Mr. Zachary Geller - Director of Bands
About the Director: Zach Geller has been the Director of Bands at Streamwood High School in Streamwood, Illinois (School District U-46) since 2013, and the Director of Bands at Canton Middle School since 2017. At SHS, Mr. Geller teaches the SABRE Marching Band, concert band, pep band, jazz band, percussion ensemble, and is the director of the pit orchestra for the annual school musical. At Canton Middle School, Mr. Geller is the director of the combined 7th and 8th grade concert band, as well as all 7th and 8th grade sectionals. Mr. Geller is proud of the data driven and standards based instrumental music curriculum he has established at CMS, which is powered by students' interaction with technology.
As a music educator at the secondary level in School District U-46, Mr. Geller was elected as a member of the District Music SIP committee since 2017, and was selected in 2016 to collaborate on, and write School District U-46's new instrumental (band) music curriculum and music theory curriculum.
Prior to teaching at Streamwood, Mr. Geller taught for three years as the Instrumental Music Teacher at Riverview Middle School in Plymouth, Wisconsin. At Riverview, Mr. Geller taught 6th, 7th, and 8th grade Band, Jazz Band, Music Technology, and Jazz Appreciation.
Mr. Geller received his Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2010, and is currently working on his Master of Music Education degree from U of I as well. As an undergrad at the University of Illinois, Mr. Geller was a member of the Marching Illini for four years, during which he arranged the music of Ben Folds, which was performed by the Marching Illini in 2009. He was also assistant director, and later, director of the Orange and Blues Band. While at the University of Illinois, Mr. Geller studied trumpet privately with Professors Ronald Romm, Tito Carrillo, and the late Dr. Michael Ewald, conducting with Dr. Joseph Manfredo and Dr. Louis Bergonzi, and music technology with Professor Scott Wyatt.
Mr. Geller is an active adjudicator and speaker having presented multiple professional development sessions for School District U-46, and was a guest speaker on the 2017 music educators panel for pre-service teachers at the Lake Forest College of Music. Mr. Geller spends his free time writing and arranging music, and works as a clinician over the summer teaching performance techniques to various high school marching bands. Mr. Geller has written music for The Marching Illini, The University of Illinois Basketball Band, Lakes Community High School (IL), and many other school bands throughout Illinois.
As a music educator at the secondary level in School District U-46, Mr. Geller was elected as a member of the District Music SIP committee since 2017, and was selected in 2016 to collaborate on, and write School District U-46's new instrumental (band) music curriculum and music theory curriculum.
Prior to teaching at Streamwood, Mr. Geller taught for three years as the Instrumental Music Teacher at Riverview Middle School in Plymouth, Wisconsin. At Riverview, Mr. Geller taught 6th, 7th, and 8th grade Band, Jazz Band, Music Technology, and Jazz Appreciation.
Mr. Geller received his Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2010, and is currently working on his Master of Music Education degree from U of I as well. As an undergrad at the University of Illinois, Mr. Geller was a member of the Marching Illini for four years, during which he arranged the music of Ben Folds, which was performed by the Marching Illini in 2009. He was also assistant director, and later, director of the Orange and Blues Band. While at the University of Illinois, Mr. Geller studied trumpet privately with Professors Ronald Romm, Tito Carrillo, and the late Dr. Michael Ewald, conducting with Dr. Joseph Manfredo and Dr. Louis Bergonzi, and music technology with Professor Scott Wyatt.
Mr. Geller is an active adjudicator and speaker having presented multiple professional development sessions for School District U-46, and was a guest speaker on the 2017 music educators panel for pre-service teachers at the Lake Forest College of Music. Mr. Geller spends his free time writing and arranging music, and works as a clinician over the summer teaching performance techniques to various high school marching bands. Mr. Geller has written music for The Marching Illini, The University of Illinois Basketball Band, Lakes Community High School (IL), and many other school bands throughout Illinois.