Meet Your State Coordinator: Angelina Gomez
Great news! Our Ambassadors of Music program is now available to students in Northern California, and we couldn’t be more excited.
Angelina Gomez, Director of Bands at California State University, Chico, has joined us as state coordinator for this region. Let’s meet Angelina!
Music education has taken her across the country and back home to California.
At Chico State, I lead the Wind Ensemble, Concert Band, and Pep Band, while also teaching conducting and studio instruction in woodwinds.
Prior to teaching at Chico State, I taught kindergarten through high school music in the Santa Rosa City Schools and the Wright Elementary School Districts, both in Santa Rosa, CA. I recently earned my Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Wind Conducting at the University of Kansas. I hold a Master of Arts in Music from Washington State University and a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Sonoma State University.
As a Graduate Teaching Assistant at the University of Kansas, I directed the KU Women’s Basketball Pep Band, coordinated KU’s Prairie Winds High School Honor Band, and provided administrative, musical, and game day support for the Marching Jayhawks. I was also a production assistant for Klavier commercial recording projects with the KU Wind Ensemble and toured in Milan, Italy, with the KU Wind Ensemble.
She understands how powerful performance travel can be.
One of my favorite travel memories took place during an outdoor concert in Busseto, Italy, where I conducted the KU Wind Ensemble in the European premiere of Grace Baugher’s “Phoenix Rekindled.” It was one of my first performances with this ensemble and they performed the music so beautifully.
I distinctly remember this brief yet powerful moment during that performance: as I held the last delicate chord of the piece, I looked around over the heads of the ensemble members towards the statue of Giuseppe Verdi in the distance and just took in the incredible moment of sharing music in this beautiful Italian town.
I think the AOM experience offers such unique musical and travel opportunities to the students in Northern California. Such an experience could easily be many students’ first trip to Europe, first trip on an airplane, or first time outside of the country.
This area is rich in musical talent and potential for further growth. I am incredibly excited for students to have the opportunity to share their talent with the world through AOM. Travel experiences have a unique way of bringing people together and I look forward to seeing this unity blossom through this experience.
She has her favorite places, but it’s more about the people in them.
Many of my favorite places are located near a body of water, especially a lake, river, or ocean. Bodega Bay and Lake Tahoe are two of my favorite places to go to within the state of California. I also loved, and still miss, the vast open skies in Kansas where I watched some of the most beautiful sunsets after marching band rehearsals.
Touring Italy with the KU Wind Ensemble was remarkable as well, especially our day trip to Venice, a beautiful city to which I hope to return to someday.
But cheesy as it may sound, my favorite places – anywhere in the world – always have some connection to fun memories shared with good company and great friendships made along the way.
Fun Facts:
For Angelina, it’s all about the memories – and the music.
I can’t travel without my earbuds and my phone because I love capturing moments and taking pictures of my surroundings – especially lakes of lakes and rivers – all while listening to music along the way.
Speaking of music and lakes, Switzerland is her must-see.
I’m most excited to share music in all these incredible places. But I can’t wait to see the mountains, lakes and landscapes of Switzerland.
If she could only take one selfie, she wouldn’t be in the spotlight.
A selfie at any of the locations along the tour would be great, so long as the picture includes the Northern California AOM musicians. I’d want that to help remember all those that made the trip fun and memorable.
Welcome to the team, Angelina. We can’t wait for student performers in Northern California to join us in Europe!
To learn more about the Ambassadors of Music Program and connect with the state coordinator in your area, visit our State page.