Local Band Instructor Receives State Award
Brandon Estes, Associate Director of Bands at Naperville Central High School, recently received the Natalie Stukas Hearing Conservation Award awarded by the Illinois Academy of Audiology during their 2013 State Convention. Brandon received this award due to his relentless commitment to hearing conservation and hearing loss prevention for his students and others.
Brandon has been an active arranger, clinician and adjudicator in the Chicagoland area and various areas in Texas. A native of Houston, Mr. Estes holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Texas State University – San Marcos where he studied in percussion under Genaro Gonzalez, Tony Edwards and John Lopez. He earned his Master's degree in Music Performance-Percussion from Northern Illinois University, where he studied under and was Graduate Percussion Assistant to Professor Robert Chappell and Dr. Gregory Beyer. In addition, Mr. Estes had the privilege of studying and working with Dean Richard Holly and Mr. Liam Teague.
Mr. Estes' extensive drum corps marching experience includes membership with the Pioneer as well as the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps between 1998 and 2002. In 2005, he also served as Co-Arranger and Percussion Caption Head of the Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps. Brandon is currently Director of the Chicago Bears Drumline and a founding member of the Chicago Bulls “Stampede” Drumline. The Chicago Bears Drumline recently completed two international performance visits to London, England during the 2011-12 NFL season including a private London-based Super Bowl performance.
As an orchestral performer, Estes has performed with the Austin Symphony Orchestra, the Chicago Sinfonietta, the Elmhurst Symphony of Elmhurst, Illinois and most recently with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
Mr. Estes is a proud endorser of the D'Addario family of products including Evans Drumheads and ProMark Drumsticks.