Performer Details
Performer Bio Synopsis
Roma High School is a 5A High School with a current student enrollment of 1,861 serving grades 9-12 in the Roma Independent School District. Roma ISD is located on the Texas-Mexico border in the heart of Starr County and is currently providing educational services to over 6,000 students. Roma ISD comprises ten campuses, including six elementary schools, two middle schools, one high school, and one alternative learning center. The student population is 99.9% Hispanic and 77% economically disadvantaged.
The Roma High School Music Department offers its students a multitude of ensembles to participate and perform in. The students in Roma ISD can join the band department, mariachi, conjunto, orchestra, or choir. The Roma ISD band department curriculum is vertically aligned through all campuses. The goal of the band department is to develop mature, cooperative, self-disciplined, hard-working members of society with an appreciation of the arts.
Roma High School Band currently has a state-ranked competitive marching band, three concert bands, a winter guard, jazz band, percussion ensemble, and wind chamber ensembles. Students in the Roma High School Percussion Ensemble participate in the marching band, concert bands, TMEA Allstate auditions, UIL State Solo and Ensemble competitions, and many other national percussive contests.
The Roma High School Percussion Ensemble rehearses four times a week throughout the school year. They have been the featured ensemble at the UTRGV Chronos Music Festival, a winner of the Percussive Arts Society International Percussion Ensemble contest, performer at regional percussion events, performs twice a year in the spring for the community presenting "night of percussion" concerts. The percussion department's vision is to create team building, personal responsibility, purpose and direction, and devotion to duty in the students.
The Roma High School Percussion Ensemble programs diverse works ranging from historically significant to contemporary. Roma High School Percussion Ensemble is consistently is performing new works by local composers, people of color, and many other underrepresented groups. The Roma High School Percussion Ensemble hopes by performing new music, they are helping the percussion ensemble genre grow.
Roma High School Percussion Ensemble
Conductor's Bio
Moses Anthony Simon, a native of Houston, Texas, is in his 16th year of teaching in Roma ISD. As Director of Percussion for Roma ISD, his teaching responsibilities include beginner/non-varsity/varsity percussion for Roma Middle School and leading ninth through twelfth-grade percussion at Roma High School. Mr. Simon received his Bachelor of Music Performance from Baylor University. While at Baylor University, he served as principal percussionist for the Wind Ensemble under Dr. Kevin Sedatole, the symphony orchestra under Mr. Stephen Heyde, and drumline section leader of the Golden Wave Band. Mr. Simon was a student of the late Dr. Larry Vanlandingham, Dr. Todd Meehan, Daniel Vega, and Alex Parker. He has also had additional private lesson studies with Brian Del Signore and Doug Howard. Under Mr. Simon’s direction, students have succeeded in the TMEA All-Region, All-Area, and All-State processes. The Roma Percussion Ensemble has achieved many successes and awards in marching, concert, and chamber festivals throughout the past decade, being recently named winners of the 2019 Percussive Arts Society’s International Percussion Ensemble Contest. Mr. Simon is an active clinician, arranger, performer, and adjudicator and is a member of the Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and Percussive Arts Society. Mr. Simon is supported by his loving family, excellent Roma ISD band staff, Roma Percussion Group members, friends, and his two dogs.
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