Central Coast Section

Welcome to another great year!

I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself to you! My name is Brandon Ellsworth, I am the Adaptive Music teacher and Director of Choirs at North Salinas High School in Salinas, CA, and I am proud to be serving you all as current President of CMEA-CCS. I am a San Luis Obispo county native, born in SLO and graduated high school in Paso Robles, and have witnessed the legacy of dedicated and ethusiastic music educators in this section for the last 25 years. I started teaching in Salinas in 2019 and have been proud to serve as a board member and chair for the High School Honor Choirs for the last two years.

CMEA has played a huge role in my life, whether I was fully aware of that or not. As a high school student, my choirs were involved in CMEA-sponsored festivals, sent students to honor ensembles, and advocated for the continuation of music education throughout the budget crisis of 2008-2012. This work is done tirelessly and thanklessly by volunteers and continues to support the growth and development of young musicians across the Central Coast. I’m living proof of this work.

This acknowledgement and understanding is what drove me to volunteer my time into this organization. I’m quite literally standing the shoulders of so many incredible educators who came before me and who continue to still dedicate their time and efforts. If you know of anyone who is or has served on our board, do me a favor, and thank them. This work is not easy.

While you are here, I’d like to point out a few updates:

1. Our Sonata publication is set to publish again this year! If you are interested in submitting an article for publication (we would LOVE this), send it on over to our new Sonata editor, Edward Maag: emaag@soledad.k12.ca.us — articles are typically between 250-500 words and relating to music education.
2. We are proud to introduce CMEA On-the-Go this year! Check out our new page for more information. We are hopefully launching this program in the Spring of 2026!
3. Remember to keep your membership active and to check out our calendar to stay up-to-date on important goings-on in our area.

As our school years begin, I want to wish you all well. Remember to keep drinking water, take breaks away from your screen, and to find some peace in your personal lives. If there is anything that I, or the rest of our board, can do to help support you or advocate for you, please do not hesitate to reach out! We are here for YOU!

Sincerely,

Brandon Ellsworth

CMEA-CCS President