The Harvest Park Music Department offers outstanding classes in band, orchestra, and jazz for middle school students at Harvest Park Middle School.
There are 4 bands (Intermediate Band, Concert Band, Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble), 3 orchestras (Strings 1, Strings 2, and String Orchestra) and the jazz ensemble. Students of all experience levels are welcome to join!
Read below for more information on our teachers:
- Intermediate Band
- Wind Ensemble
- Jazz Band
- Strings I
- Strings II
- String Orchestra
Mr. Patrick Dandrea, Director or Instrumental Music, teaches concert band, string orchestra, and jazz band. Mr. Dandrea is a Massachusetts native who moved to the Bay Area in 2015 after living and teaching in the Boston area. 2023-2024 will be Mr. Dandrea’s 15th year as a music educator. He is currently the Secretary of the California Band Directors Association.
Prior to coming to HPMS, he was the Assistant Band Director from 2016-2021, where he co-directed the Marching Dons, concert bands, jazz B and taught AP Music Theory. During his time in Massachusetts, Mr. Dandrea taught the middle school and high school music in the Weston Public Schools.
Mr. Dandrea is currently the Band Representative on the CMEA Bay Section Board. He also served on the MMEA Eastern District board as the Senior Festival Coordinator in addition to the MMEA state board as the High School Representative. He also oversaw the five orchestra ensembles and overall program of the Rivers Youth Orchestra as orchestra manager.
Mr. Dandrea received his bachelor’s degree in music education with an emphasis on saxophone performance at the College of Fine Arts at Boston University. While finishing his degree, he was awarded the inaugural Promising Future Music Educator award by MMEA. He completed his master’s degree in music education at The Boston Conservatory, studying conducting and music education.
- Intermediate Band
- Concert Band
- Symphonic Band
Jason Borris began teaching music in Pleasanton 2000. In addition to teaching beginning instrumental music at every elementary school in town, he also teaches three band classes at Harvest Park.
Outside of school, Mr. Borris can be heard playing in many of the professional orchestras in the greater Bay Area. Performing groups include the San Francisco Opera Orchestra, Santa Rosa Symphony, Monterey Symphony, Symphony Silicon Valley, Opera San Jose, Modesto Symphony, California Symphony, Oakland Symphony, and the West Edge Opera.
Mr. Borris is a Harvest Park graduate. In his very first class at Harvest Park, the girl who was to become Mrs. Borris sat behind him. Mr. Borris encourages all middle schoolers to be careful how they treat each other. You never know what the future holds, and who you might be sitting with.