At Bullard, I was a member of the concert band, marching band, jazz band, orchestra, chorus, swim team, wrestling team, and designer of the Senior Class Plaque. After Bullard, I earned BA and MA degrees in music at Fresno State, served in the California Army National Guard, earned a Doctor of Arts degree (1970) in conducting and brass pedagogy at University of Northern Colorado, and taught music K-12 for 17 years and at the college level from 1981-2016, being named Emeritus Professor of Music at CSU Sacramento. In a parallel career as a professional trombonist, I was a member of the Blue Jeans Philharmonic, San Diego Symphony/Opera orchestra, and played as a sideman on performances with such entertainers as Bob Hope, Johnny Mathis, Shari Lewis, Cab Calloway, Frankie Avalon, Manhattan Transfer, and others. Since 2010, I’ve also served as artistic director and conductor of Sierra Nevada Winds, who won the Sudler Award in 2015. I now live in Gold River, CA, with my wife, Helen Kilpatrick-Halseth, herself a skilled horn player and former conductor-teacher. We are lucky ti have, between us, a total of 6 children, 8 grandchildren and 1 great grandson. We look forward to returning to Fresno on May 27, 2026, to honor and celebrate the 100th birthday of my Bullard HS band director, W. Vincent Moats.