor band director for the Tempe Elementary School District, Kyrene School District, and the Music Enrichment Foundation (MEF) Summer Band Camp at the Tempe Center for the Arts. In 2021, he was named a finalist for the Tempe Diablos “Teacher of the Year.” Mr. DuPlessis holds a bachelor’s degree of music education from The University of Arizona, where he studied with Gregg Hanson, Jay Rees, and Edward Reid. David is married to Arlie DuPlessis, who is also a band director at Pueblo Middle School. Their son Alex will be joining the band at Pueblo this year in 6th grade!
Scott Werner
DIRECTOR OF PERCUSSION, PIT CAPTION HEAD
Scott Werner has taught percussion, world music, guitar, marching band and steel band at Corona del Sol High School since 1990. In 2010 he received the “Martin Luther King Diversity in Education” award from the City of Tempe. Scott has also been nominated for the Tempe Diablos Award, The Governor's Arts Award for Education and was a 2016 Grammy Award Quarter Finalist.
Scott Werner received his Bachelor's Degree in Percussion Performance from the University of Illinois and his Masters Degree in Percussion Performance from Arizona State University. As a musician, Scott has performed with many national Broadway tours including Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, West Side Story, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Evita, Grease, The Will Rogers Follies, Motown, Sound of Music and Matthew Bourne’s “Swan Lake”. In addition, he has also performed with Wynonna Judd, The Moody Blues, Mannheim Steamroller, Steve Allen, Jodi Benson, The Dallas Brass, John Davidson, Jamie Farr, Jose Feliciano, Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme, Ralph Macchio, Al Martino, Lou Rawls, Dave Samuels, The Side Street Strutters, The Three Irish Tenors, Jerry Vale, Jackie Evako, Johnny Mathis, Weird Al Yankovic, Amy Grant, David Archuleta, Michel W. Smith, Dick Clark, The Temptations, Peabo Bryson, Christopher Cross, Oleta Adams, Richard Kline, Andy Narell, Sally Struthers, Mackenzie Phillips, Joe Piscopo, Prince (hologram) and Mary Wilson (The Supremes).
He has also performed as a percussionist with The Symphony of the West Valley, the Tempe Symphonic Wind Ensemble, The Phoenix Symphony and the Arizona Opera Company. He can be heard on the following recordings: THE GOLDEN AGE OF BRASS III, Summit Records, Percussion. Composition #174 for Percussion Ensemble and Constructed Environment, Rhythm Well Done! and A Caribbean Christmas.
Alexandra Holste
DIRECTOR OF ORCHESTRAS, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF BANDS, WOODWIND CAPTION HEAD
Alexandra Holste is a graduate of Arizona State University where she graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Music Education in 2013. Ms. Holste is currently the Director of Orchestras and the Associate Director of Bands at Corona del Sol High School in Tempe and was the 2019 recipient of the Tempe Union High School’s Inspiration award for her innovative practices and dedication to the field of education.
Her ensembles regularly receive ratings of Superior with Distinction at festivals. In addition to working at Corona, Ms. Holste frequently serves as an adjudicator and clinician for the AMEA Solo/Ensemble Festival, regional auditions, and all-state auditions. In the spring of 2019, Ms. Holste was invited to conduct and teach a session at the Tau Beta Sigma Western District Convention at Arizona State University. She served as the AMEA West Region Band Chair from 2020-2023 and was a guest conductor for the PVUSD Honor Orchestra in 2023.
Ms. Holste is an active flutist, performing throughout the valley and is currently a member of the Tempe Wind Symphony where she serves as rotating principal and piccolo chairs. She was a featured soloist during the 2017/2018 season. She maintains a successful private lesson studio where her students are regularly the top of their sections at their respective school and regularly earn spots in regional and all-state honor bands and orchestras.
Abraham Garcia
VISUAL CAPTION HEAD
Abraham Garcia is a music educator residing in Chandler, Arizona. He earned his Bachelor of Instrumental Music Education in 2014 at Arizona State University. Abraham is completing his eighth year as an elementary school teacher in Mesa, AZ where he teaches band to grades 4-6. As an active performer and instructor in Arizona’s marching arts, Abraham has served various instructional roles at schools throughout the valley for the past fourteen years.
His experience as a drum corps member includes three years performing with The Arizona Academy Drum and Bugle Corps. After aging out, he returned to the activity as a visual instructor with the Sacramento Mandarins, The Arizona Academy and most recently, Pacific Crest. Abraham joined the Corona Del Sol staff in 2019, serving in the role of Visual Caption Head.
Brian Wilson
BRASS CAPTION HEAD
Eastman Euphonium artist Brian C. Wilson is an active and highly sought-after clinician and euphonium soloist. Among the most elite euphonium players on the West Coast, Mr. Wilson has been featured as a soloist by Miraphone and Yamaha. Mr. Wilson has also served as principal euphonium in the Arizona Wind Symphony, performed as Solo Euphonium in the southwestern-based Salt River Brass, conducted by Patrick Sheridan, toured as a soloist throughout Europe with the Arizona Ambassadors of Music, and has performed and recorded with Summit Brass.
Mr. Wilson earned both his Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Performance from Arizona State University. Mr. Wilson also served as graduate assistant at Arizona State University in trombone, euphonium and tuba. Mr. Wilson has been a music educator since 1999, and has been the Director of Bands of Summit Academy’s H. E. Hendrix Music Program since 2006.
His previous teaching experience was with the Kyrene School District. During his years as a music educator he has been an active clinician nationally teaching and conducting Honor Bands, Music Camps, Marching Bands, Universities, and festivals. Mr. Wilson was a founding instructor for the Academy Drum and Bugle Corps.
Afsoon Noshiravan
COLOR GUARD CAPTION HEAD
afsoon.nosh@gmail.com
Afsoon Noshiravan is a graduate of Arizona State University with a Bachelors in Communication and Psychology. Afsoon has an extended amount of experience in the colorguard activity. Her marching experience includes the Arizona State University Sun Devil Colorguard and the Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps. Afsoon was a member of Fenix Independent from 2013-2016, where they consistently made world class finals.
Afsoon began her teaching career at Red Mountain High School. She continued on to expand her teaching roles at Desert Vista High School and Corona del Sol High School. Afsoon is now in her 9th year at Corona del Sol High School.
When she’s not teaching colorguard, Afsoon enjoys spending time with her partner, Brian, and their two kids, Ellis and Addison. Afsoon is excited to expand her role with the Corona Colorguard and to continue her creative journey with the Aztec Marching Band.
Chris Evans
DRUMLINE CAPTION HEAD
agrippa_az@hotmail.com
Chris Evans is our Drumline Caption Head at Corona del Sol High School. Mr. Evans has been instructing, arranging and adjudicating marching percussion throughout the Southwest since 1991. Corona del Sol High School, The Academy Drum and Bugle Corps and Desert Vista High School are just a few of the local programs Mr. Evans has had the privilege to work with.
Mr. Evans is currently an Educational Endorser for D'Addario, ProMark Sticks & Mallets, and Evans Drum Heads.
Private Lesson Instructors
Click here to view our updated Recommended Private Lesson Teacher List.
Although these are not teachers affiliated with the school or district - these are great specialists in the East Valley that can help your student go to the next level! It is recommended that ALL students take private lessons on their instrument outside of school time.