MEHSBAND​

Kevin T. Cato is the Director of Instrumental Music at Mt. Eden High School and Martin Luther King Middle School, with a BA in Music and a Minor in Dance from CSUEB he also completed a MFA program in Dance and Choreography at Mills College. Kevin has been teaching and choreographing dance and colorguard at various schools, and gave trumpet lesson since 1992. He started teaching music in the public schools in 1999, is the former director for the Chabot College Youth Wind Symphony, and served as the Director of Instrumental and Vocal Music at the Hayward Project School.

He composed more than 50 songs and pieces for primary to collegiate level ensembles during his tenure. In addition to being an accomplished composer, he is also a singer/song writer, costume designer, sound engineer that serves as the artistic director for Dreamscape Arts, a non-profit performing arts group. His compositions Origin, Clock Work, Emo, It Starts with One, Primal Calling, Fanfare, Majestic Monarch, Train, Omerican Banner Fanfare, and Transcendence have been performed under his direction at national music festivals in California, Hawaii, Boston, New York, and Annapolis which includes the two famous venues Boston Symphony Hall and Carnegie Hall. His works received praises from music professors and educators Gary Hill, Craig Kirchhoff, Robert Reynolds, Wesley Broadnax, Timothy Smith, Ron Nielson, Dave Eshelman, Micheal Boitz, and Tim Harris, to name a few. Recently, Kevin Cato’s composition, Transcendence!, received critical acclaim from Frank Ticheli, the Emeritus Commander Raymond A. Ascione and the current US Navy Band Master himself. Along with adjudicating for the Northern California Band Directors Association he also serves as an auditioner for Music for All’s National Honor Band of America.

Musically, Kevin has been recognized by Who’s Who among America’s Teachers in 2006, 2008 and featured on Comcast Bay Area News Group 2008-2010. In 2009, the 91st Army Reserve Band and the Mayor of San Ramon honored him for outstanding contributions to music education. Furthermore, he received the Gold Coin of service from the Sergeant Major of the United States Army School of Music, the first civilian to receive such an honor. Also in 2009, Kevin was featured as a Hometown Hero from Bay Area News and Comcast, featured on Channel 7 news and Berkeley News. He received State Resolutions presented his music programs at Mt. Eden High School from both California State Assembly Member Mary Hayashi and Senator Ellen Corbett. In addition, Kevin was honored with an official ceremony at the California State Capitol in Sacramento, marking the first time a non-state official received recognition was permitted on the California State Assembly floor.