Meet Our Teaching Staff
Mr. Bryan Hummel-Director of Bands
Desert Mountain High School Instrumental Music-Teaches IB Music, Jazz Band, Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Marching Band, Borch Council, Percussion Ensemble
Bryan Hummel is a Phoenix-based percussionist, music educator, and designer of marching arts activities. He received a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education and a Bachelor’s degree in Percussion Performance from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. He obtained his Master’s degree in Percussion Performance from Arizona State University.
He was the previous Front Ensemble Director at Arizona State University. He is currently the Front Ensemble Music Design/Program Coordinator for Breakthrough Indoor Percussion.
Bryan remains active in arranging and composing percussion scores for Marching Band, writing for indoor percussion ensembles, arranging Front Ensemble music for the Sun Devil Marching Band, and composing/designing wind books for Marching Band productions.
He has worked with many local Marching Band programs. Currently, he designs for Higley High School (Gilbert, AZ), Desert Mountain High School (Scottsdale, AZ), Southeast Polk High School (Pleasant Hill, IA), Adair High School (Columbia, KY), Mountain Ridge High School (Glendale, AZ), and Breakthrough Indoor Percussion. He regularly judges for the ABODA, AZMBA, and WGAZ circuits in Arizona and has also adjudicated in Iowa and Wyoming.
As a performer, Bryan tours nationwide, collaborating with colleagues to create chamber music at universities, community centers, and school districts. He has performed at universities and other venues in Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Washington, D.C.
Ms. Erica Solano-Director of Orchestras
Ms. Solano is as a devoted performer, educator, and advocate of classical music. As an active orchestral musician, she has performed with John Williams, Michael Tilson Thomas and Andrea Boccelli. Her studio work in Los Angeles includes gaming music (Fort Nite Season 3) as well as on-camera work with Aloe Blacc and FX TV.
Ms. Solano received a Bachelor’s of Music in Performance from Central Washington University (2009) and a Master’s Degree in Music from California State University, Long Beach (2012). She discovered her love for teaching while working as a strings coach for Long Beach Unified School District and the Young Musicians Foundation. Ms. Solano went on to become an outstanding member of the College of Education at California State University, Long Beach where she earned a Teaching Credential in Music in 2020. She has judged concerto competitions, adjudicated Solo/Ensemble Festivals and launched an orchestra program for Santa Fe Public Schools (Santa Fe, NM) in 2020. Her private students have attended the Interlochen Arts Camp on scholarship, frequently sit 1st chair in their school ensembles and perform with their district’s honor orchestras. When she is not engaged in “musicianly” behavior, Ms. Solano can be found on her paddle board, watching Harry Potter movies and loosing at mah-jong.