Andrew Thompson is the founding director of the Music Studio program at Aloha High School in Beaverton, Oregon, which is now in its sixth year. The Music Studio is a full-time modern band program that engages students who aren’t part of Aloha’s traditional band and choir programs. His classes follow a project-based curriculum centered on student autonomy, skill building, and connections to music, each other, and the wider community. His students learn on a wide variety of instruments—from guitar, bass, and drums to accordion, violin, and DJ controllers. On any given day in his classroom, you might hear students playing, writing, producing, and learning songs in styles ranging from regional Mexican music and thrash metal to indie rock, K-pop, and just about anything in between.
Prior to his adventures in modern band, Thompson taught middle and high school band for 10 years in Tucson and Chicago. He is now delighted to be back home, running an innovative music program at the high school he graduated from. He is also a proud graduate of the University of Arizona (BM, Music Education) and DePaul University (MM, Jazz Studies). Thompson serves on the board of NW Modern Band Educators (NWMBE), a grassroots organization advocating for and supporting progressive music education throughout the Northwest. He is also an active speaker and freelance trombonist throughout the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
