John Nelson - Director
John Nelson has been Head Band Director at Cy-Fair High School since 2019 after serving 11 years as the Associate Band Director. His duties include conducting the Wind Ensemble, Marching Band, and overseeing the entire band program.
Graduating from Southwest Texas State University in 1996 with a degree in Music Education, John performed with the Mid-Texas Symphony, the University Wind Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, Percussion Ensemble, and Steel Band including performance tours of Europe and Mexico. He received a performance scholarship from the Department of Music, was a two-time recipient of the Adams Scholarship, and won first place in the Woods Kone Scholarship by audition. John is a member of the Texas Music Educators Association, the Texas Bandmasters Association, TCGC, WGI, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia fraternity for men.
John has been involved in the Indoor Drumline activity since its inception in Texas in 1996 and is an eight-time percussion class champion in the Texas Color Guard Circuit, a four-time WGI national finalist, and served as an advisory board member for WGI. He has also served as Percussion Educator for TCGC as well as Percussion Administrator. He was also selected to perform at the Bands of America National Percussion Ensemble Festival in Indianapolis, IN.
He was recently recognized by the president of Texas A&M for an award of excellence in education.
Most importantly, he lives happily on his 6-acre bamboo farm with his loving wife, Wendy, and their two sons, Austin and Carter (both graduates of the Cy-Fair Band Program).
E-mail Mr. Nelson at john.nelson@cfisd.net
Shane Montoya - Assistant Band Director
Shane Montoya spent the first five years of his teaching career as the Associate Director of Bands at Arnold MS, where he assisted in directing the Varsity/Non-Varsity bands as well as teaching all beginner low brass classes. This will be his first year teaching as a band director at Cy-Fair HS but is no stranger to the program having worked with the marching and Indoor Percussion ensembles over the last 6 years.
Mr. Montoya is a graduate of Stephen F. Austin University, where he earned his Bachelor of Music Education degree in 2015. While pursuing his education at SFA, he performed in the Wind Ensemble under the direction of Mr. Fred Allen, studied tuba with Dr. JD Salas, and performed with the Lumberjack Marching Band. Mr. Montoya also performed with the Bluecoats, Madison Scouts, and Blue Knights Drum Corps as a part of Drum Corps International (DCI). In addition to performing in DCI he was also a Brass teacher for the Mandarins Drum and Bugle Corps for the 2018 and 2019 seasons where they finished among the top 12 drum corps in the world.
Mr. Montoya's professional affiliations include Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, and Drum Corps International.
Mr. Montoya resides in the Cypress community and enjoys reading books and going to the beach in his spare time.
E-mail Mr. Montoya at shane.montoya@cfisd.net
Guillermo Gonzalez - Assistant Band Director
Guillermo Gonzalez began his teaching career in 2020, where he was the assistant band director at Spring Woods Middle School in Spring Branch ISD. Besides teaching the non-varsity band, he also taught all beginner woodwinds and assisted in teaching the brass classes as well as the varsity band.
Mr. Gonzalez graduated from Baylor University in 2019 with his Bachelor’s in Music Education, where he was a part of the Baylor Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Campus Orchestra, the Men’s Choir, Golden Wave Band, and other smaller performing groups, such as the Baylor Clarinet Choir. In addition to multiple performances at TMEA, he has performed at conventions of the International Clarinet Association (ICA), at the College Band Directors National Association Conference (CBDNA) and at the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA). He also had the opportunity to travel to Africa twice with the Baylor Men’s Choir and the School of Music, where he aided in missionary work in Kenya and performed various concerts. In 2019, he was awarded the TMEA Collegiate Music Educator award. Guillermo is a member of the Texas Music Educators Association and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.
Mr. Gonzalez graduated from Cy-Fair High School in 2015, where he was a part of the band program and was an All-State clarinet player.
Although he was raised in Cypress, he now resides in the Heights, where he enjoys going to Houston’s various parks, museums, and spending time with his family.
E-Mail Mr. Gonzalez @ Guillermo.Gonzalez@cfisd.net
Kelsey Hernandez - Color Guard Director
Kelsey’s love of the marching arts started at a very early age. Being the daughter of color guard instructors, her passion for color guard was deeply rooted.
She began her marching career in 2005 with the Colt Cadets. As she grew older, she moved up to Jersey Surf and from there to the Santa Clara Vanguard. Kelsey’s Drum Corps career culminated with the Boston Crusaders in 2017. Kelsey has also gained valuable knowledge of marching winter guard. Her experience includes Central Independent, Ars Nova A, Eclectix Independent, Santa Clara Vanguard Winterguard, Pride of Cincinnati, and Bluecoats Indoor.
Kelsey has taught and consulted with various bands and winter guards including Norman North High School, Purcell High School, Brownsburg High School Marching Band, and Winterguard, Lawrence Township Marching Band and Winterguard, Greenfield-Central Winterguard, Southmoore High School Winterguard, and Franklin Community High School Marching Band and Winterguard.
Her drum corps teaching experience includes Santa Clara Vanguard Cadets and Music City Drum Corps where she is a color guard co-caption head.
Kelsey is so excited to be working with the Cy-Fair Marching Band and Color Guard!