Directors

In his 20+ years at Amador, the band program has more than doubled in size and earned consistent superior ratings and high honors at competitions. Amador’s top wind ensemble performed at the CBDA state conference in 2006, 2010 and 2018 and is the only high school band to perform twice at the Midwest Clinic in Chicago (in 2013 and 2019).

For the 2022-2023 year, Mr. Grantham will teach all Concert Bands and Jazz B, as well as lead the Marching Band and assist with directing and managing Winter Guard and Winter Percussion groups.

Well loved by his peers and students, Mr. Grantham earned a citation of excellence from the National Band Association and received the Prudential Realty of California's Outstanding Educator’s Award and the Crystal Apple Award for Excellence in Education. He was chosen as Pleasanton Unified School District’s 2012–2013 Teacher of the Year and honored in 2020 with the Chevron Fuel Your School Teacher Award as part of the Pleasanton Chamber of Commerce’s 57th Annual Community Service Awards.

Mr. Grantham is active as an adjudicator, clinician, and guest conductor. He was an executive board member for CMEA Bay Section and the Western Band Association, and has served on the Special Projects Committee for the California Band Directors Association.

Moving to the Bay Area in 2021, Mr. Cordoba brings a wealth of experience in every aspect of the band program with performing and teaching credentials in marching band, drum corps, concert band, jazz band and winter pageantry.

For the 2022-2023 year, Mr. Cordoba will teach AP Music Theory, lead Jazz A and help teach Symphonic Band Purple, Symphonic Band Gold and Concert Band. He is the Brass and Visual Captain Head for the Marching Band and will assist with directing and managing Winter Guard and Winter Percussion groups.

Before coming to Amador, Mr. Cordoba directed and managed a comprehensive and competitive program of instrumental music at Americas High School in El Paso, Texas. His concert and jazz bands earned consistent high marks at festivals, and his marching band advanced to the 6A Texas State Marching Contest, receiving consistent Division 1 ratings.

Mr. Cordoba received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music education with a concentration in music pedagogy from the University of Texas at El Paso, where he was awarded Outstanding Senior in Music Education in 2015. Mr. Cordoba performed in all major ensembles and marched with the Bluecoats Drum Corps and the Carolina Crown Drum Corps.

Mr. Cordoba is active as a performer and is a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.

Entering her 33rd year of teaching, Mrs. Durbin is excited to join the Amador music family. Her wide-ranging experience includes choir, orchestra, musical theater, band, jazz band and color guard at middle and high school levels.

For the 2022-2023 year, Mrs. Durbin will teach Concert Choir, Chamber Choir, String Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra and Jazz Workshop.

During her 15 years at Kennedy Middle School in Cupertino, Mrs. Durbin primarily taught choir and musical theater and, in the past two years, led the award-winning intermediate and advanced orchestras. All of her ensembles consistently received high ratings and praise. The Kennedy choirs performed three East Coast tours, including two Carnegie Hall appearances, and were chosen to sing at the California All-State Music Education Conference and ACDA Regional Conference.

Mrs. Durbin was selected as the Outstanding Choral Educator for the Bay Area in 2021, has been a past Teacher of the Year for Kennedy Middle School and has served as a mentor for new and veteran teachers within and outside the Cupertino Unified School District for many years. She has a longtime connection with Amador’s music groups and has collaborated with Mr. Grantham to produce research and presentations on best practices for motivation and metacognition in large ensembles.