Staff

Mr. Kevin Tinkle is in his second year at Central Unified as the Director of Bands at Justin Garza High School. Prior to this position he was the Director of Instrumental Music at American Union Elementary and Assistant Director of Bands at Washington Union High School in the Washington Unified School District in Fresno. He started his career as the Director of Bands at Selma High School for nine years where his groups received numerous Superior ratings at CMEA Concert and Jazz Festivals as well as many high achievement awards from the Western Bands Association, SJVCGPR, and WGI. 

He received his Bachelor of Music in Music Education at San Diego State University and his single-subject teaching credential at CSU Sacramento. While studying at San Diego State University, Mr. Tinkle was a member of the Marching Aztecs, Jazz Band A, was principal trumpet in the Wind Symphony and Symphony Orchestra, as well as principal bass in Chamber Singers. 

As a performer, Mr. Tinkle has won a world championship with the Concord Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps, participated in the International Jazz Festival in Hawaii, and been part of numerous honor groups in California. He also plays guitar and has performed throughout California as a singer-songwriter and leader of various bands. 

Mr. Tinkle has currently finished his M.A. in Music Education at the American Band College of Central Washington University. In his free time, Mr. Tinkle enjoys listening to music, collecting records, writing songs, cooking, and spending time with his wife Emily and twin daughters, Grace and Elizabeth.

Sarah Lahorgue is the woodwind technician for the Justin Garza High School Marching Guardians. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from Fresno State in 2021. While in college, she performed as a member of the Fresno State Wind Orchestra, Jazz Orchestra, Bulldog Marching Band, and Bulldog Beat. 

Sarah is currently in the single-subject credential program at Fresno State, and is set to finish the program in June of 2022.

Dennie Turner is the visual caption head at Justin Garza High School as well as the current music director at Scandinavian Middle School in Fresno, CA. He started his teaching career at Cesar Chavez High School in Stockton, CA before he decided to move to Fresno. Dennie completed his Bachelor’s of Arts in Music Education at California State University, Fresno in December of 2012. While at CSU, Fresno, he was a member of the Bulldog Marching Band and scholarship group the Bulldog Beat. He is also a Life Member of Kappa Kappa Psi, National Honorary Band Fraternity.

Dennie’s marching career started at Hamilton Middle School in Stockton with parade and winter drum line.  High school evolved into field show his last 3 years, during which he also joined the Stockton Buccaneers, an aspirating Drum Corps International Corps. While the corps did not make it into DCI and quickly folded, his drum corps flame was lit. In 2010, Dennie earned a tuba spot with the Santa Clara Vanguard. In the following years, 2011 and 2012, he earned lead trumpet spots, however was only able to finish marching his age-out year in 2012. His experience through college marching band and DCI gave Dennie the necessary skills and experience to become a visual caption head starting at Washington Union High School and later at Justin Garza High school.