Skip to main content
  • Current Students
  • Parents & Families
  • Alumni
  • Faculty & Staff

Footer quick links

  • Request Info
  • Plan a Visit
  • Apply Now
  • About
    • Calendar for Events
    • Campus Departments
    • Campus Map
    • Chapel
    • College Profile
    • Community Commitments
    • History of Westmont
    • Institutes & Centers
    • Leadership
    • News
    • Our Commitment to Diversity
    • Ridley-Tree Museum of Art
    • Westmont Magazine
      • Request Info
      • Plan a Visit
      • Apply Now
    • Visit
  • Academics
    • Academic Services
    • Augustinian Scholars Program
    • Experience Opportunities
    • Global Education
    • Majors and Programs
    • Office of the Provost
    • Our Approach
    • Outcomes
    • Voskuyl Library
      • Request Info
      • Plan a Visit
  • Admissions & Aid
    • Affording College
    • Apply to Westmont
    • Visit Westmont
    • Transfer Students
    • Returning Students
    • International Students
    • Our Commitment to Diversity
    • Admitted Students
    • Fall Orientation
    • Prospective Parents
    • Meet your Counselor
    • Confirm your Place
    • Words of Warriors
      • Request Info
      • Plan a Visit
      • Apply Now
    • 9th-11th Grade Students
  • Student Life
    • Student Spotlights
    • Words of Warriors
    • CATlab
    • Living on Campus
    • On Campus Activities
    • Off Campus Activities
    • Our Commitment to Diversity
    • COVE Career Center
    • Ministries
    • Chapel
      • Request Info
      • Plan a Visit
      • Apply Now
  • Giving
    • Why Give?
    • Where to Give
    • How to Give
    • Giving Societies
    • Contact Us
      • Give Today
  • Athletics
  • APPLY TODAY
  • Music
    • 2020-2021 Event Schedule
    • Music Scholarships
      • The Guild Scholarship
    • Fall Choral Festival
      • Application
    • Winds & Brass Chamber Festival
      • Application
    • Choir Press Kit
    • Orchestra Press Kit
    • Westmont Academy for Young Artists
    • Department Resources
      • Accompanists
      • Contacts
      • Lessons
      • Facility Use
      • Faculty Resources
        • Faculty Recitals
      • Student Resources
        • Auditions
        • Colloquium
        • Instructors
          • Brass
          • Percussion
          • Piano & Organ
          • Strings
          • Voice
          • Woodwind
          • Ensemble Directors
        • Jobs
        • Juries
          • Jury Sign-Ups
        • Piano Proficiency
        • Recitals
        • Scholarships

Music Brass Instructors

Westmont Brass Instructors

Daniel Fraats, Brass Coordinator

Daniel Fraats earned his Bachelor of Music Education degree from Westmont College in 2016. He has played trombone in a variety of ensembles throughout the years, including the Westmont College Orchestra, the West Coast Symphony, and the SBCC Trombone Choir. Currently, Daniel is teaching music at Lompoc Valley Middle School, as well as playing trombone as a member of the brand new Westmont/SBCC joint faculty brass quintet, West City Brass.

dafraats@westmont.edu

Eric Heidner, Trombone & Tuba

Eric C. Heidner, a native Santa Barbaran, is in his sixteenth year as the Director of Bands at Santa Barbara City College, where he directs both the SBCC Concert Band and the "Good Times" Jazz Ensemble.  Before joining the faculty at the college, he held the position of Director of Bands for Santa Barbara High School for five years.  In addition, he has worked with a great many local school music programs, including those of Dos Pueblos High School, Arroyo Grande High School, Bishop Diego High School, and numerous public elementary and parochial schools.  He holds a B.M. in trombone performance from UCSB, as well as an M.A. in musicology.  He earned his teaching credential from Westmont College in 1997, and has been teaching trombone there since 2008.  As a professional brass instrumentalist, he has worked with such greats as Doc Severinsen, Clark Terry, Alex Iles, Andy Martin, Bill Reichenbach, and Bill Watrous.  He also leads the SBCC Trombone Choir, an ensemble made up of trombonists from SBCC, UCSB, Westmont, and the greater Santa Barbara community.

eheidner@westmont.edu

Stephen Hughes, Trombone & Tuba

Stephen Hughes currently teaches private trombone lessons at Westmont College. Originally from Rochester, New York, Stephen is in his fifth year as the music teacher at La Colina Junior High School.  Before coming to Santa Barbara, he earned his B.M in trombone performance at Oberlin Conservatory (studying with Jame DeSano), as well his M.A. in teaching at the Longy School of Music of Bard College, in Los Angeles.  Stephen's has taught and played around the world, from the Bronx, NY to the Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles, to El Sistema El Salvador.  As a brass professional,  has shared the stage with such artists as Gustavo Dudamel and Barbara Morrison, and played at venues like the Santa Barbara Bowl and the Eastman Theatre.  

sthughes@westmont.edu

John Mason, Horn

John Mason is a freelance musician in the greater Los Angeles area. John records for Motion Pictures, Television and records: some of his most recent work has been: John Williams: Star Wars EpisodeVIII, Geostorm and various Marvel Movie and Television projects, The Black Eyed Peas upcoming Album. John also performs with the Santa Barbara Opera, Santa Barbara Symphony, Long Beach Symphony, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic and is Principal Horn of the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony.

jomason@westmont.edu

James Watson, Trumpet

A former U.S. Marine and SBCC student, James spent several years in the San Francisco Bay area learning, working, and performing. He holds a B.A. in Electronic Music from San Francisco State University, and an M.A. in Educational Technology from Pepperdine University. James plays trumpet, trombone, and guitar in various jazz, classical, and pop groups at SBCC and around town. 

jwatson@westmont.edu

Footer links menu

  • Request Info
  • Plan a Visit
  • Apply Now

Footer Utility menu

  • Employment
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Emergency Info
  • Feedback

955 La Paz Road
Santa Barbara, CA 93108 

805-565-6000

Contact Us

 

Social media menu

©2021
Westmont College - All rights reserved