Band Directors
Amrutha Murthy
Amrutha Murthy is the Director of Bands at Park Vista Community High School. She joined Park Vista in 2022 as a graduate from the University of North Texas in music education and flute performance (double major). The Park Vista Bands under her direction have received Straight Superior ratings in the Florida Bandmasters Association Marching, Concert, and State level Music Performance Assessment, and the 2023 Wind Ensemble received the Otto J. Kraushaar award for Superior performance at the State level.
Amrutha was the 2021 UNT Presser Scholar and Honors College Distinguished Scholar. She studied flute at UNT with Dr. James Scott and Dr. Mary Karen Clardy, performed with the North Texas Wind Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, Concert Band, Chamber Ensembles, Composition Department Ensembles, and served as the Student Administrator for Logistics and Operations for the Green Brigade Marching Band.
Amrutha studied conducting with her mentor, Dr. Daniel Cook, and has been selected to participate in several conducting symposia including the University of Missouri Kansas City Conservatory, Northwestern University, and CU Boulder summer symposia. She successfully defended an Undergraduate Thesis through the Honors College on the flow theory and positive community psychology in secondary school band environments, and has presented a clinic on this topic at the Texas Music Educators Association conference in 2022.
Amrutha has been an avid pianist since her childhood, completing the Associated Board of Royal Schools of Music piano and music theory program with merit. She graduated from the Academy of Science and Technology at College Park High School in The Woodlands, Texas, as a three-year Texas All-State flutist, flutist and piccoloist for the Houston Youth Symphony, and the World Youth Symphony Orchestra at Interlochen Arts Camp in Interlochen, Michigan.
Amrutha holds professional affiliations with the Florida Music Educators Association, Texas Music Educators Association, and served as the Founder and Chapter President for the Xi Beta Chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi at UNT. She was a summer arts counselor at Interlochen Arts Camp and was a Young Band Directors of Texas College Representative, Intercollegiate Marching Band, and Mu Phi Epsilon member.
Christopher Rodriguez
Christopher Rodriguez is a product of the Palm Beach County School System and is excited to be returning home! Previous to his appointment at Park Vista, he served as Director of Bands at Palm Beach Gardens High School from 2012-2017, Graduate Teaching Assistant with the UCF Bands from 2017-2019 where he earned his master’s degree in conducting, and the director of winds and strings at Astronaut High School and Madison Middle School in Titusville Florida from 2019 -2023.
The Gardens Band under his direction earned superior ratings at FBA District Music Performance Assessments and was a frequent performer at the FBA State Concert MPA. At UCF his duties included teaching undergraduate conducting courses, secondary instrumental methods, running the UCF Campus Band, as well as conducting the UCF chamber ensembles, Symphonic Band, and Wind Ensemble. His main duties were the 375 member UCF Marching Knights where he wrote music, drill, and assisted with organizing travel to NCAA basketball tournaments, bowl games, and a National Championship Parade at Disney.
The Astronaut HS music department consistently earned superior ratings in Marching, Jazz, and Concert evaluations during his time. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, he was charged with not only teaching band and orchestra at the high school but reigniting the music department at the middle school. On his first day at Madison Middle school there were 13 students enrolled in the band. After two years that number had grown to 75 with a third of the school population being enrolled in a music course (band, choir, or orchestra). Mr. Rodriguez was also active with the musical theatre department conducting the pit for the school musical every spring.
Mr. Rodriguez earned a bachelor's degree in music education from Florida Atlantic University, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2012. While attending FAU, he served as principal trumpet in the University Wind Ensemble, University Symphony Orchestra and in the Jazz Band. In addition, he served as Drum Major of the FAU Marching Owls.
