Mike Freed - Band Director
(805) 492-3538 ext. 1220
(805) 492-3538 ext. 1220
Mike Freed came to Los Cerritos Middle School in 2021 and before that taught at Redwood Middle School as the Assistant Director of both the Band program under Adam Payne, and the Strings program under Anna Sobrino and later, Ben Roberts. Mr. Freed has been on staff with the Thousand Oaks High School Lancer Band since 1997 where he is currently the Assistant Director of the marching band and serves as the visual and brass caption head, as well as the visual designer. During his time at TOHS he has conducted the Wind Ensemble, Wind Symphony and Symphonic Band as well as several small ensembles and assisted with the P.M. Jazz Band. In addition to working with the band, Mr. Freed spent three years as the Visual Instructor for the Indoor Drumline. He has taught elementary band at Sycamore Canyon, Conejo and Manzanita (now EARTHS) Elementary Schools. He is the Audition Judging Coordinator and a section coach for the Ventura County Middle School Honor Band. As a private teacher of trombone, euphonium and tuba, his private students have been members or principal players in the Bands of America National Honor Band, All State Honor Band, SCSBOA All Southern Honor Band, Ventura County High School and Middle School Honor Bands and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Great American Marching Band. Two of Mr. Freed's Drum Major students from Thousand Oaks HS were selected as Drum Majors for the U.S. Army All-American High School Marching Band. His professional affiliations include the National Association for Music Education, California Music Educators Association, California Band Director’s Association and the Southern California Band and Orchestra Association as well as the International Tuba Euphonium Association. Mr. Freed has been a four-time presenter at the SCSBOA conference, giving presentations on the use of mobile applications for music education and most recently, on the recruiting and retention of low brass musicians in band programs..
Mr. Freed has instructed and designed for many award winning Southern California Bands. Mr. Freed has been on the staff of several Drum and Bugle Corps including the 1998 World Class Semifinalist Kiwanis Kavaliers from Ontario, Canada and the 1999 World Class Finalist Colts from Dubuque, Iowa.
Mr. Freed is a graduate of El Camino Real High School in Woodland Hills, CA and earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music Education from California State University Northridge where studied with Doug Tornquist and Phil Keen. He played both Euphonium and Tuba in the Wind Ensemble, Studio Ensemble Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra, Brass Ensemble and Tuba Quartet. Mr. Freed played euphonium with the Los Angeles Symphonic Winds and performed with them at the prestigious Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago and CBDA Conference in Fresno, as well as international tours to Italy, France, England and Scotland.
Mr. Freed has instructed and designed for many award winning Southern California Bands. Mr. Freed has been on the staff of several Drum and Bugle Corps including the 1998 World Class Semifinalist Kiwanis Kavaliers from Ontario, Canada and the 1999 World Class Finalist Colts from Dubuque, Iowa.
Mr. Freed is a graduate of El Camino Real High School in Woodland Hills, CA and earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music Education from California State University Northridge where studied with Doug Tornquist and Phil Keen. He played both Euphonium and Tuba in the Wind Ensemble, Studio Ensemble Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra, Brass Ensemble and Tuba Quartet. Mr. Freed played euphonium with the Los Angeles Symphonic Winds and performed with them at the prestigious Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago and CBDA Conference in Fresno, as well as international tours to Italy, France, England and Scotland.
Elizabeth Blake - String Orchestra Director
(805) 492-3538 ext. 1219
(805) 492-3538 ext. 1219
Elizabeth Blake is a Pasadena native who began her violin studies at the age of three. She earned a Bachelor of Music Performance in violin from Northwestern University in 1989, and moved to Tennessee, where she served as Assistant Principal Second Violin in the Knoxville Symphony and Chamber Orchestras for seven years. During that time, Ms. Blake appeared twice as the featured soloist with the Chamber Orchestra, as well as in frequent performances for the Knoxville Symphony Chamber Music Series and on local radio broadcasts.
In 1997, Ms. Blake and her husband, David, returned to Pasadena, where she pursued a freelance performance career. In 1998 she was invited to participate in the Michael Crawford “Phantom of the Opera” National Tour as Assistant Principal Second Violin. Ms. Blake has performed locally with the Glendale and New West Symphonies; in addition, she has served as Principal Second Violin in the Riverside and Antelope Valley Orchestras, as well as Concertmaster for the West Coast Chamber Orchestra and the “Concertos With Orchestra Thousand Oaks” (CWOTO) program. In 2005 she appeared as guest soloist with the West Coast Chamber Orchestra, and in 2006 gave the United States premiere of a newly revived triple concerto by Mozart with the Crown City Chamber Players. Currently Ms. Blake is a regular member of the California Philharmonic Orchestra's Disney Hall Concert Series, for the 2006-7 season serving as Acting Principal Second Violin. Her performances can also be heard on soundtracks for Warner Brothers, Sony and Castle Rock Entertainment, and in recitals throughout Southern California with the Avanti Quartet. Avanti holds the Quartet in Residence title at Clemson University, and in 2005 released the first in a series of recordings featuring the string quartets of George Whitefield Chadwick.
Ms. Blake began her teaching career in 1981 at the age of 15, when she began giving private violin and viola instruction. While with the Knoxville Symphony, she was an active member of the KSO Youth Education and Outreach Program, bringing classical music into the Knox County public schools. Since then, she has obtained her teaching credential, and has acted as guest director for the Arrowbear Music Camp Elementary String Session and the Pasadena Summer Youth Chamber Orchestra. She is an ensemble coach with the Ventura County Youth Chamber Music Program, and in 2001 founded the String Orchestra Program at Los Cerritos Middle School in Thousand Oaks. The LCMS Advanced Orchestra currently holds an unbroken record of Superior ratings from more than a dozen festival performances over the past six years.
In 1997, Ms. Blake and her husband, David, returned to Pasadena, where she pursued a freelance performance career. In 1998 she was invited to participate in the Michael Crawford “Phantom of the Opera” National Tour as Assistant Principal Second Violin. Ms. Blake has performed locally with the Glendale and New West Symphonies; in addition, she has served as Principal Second Violin in the Riverside and Antelope Valley Orchestras, as well as Concertmaster for the West Coast Chamber Orchestra and the “Concertos With Orchestra Thousand Oaks” (CWOTO) program. In 2005 she appeared as guest soloist with the West Coast Chamber Orchestra, and in 2006 gave the United States premiere of a newly revived triple concerto by Mozart with the Crown City Chamber Players. Currently Ms. Blake is a regular member of the California Philharmonic Orchestra's Disney Hall Concert Series, for the 2006-7 season serving as Acting Principal Second Violin. Her performances can also be heard on soundtracks for Warner Brothers, Sony and Castle Rock Entertainment, and in recitals throughout Southern California with the Avanti Quartet. Avanti holds the Quartet in Residence title at Clemson University, and in 2005 released the first in a series of recordings featuring the string quartets of George Whitefield Chadwick.
Ms. Blake began her teaching career in 1981 at the age of 15, when she began giving private violin and viola instruction. While with the Knoxville Symphony, she was an active member of the KSO Youth Education and Outreach Program, bringing classical music into the Knox County public schools. Since then, she has obtained her teaching credential, and has acted as guest director for the Arrowbear Music Camp Elementary String Session and the Pasadena Summer Youth Chamber Orchestra. She is an ensemble coach with the Ventura County Youth Chamber Music Program, and in 2001 founded the String Orchestra Program at Los Cerritos Middle School in Thousand Oaks. The LCMS Advanced Orchestra currently holds an unbroken record of Superior ratings from more than a dozen festival performances over the past six years.
Kingsley Hickman - Administrative Assistant (Band)
Kingsley Hickman currently teaches woodwinds at Camarillo High School, Oak Park High School, Redwood Middle School and Colina Middle School. He works with the Conejo Valley Summer Music Camp and has taught elementary band in CVUSD . Kingsley was a member of the Thousand Oaks High School Band and a member of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Honor Band. He was the Director of the Cal Poly Pomona Pep Band. At Los Cerritos Middle School, Mr. Hickman has worked with the Saxophones and Clarinets in the beginning, intermediate and advanced bands as well as the jazz band. This year he will assisting with the administration of the band program.