Our Directors

Dr. Don Holcomb has studied music since he was ten. As a clarinetist, he was a soloist in his high school and college bands. A graduate of the US Navy School of Music, he spent three years as a fleet musician on clarinet and saxophone. While stationed in Puerto Rico and studying with Dr. Roger Martinez, he was principal clarinet with the San Juan Symphony and San Juan Opera Company.

After discharge from the Navy, he spent a year as principal clarinet and soloist with the Shasta Symphony. Returning to Los Angeles, he studied with the great Mitchell Lurie and performed with the Compton and Brentwood Symphonies, then 25 years as principal clarinet and soloist, with the Huntington Park Symphony under Alexander Riesman, three years as principal clarinet with the Musician’s Union Orchestra, and several performances of the Far West Opera Company.

Dr. Holcomb’s band experience includes principal clarinet and soloist with Neo Classic Wind Ensemble, Los Angeles Police Band, Lockheed Band, Monterey Park Concert Band and Covina Concert Band. Dr. Holcomb has also appeared in a variety of wind ensembles, polka bands and swing bands, including the Clyde Reasinger Big Band.

Dr. Holcomb began conducting in 1986, studying privately with Paul Kilian, then completing the Masters program at CSULA, studying under Dr. Buck. He became conductor of the Burbank Community Band in 1987, the Los Angeles Police Concert Band in 1989 and the Covina Concert Band in 2002. He currently holds all three positions.

Dr. Holcomb and his wife Mary, also a clarinetist and currently concertmaster of all three bands, together founded the Covina Youth Band, which Dr. Holcomb also conducts.

Dr. Holcomb holds a master’s degree in education and a doctorate degree. He also enjoys writing and traveling.

Assistant director Paulette Westphal started singing in church choirs when she was three, began piano lessons at six and took her first band class at 11 on the flute. She continued her band and choral experiences through high school and college, where she majored in secondary instrumental music education at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

After teaching junior high school band for several years in Virginia and Maryland, Paulette stayed home to raise her children and switched her music involvement to community organizations. She has been the choir director at a number of churches, currently at First Christian Church of Burbank. She has also been the director, assistant director and flutist for community bands in Virginia and North Carolina. In Northern Virginia, she was the pit orchestra director for a local music theater group for such musicals as Music Man and Mame. Additionally, Paulette has directed and performed in community choruses on both the east and west coasts.

In addition to her undergraduate degree, Paulette holds a masters degree in adult education and human resource development from Virginia Commonwealth University. She also studied conducting with the late Dr. Frederick Fennell of Eastman School of Music, where he conducted the Eastman Wind Ensemble for many years.

Most recently, Paulette began playing the soprano, alto, tenor and bass recorders with the Southern California Recorder Society and a church recorder ensemble. She also can be seen playing the djembe and other percussion instruments in local drum circles.

In addition to her music interests, Paulette is a past president of Toluca Lake Lions Club, a member Los Angeles Police Band, designer of numerous websites for non-profit organizations and, most of all, she enjoys hanging out with her two young grandchildren Stefan and Lucia.

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