Erich S. Rivero
Director of Bands & The Jazz Institute
Erich S. Rivero was born and raised in Miami, Florida and is a product of the Miami-Dade County Public School System where he graduated from Southwest Miami Senior High School in 1990. He has played trumpet since the age of 5 years old. Mr. Rivero studied trumpet under Mr. Lee Wichmann, Gilbert Johnson, Mr. Jack Pinto and Mr. John Georgini. He graduated with an Associate in Arts Degree from Miami Dade Community College in 1993, and then attended Florida International University. While at FIU, he studied Applied Trumpet with Mr. John Bailey, Mr. Jim Hacker & Mr. Arturo Sandoval and graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Music Education in 1996.
He has served as Director of Bands at American High, G. Holmes Braddock High, Miami High, Miami Killian High, and Coral Reef High School. Glades Middle and his first year at Miami Arts Studio 6-12 @Zelda Glazer and twenty fourth year directing bands in the State of Florida. During the 1996 -1997 school year, while at American High School, Mr. Rivero won the Sallie Mae Rookie Teacher of the Year. He was also a finalist for Access Center I - Sallie Mae Rookie Teacher of the Year Award. In Feb. 2006, he was given a Proclamation Award of Outstanding Achievement with his Jazz Ensemble from the Miami-Dade County Public Schools' School Board. Mr. Rivero was awarded an Emerging Leaders Award by the Florida Music Educators Association for the 2006- 2009 Cycle. He has conducted Honors Jazz Bands and Symphonic Band in numerous counties in Florida. In January of 2009, Erich Rivero was awarded the Tom Bishop Award by the Florida Bandmasters Associations State Awards Committee. During the 2010-11 School Year, he was nominated by the Miami Dade County Public Schools Music Supervisor for the Yale Distinguished Music Educators Award. In 2012, he was named the Glades Middle School’s Teacher of the Year and MDCPS Region IV finalist. In September 2014 Mr. Rivero was named as a Quarter Finalist for the 2015 Grammy Music Educator Award. The Glades Concert Jazz Band was awarded Commended Honors Award in 2010 from The Mark OF Excellence Corporation, and in September 2014, the Jazz Band won the prestigious Mark of Excellence National Jazz Award. Mr. Rivero was chosen as Florida’s Representative for SB&O Magazine’s “50 Directors That Make A Difference” in the United States. The Glades Middle School Concert Jazz Band performed at the 69th Annual Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, Illinois on December 16th, 2015. While at the Midwest Clinic, Mr. Rivero was awarded the Citation of Excellence by the National Band Association Executive Board. on September 15th, 2016 the Glades Middle School Concert Jazz Band was awarded the National Winner for the 2016 Mark of Excellence National Jazz Honors competition. Mr. Rivero had two pieces written for he and his ensembles that are published by Alfred Music entitled Sabor de Cuba and Bakers Jazz and More published the swing tune One More Twice. In January 2017, Mr. Rivero directed the 2017 Florida Music Educators Association All-State Middle School Jazz band. The Miami Dade County City Commissioner, Javier Souto, presented the Glades Concert Jazz band with a Proclamation Award from the county. On April 6th, 2017 the Glades Jazz Band was awarded a Miami Dade County Public Schools Proclamation Award from school board member Ms. Mari Tere Rojas. Mr. Rivero was the Francisco R. Walker Teacher of the Year for Glades Middle in 2018. Mr. Rivero’s ensembles have performed and recorded with artists such as Willie Chilino, Roberto Torres, Dr. Ernesto Fernandez, Dan Miller, Tom “Bones” Malone and Dr. Ed Calle amongst other artists. In September 2020 the Miami Arts Studio was awarded the Mark of Excellence State Awards for Jazz Band and Wind Symphony and Concert Jazz Band.
Mr. Rivero is an active member of the Dade County Music Educators Association, Florida Bandmasters Association, Florida Music Educators Association, NAfME, the National Association for Music Education, Miami Arts Studio @ Zelda Glazer PTO, National Association of Educators, National Band Association, and the Jazz Education Network. He has traveled overseas, including Japan, to help further broaden his teaching techniques and quality of excellence. Erich Rivero is a Certified Adjudicator for the Florida Bandmasters Association in the areas of Jazz, Solos & Ensembles, and Marching Band. He has also adjudicated and directed events for Bowl Games of America. His groups over the years have been designated as a "Special Invitation" group by Walt Disney World. Mr. Rivero has directed the Miami-Dade County Public School Teachers' Jazz Band as well as the North Miami Community Adult Band. Mr. Rivero also directs the Greater Miami Youth Symphony Jazz Combo and Jazz Bands and directed their GMYS Summer Camps and Jazz Intensive Camps. As a performer, he has worked with many famous recording artists around the globe. Erich Rivero has served as an officer in FBA District XVI in the capacity of Secretary and Chairman twice over. In addition, he has also served on the State Board for the Florida Bandmasters Association and was the FBA Jazz Committee Chairman for the State from May 2016-18. In 2017, Mr. Rivero served as an adjudicator for the Florida Bandmasters Association State Jazz Music Performance Assessment. Mr. Rivero is currently the National Band Association Jazz Committee Chairman as of July of 2018. Mr. Erich Rivero is a clinician and spokesman for Lung Trainers.
John Bixby
Director of Bands
John Bixby has been teaching band for over 20 years. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education from the University of Illinois and a Masters in Music for Conducting from the University of Miami. He is currently the director of bands for the band magnet at Miami Arts Studio @ Zelda Glazer. Mr. Bixby also taught at Miami Killian Sr. HS where his duties were director of the wind ensemble, symphonic band, concert band, marching band and taught music theory and keyboard classes. He also taught at Normal Community West High School, Normal Community High School, Danville High School and The University of Miami and was on the staff of The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps prior to his appointment at Miami Arts Studio. Mr. Bixby received the National Band Association’s “Citation of Excellence” and the Percussive Arts Society’s “Citation of Excellence”. The music ensembles under Mr. Bixby’s direction have participated in the Bands of America National Concert Festival and the Music for All National Concert Festival in Indianapolis, IN, along with a performance in The Chicago Symphony Concert Hall in Chicago, IL. The groups have also been invited to perform at the prestigious Carnegie Hall in New York City.
Mr. Bixby is an honorary member of Tau Beta Sigma and is a member of the Florida Bandmasters Association, Florida Music Educator’s Association and the Percussive Arts Society. He also performed with the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra in Rome, Italy for the premier of the Requiem for My Mother by Stephen Edwards. The documentary was broadcasted on PBS for Mothers Day in 2017. Mr. Bixby also toured in Italy, France, Ireland and England along with the St. Patrick’s Church Choir under the direction of Brother Mark Spencer. Mr. Bixby would like to recognize those educators who played a significant role in his professional development: Mr. Gary Green, Lisa Preston, Jim Campbell, Dr. Michael Dressman, James Keene, Kevin Lepper, Bret Kuhn, George York, Joe and Sherrie Wolfe, Alejandro Guardia, and Erich Rivero. And special thanks to his family; Bob, Joan, Dan, and Becky for all their support they have given over the many years, thank you, its meant the world to me.