Our new director, Leo Werner, was Arizona’s first National Board Certified high school music teacher when he earned national certification in 2002.  To date, 454 Arizona teachers have become NBCTs (National Board Certified Teachers), but only two Arizona high school music teachers have done so. You may learn more about the rigorous national board certification process by visiting the website of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

Since 1991, Mr. Werner served as the Director of Bands, and Performing Arts Chair at Mountain Pointe High School in Ahwatukee.  Under his direction, The Mountain Pointe Bands developed a well-deserved reputation for excellence throughout Arizona, and also across the Southwest and beyond.  Read more...

I’ve become a great fan of the music of Samuel Hazo; in recent years my former students at Mountain Pointe have been motivated and inspired by the following Hazo compositions that we performed in concerts and festival competitions: Ride; In Heaven’s Air; Their Blossoms Down; Solas Ane (we also recently purchased Each Time You Tell Their Story, and Sevens - but those two works will be left to my successor at MPHS to teach and perform). 

I believe the selection of great literature is essential to the success of every band program, and Mr. Hazo has granted me permission to include short excerpts of his music on this website, so that potential Combs HS band students/families may have a preview of the sort of music I will select for the bands to perform in the coming years.  I’m very grateful to Mr. Hazo for giving me permission to include excerpts of some of his wonderful music here, and if you click on his name in the “Now Playing” bar above these paragraphs, you will be linked to Mr. Hazo’s own website where you may explore further. 

In future website updates, I hope to post excerpts of works by other band composers whose music has been greatly enjoyed by my students over the years.  In so doing, you will become acquainted with my musical tastes as a teacher & director, and get a preview of the fantastic literature that awaits the Combs High School Band. Enjoy!

Now playing: “Ride” by Samuel Hazo

©2008 Leo Werner.  All Rights Reserved. | Home | lwerner@jocombs.k12.az.us