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rom an early age, Paul Rendon said he knew he wanted to teach music. Now, he comes to HHS as the new band director.

“It was kind of an easy choice for me to teach music,” Rendon said. “I can get paid to teach music, I can get paid to play music and I can get paid to write music. Well, I’m going to do music.”

Rendon said he started playing the drums in fourth grade. After a year, his band director encouraged him to try playing other instruments as well. By high school, Rendon learned to play every brass instrument on top of the drums.

“That kind of set me up to be a teacher because as a teacher you have to know how to play everything,” Rendon said.

While at Castle Park High School, Rendon said he participated in the marching band and even marched in the Rose Parade. He also marched the mellophone and french horn in the drum corps Santa Clara Vanguard for three years. Drum corps is a professional marching band that tours around the country during the summer, Rendon said.

After high school, Rendon said he went to the University of Toronto where he studied composition. He also attended San Diego State University to get his music education credentials.

As soon as he left San Diego State, Rendon said he started writing music for different bands and drum corps. He then got a job as a band director at Rancho Buena Vista High School where he taught for eight years.

When the band director spot at HHS opened up, Rendon said he jumped at the opportunity. A couple days after his second interview, Rendon was welcomed as part of the staff.

“When I got the call from Principal Giglio, he said ‘hey, I just want to congratulate you, you got the job’ and I just remember hanging up the phone and just crying…,” Rendon said. “I was so excited because I wanted to be here. When I heard that this job was open, I knew this is where I wanted to be.”

The position required Rendon to start in the summer with the marching band for their band camp. Ever since then, he said he has enjoyed working at HHS.

“Kids here are super super smart, I give them a correction and they retain it… it takes a mature ensemble to understand those major concepts. Many ensembles don’t have the ability because they just don’t have that mentality, but here, they’re all dialed in,” Rendon said.

Rendon said he looks forward to bonding with others and expanding the program to the next level. He is excited for the future and plans to stay here until he retires.

“There are certain programs in the music world and marching band world that really have a certain name attached to them that symbolize integrity, work ethic, passion for the arts and all these things that make this program so special,” Rendon said. “It’s here. I can only think of eight to ten schools in this state that have that kind of reputation that follow it… That’s it. There are only a few schools like Homestead.”