George Gardner | Conductor
George Gardner is a graduate of Davis High School, Modesto Junior College, and CSU Stanislaus. He has been teaching instrumental music in the Modesto City School District for 39 years. During that time he has taught band, jazz band, and orchestra at all levels: elementary, junior high, and high school. He currently teaches at four elementary schools and is the chairman of the K-8 Instrumental Music Program for Modesto City Schools.
In addition to his position with Modesto City Schools, Mr. Garner is in his 32nd year as conductor of the Modesto Band of Stanislaus County. Prior to that time, he was the manager and assistant conductor of the band for seven years.
Mr. Gardner's ensembles have performed throughout the United States and Europe. In 1978, his Downey High School Jazz Band toured Europe and performed at the Montreaux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. A 1984 MoBand tour of Europe included concerts in London, Paris, Amsterdam, and Luxembourg. He has also served as a guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator throughout the state.
In 2004, he received the Stanislaus Arts Council's Excellence in Arts Award for Music, and in 2005 he received the prestigious Modesto Area Music Association Lifetime Achievement Award.
Mr. Gardner's professional affiliations include California Music Educators Conference, Music Educators National Conference, and Pacific Coast Judges Association. His hobbies include reading and traveling with his wife Dawn who is also a music teacher for Modesto City Schools.
Mathew Cover | Manager/Co-Conductor
Matthew Cover was born and raised here in Modesto. He attended Hart-Ransom Elementary School where he first started studying piano and clarinet and continued at Modesto High School. He went on to study music in college where he received his Associates Degree in Music from Modesto Junior College, his Bachelors from CSU East Bay in Hayward, and his Masters in Music Education with an emphasis in conducting from the University of Michigan.
He is a professional clarinetist performing throughout the Central Valley and Bay Area and also performs on the flute, piccolo, oboe, english horn, alto and tenor saxophones, recorder, and piano. He has performed on his clarinet extensively across the United States as well as in Canada, England, France, Germany, and Belgium. He additionally sings with the Modesto Symphony Chorus in his free time. All of these opportunities would not have been possible if he hadn't started studying music in grammar school. Music takes you places!
Matthew has taught at Davis High School and Modesto High School and currently teaches in the Hickman School District - both their campus and charter schools, Hart-Ransom Charter School, and Modesto Junior College. He directs five Concert Bands and two Jazz Bands with the Elementary and Junior High Schools, and teaches Music Appreciation at MJC. For ten years he was the Music Director for Modesto Performing Arts. He is also currently the Music Director for the First United Methodist Church in Modesto where he directs their Hand Bells and Adult Choir.
