Souza Takes Over Instrumental Program

Music instructor Scott Souza is conducting Campo’s instrumental program for the 2022-23 school year, teaching band, orchestra, and AP Music Theory. His predecessor, beloved Johnny Johnson, retired in May and passed the baton to Souza after guiding the program for 10 years.

Souza has been teaching music for 30 years. He began his career in Tucson, Arizona, attended Northern Arizona University, and then went on to teach in Phoenix before moving back to San Francisco in order to be closer to family. Souza has been living in California ever since.

Souza has been fascinated by music since he was a kid. Born and raised in Lodi, CA, he took active roles in band and choir throughout high school. “It was just my passion. It’s what I love to do. It’s what I enjoy most out of everything that I participate in,” Souza explained. “It wasn’t just for my career… I really want to instill the love I have for music in young students.”

When he’s not sharing his love for music, Souza loves to take hikes and explore “all the nature the Bay Area has to offer.”

After teaching marching band for over 20 years, Souza is ready to focus entirely on concert band and orchestra. Souza said 1 of his greatest joys and hopes for this year is “shaping the type of music for the students.” Concert literature, PEP (sports band) literature, pop literature, and jazz music are a few of the genres Souza is eager to share with students and audiences.

Souza’s enthusiasm, and the productive environment he creates, resonates with his students. As and member junior Milan Stoyanov said, “Souza brings a lot of energy to class. The band can tell he really enjoys what he does.”

An exciting change for Souza is the students’ amount of prior talent: “Being able to work with students who have so much experience has been so much fun,” he said.

After discussing the future of the program with his predecessor, Souza plans to continue Johnson’s existing vision. He hopes for the band and orchestra to resume their involvement in competitions. “I really just want to take all they’ve done and expand upon it,” Souza said.