DIRECTOR & INSTRUCTIONAL STAFF
Cienega Instrumental Music Program
Grant Knox
Director of Instrumental Music
Originally from Lexington, KY, Mr. Knox holds a Bachelor of Music (BM) in Music Education from Murray State University in Murray, KY. In 2020, he completed a Master of Music (MM) in Historical Musicology at the University of Arizona. In addition to his studies, Mr. Knox served as a Graduate Teaching Assistant with the Athletic Bands and the Musicology departments.
During his graduate studies, Mr. Knox entertained a diverse array of scholarly topics. Participating in multiple academic conferences and substantial research projects, Mr. Knox has presented research on Chicago hip-hop in addition to exploring racial identity in the music of Tucson-native composer, Ulysses Kay. Along with his musicology studies, Mr. Knox was an avid participant and fan of the marching arts, gaining extensive performing and teaching experience. Mr. Knox performed with the Blue Stars Drum & Bugle Corps in 2014 and served as a drum major for the 250-member Murray State University Racer Band that same year. He also served on the instructional staff of the Racer Band in 2016 specializing in visual performance in addition to working with multiple high school bands across the state of Kentucky. In 2018, Mr. Knox began working with the Mountain View High School Band in Marana, AZ where he assisted in his free time for the duration of his graduate studies.
In addition to his marching arts experience, Mr. Knox has performed on euphonium with the Murray State University Wind Ensemble and Murray State University Tuba-Euphonium Ensemble and made a brief cameo in the Murray State University Trumpet Ensemble playing bass trumpet. During these years, he enjoyed performances at the International Tuba-Euphonium Conference in Knoxville, TN (2016), Kentucky Music Educators Association Conference in Louisville, KY (2017), and the National Trumpet Competition in Denver, CO (2017). While at the University of Arizona, Mr. Knox has participated in the Collegium Musicum—the university’s renowned early music vocal ensemble in addition to performing on the sackbut with Arizona Baroque.

Jeremy Vega
Director of Choirs and Percussion
Bio coming soon.

Shantell Funckes
Accompainist
Bio coming soon.

ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONAL STAFF
Griffin Law, Percussion
Darcei Sunderland, Colorguard
An Ngo, Colorguard
Alex Walker, Colorguard
Shirleen Lee, Flute
Mallory Mahoney, Woodwinds/Bassoon
Callie Azersky, Trumpet
Liam Duffy, Mellophone
Dave Stivers, Low Brass