Band Directors
Band Directors
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Amrutha Murthy
Amrutha Murthy
Amrutha Murthy is a Band Director at Park Vista Community High School in Lake Worth, Florida. A double-major graduate in Music Education and Flute Performance from the University of North Texas (UNT), she leads ensembles that consistently earn top accolades. Under her direction, the Park Vista Bands have achieved Superior ratings at Florida Bandmasters Association (FBA) Marching, Concert, and State-level assessments. In 2025, the Wind Ensemble received the prestigious Otto J. Kraushaar Award and was invited to perform at the Music for All Orlando Affiliate Festival. The Park Vista Marching Band was a 2024 Bands of America Orlando Regional Finalist, Bronze Medalist in the State FMBC Finals (Class 4A), and performed internationally in the 2024 London New Year’s Day Parade and Concert Series.
Amrutha was named the 2025 Palm Beach Symphony Frank Prize Emerging Artist winner and was nominated for Cohort 16 of the Florida Music Educators Association Emerging Leaders Program. She currently serves as Co-Chairperson of the Palm Beach County Band Directors Association.
A passionate educator and conductor, she has participated in symposia at Ithaca College (Northeast Conducting Symposium), Northwestern University, CU Boulder, and the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
While at UNT, Amrutha was honored as the 2021 Presser Scholar and an Honors College Distinguished Scholar. She performed in numerous premier ensembles and served as Student Administrator for Logistics and Operations for the Green Brigade Marching Band. She studied flute with Dr. James Scott and Dr. Mary Karen Clardy, and conducting with Dr. Daniel Cook. Her undergraduate Thesis explored flow theory and community psychology in school bands, a topic she has presented on at the Texas Music Educators Association and the College Band Directors National Association (Eastern Division).
Amrutha is a three-time Texas All-State flutist, former member of the Houston Youth Symphony, and Principal Flutist of the World Youth Symphony Orchestra at Interlochen Arts Camp. An avid pianist, she has also completed the ABRSM Piano and Music Theory program with Merit. She is affiliated with FMEA, NAfME, TMEA, Mu Phi Epsilon, and served as the Charter/Founding President of the Xi Beta Chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi at UNT.
Christopher Rodriguez
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.
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