Band

About Our Band Program

Shadow Mountain has a wide variety of instrumental sections available. Statistics have shown that music helps students grow socially and intellectually. Band students learn teamwork and how to work together towards a common goal; hard work is necessary for success; together we learn from making mistakes; and self-discipline is necessary in order to succeed in college, career, and life.

Shadow Mountain offers Concert Band (full year), Marching Band (fall semester), Jazz Band (spring semester), Basketball Band, Winter Guard, and is home to LINEA Winter Percussion Ensemble.

Visit the Band Website View the Winter Guard Webpage

Instructor Bio

Mr. Simon graduated from Northern Arizona University (NAU) in 2006 with a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education. While at NAU, Natan played the trumpet in the Marching Band, Symphonic Band, Wind Symphony, Jazz Band, and the Symphony Orchestra. Natan also enjoyed the great privilege of performing in three drum and bugle corps over the course of five summers, including the Blue Stars, The Academy, and the Santa Clara Vanguard. He is a member of the National Association for Music Education, the Arizona Music Educators Association, Percussive Arts Society, and the Arizona Band and Orchestra Directors Association. Mr. Simon also completed the Masters of Arts in Band Conducting degree program through the American Band College of Sam Houston State University in 2015.

Mr. Simon began his teaching career in the Peoria Unified School District in 2006, teaching 5th through 8th grade band and strings at two K-8 schools. In his final year in Peoria, Natan had the pleasure of teaching K-6 General Music as well. During that time, he was also on staff for three high school marching bands, teaching marching. He also wrote the marching band drill design for nine other schools between 2008 and 2010. In January 2011, Mr. Simon made the move to the Paradise Valley Unified School District and now teaches one 7th Grade Band and one 8th Grade Band at Shea Middle School, and Marching Band, Concert Band, Jazz Band, Beginning Band, Beginning Guitar, and Unified Music at Shadow Mountain High School.

Natan Simon lives in the Shea neighborhood with his wife Justine, son Avi, daughter Stella, and black lab/mix Ellie.

Student-Acquired Skills

Students who are enrolled into the band program will acquire skills that will transfer into the student's everyday life. Students will continue to build and enhance many of these skills, enabling them to effectively communicate with others verbally as well as through written forms of communication. The students will begin to take on leadership roles and over seeing and management of band projects and much more!