New faces for Juan Diego music department

Courtesy of Juan Diego Catholic High school

+ Enlarge

DRAPER — Without skipping a beat, Bradley Sampson and Tyler Carpenter have joined the Juan Diego Catholic High School Music Department to grow their talented group of student musicians.

For Bradley Sampson, French horn has been his primary instrument, although he has played many different instruments over the years. Sampson spent five years studying instrumental music education at Brigham Young University, where he developed a desire to help students get better at music.

“Whether that means polishing the fine details with a university group or learning to play ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb’ with beginners, I love to help students grow and improve,” Sampson said.

He enjoys a wide range of styles and genres of music. Three of his favorite composers at the moment are Anton Bruckner, Eric Whitacre and Caroline Shaw.

Tyler Carpenter started playing percussion at age 10 and currently plays percussion in addition to the electric bass, some piano, and some guitar. He attended South Dakota State University studying music education as an undergraduate and furthered his education at the University of Akron for his master’s in percussion performance. Carpenter draws inspiration from many sources, including contemporary composers such as Steve Reich, John Cage and John Luther Adams, as well as outstanding performers in all areas, including marching percussion, world music, and jazz. Carpenter’s play list top three right now are Glen Hansard, REM and Tower of Power.

“My experience at Juan Diego so far has been excellent,” Carpenter said. “The students are cooperative, talented, and fun to work with and the administration is supportive of the fine arts program.”

Sampson, too said, “The thing that has impressed me most about JDCHS so far is the support from the parents. They have been very willing to volunteer with the band and they have been wonderfully supportive of Mr. Carpenter and myself as we have found a home here at Juan Diego.”

The shared vision for the instrumental music program is to provide authentic, quality musical experiences in all genres. Making good music together draws students together into stronger community and that’s our goal.

Courtesy of Juan Diego CHS