Weiss Private Lesson Faculty
Clara Blood - Oboe
Oboist Clara Blood enjoys her life as a versatile performer and educator with over fifteen years of experience who engages audiences with performances in solo, chamber music, and orchestral settings throughout the greater Austin area. She served as an Oboist with the Navy Fleet Bands from 2017- 2022 and completed tours with Navy Band Southwest in San Diego, CA. and Navy Band Great Lakes in Great Lakes, IL. While stationed in San Diego Clara served as Adjunct Professor of Oboe at the University of San Diego and MiraCosta College.
Clara completed a doctorate in Oboe Performance and Pedagogy at the University of Texas at Austin in 2016, where she served as the Oboe Studio Teaching Assistant. Clara performs as a substitute musician with the San Diego Symphony and frequently appears with the California Chamber Orchestra and Strauss Symphony of America. She has also performed with the New World Symphony, Austin Symphony, and the West Point Band.
Clara earned her Bachelor of Music Performance degree at Rice University and Master of Music in Orchestral Oboe Performance at the Manhattan School of Music before beginning her Doctorate of Musical Arts at the University of Texas. Outside of music Clara enjoys CrossFit, running marathons, and cooking.
Mrs. Scott is from El Paso, Texas and earned her Bachelor’s in Music Education from New Mexico State University and a Master’s in Music from The University of Texas at El Paso. She began teaching clarinet lessons in college and has worked as a high school and middle school band director in the El Paso and Austin areas. She is certified to teach all grade levels in the fields of music and special education. Mrs. Scott has served as a clarinet and bass clarinet instructor in Pflugerville ISD since 2019. She has performed with the Las Cruces Symphony Orchestra, El Paso Wind Symphony, multiple top-level community bands in cities throughout Texas, and is currently a member of the Cedar Park Winds.
Shawna Scott - Clarinet
Dr. Brian Trittin - Saxophone
Brian L. Trittin is a graduate of the University of Arizona (1993) where he earned a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree in Saxophone Performance and a minor in Music Education. He also has Music Education degrees from Moorhead State University, Moorhead, Minnesota (M.S., 1990, B.S., 1986). He has been a member of the music faculty at Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota and Concordia University, Austin, Texas. He is a proud member of the Texas State University music faculty serving as adjunct saxophone instructor since 2013. He joined the faculty of Southwestern University in 2017 as an adjunct instructor of saxophone. In addition to private saxophone instruction he has taught courses in theory, history, orchestration, jazz history and popular music.
As a saxophone performer, Dr. Trittin has performed as a featured soloist in the United States, Spain, Germany and Canada and frequently in the Austin area where he has been guest soloist with local high school and middle school bands. He also provides solo recitals and master classes for local high schools and middle schools. Brian Trittin is an educator at heart and sees it as a privilege to help students of the saxophone become better musicians and performers on this versatile instrument.
Dr. Trittin performs in the Austin, TX area as a woodwind specialist performing in musical theatre on saxophone, clarinet and flute. He teaches at several schools in Pflugerville and Georgetown instructing students on clarinet and saxophone.
Ms. Wagner holds a Bachelor's Degree from New England Conservatory of Music where she studied classical Bassoon Performance and Contemporary Improvisation.
She was classically trained under Mark Goldberg (New York City Opera), Richard Svoboda (Boston Symphony Orchestra), and Lori Tiberio (Charlotte Symphony Orchestra).
Her Contemporary Improvisation studies were conducted with renowned improvisors Joe Morris and Anthony Coleman at the New England Conservatory of Music.
With her 20+ years of experience performing both classical and contemporary music, Ms. Wagner can offer focused lessons in:
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Classical bassoon technique and orchestral repertoire
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Ensemble coaching
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Audition preparation
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Bassoon reed construction and adjustments
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Ear Training
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Music Theory
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Extended techniques and improvisation
Ms. Wagner - Bassoon
Dr. Benjamin Berghorn - Trumpet
Dr. Benjamin Berghorn: A native of Buffalo, NY, has taught trumpet students in the states of Texas, Michigan, Florida and New York. He has prepared students for Region Band, County, District, and State Solo and Ensemble Festivals (TMEA, NYSSMA and MSBOA) as well as given masterclasses, clinics, and prepared students for college auditions and performances.
During his time in Mid-Michigan, he served as an Adjunct Instructor at Lansing Community College and maintained an active private teaching studio in the Greater Lansing area. He also served as a brass coach and mentor for the Jackson Youth Symphony Orchestra. Along with teaching, he has also performed with the Jackson, Battle Creek and Lansing Symphony Orchestras.
Internationally, he has served as Guest Principal Trumpet of the Beijing Symphony Orchestra, where he performed on Western and traditional music programs in many of Beijing’s finest concert halls. Other notable performing credits include a Guest Artist performance at the 2016 International Trumpet Guild Conference (Anaheim, CA) and as a Guest Musician with the Macau Orchestra.
He has collaborated with such artists as James Conlon, Joshua Bell, Placido Domingo, Andrew Litton, Wynton Marsalis and The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Lü Jia, Francis Kan, Tan Lihua, Shinik Hahm, Kevin Noe, Kevin Sedatole, Russel Mikkelson and the late Lawrence
Leighton Smith.
Prior to Weiss, Dr. Berghorn served as the Visiting Assistant Professor of Trumpet at Lamar University in Beaumont, TX. He has also served as a Private Lesson Instructor at Rouse High School, as well as the Stiles and Wiley Middle School Band programs (Leander ISD) and has taught other private students within the Greater Austin area.
Dr. Berghorn holds degrees from Niagara Community College, SUNY Fredonia, Yale University and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Michigan State University. His love and enthusiasm for teaching music, while working with young adults is one he continually finds extremely rewarding.
A native Austinite, Matthew Flores is excited to share his love of music and passion of the trombone at Weiss High School. As a trombonist Matthew has worked as a clinician, performer, recording artist, and audio engineer. Matthew’s education includes an undergraduate degree at Texas State and Masters degree from Ithaca College. Goals for his students are to develop a love and excitement for music, create strong practice habits, and to build confidence in themselves as well as the trombone. Matthew’s trombone studio includes students from Cele, Bohls, and Akins. To relax, Matthew likes to go for a ride on his sweet ebike or throw a frisbee.
Matthew Flores - Trombone
Mr. Lucio - Euphonium/Tuba
Mr. Lucio has played the euphonium for over 50 years. Originally from San Antonio, Texas, he received his Bachelor's Degree in Music Education (All-Level) from the University of Texas at San Antonio. In addition, Mr. Lucio attended Texas A & I University in Kingsville, Texas, to obtain a Master's Degree in Music Administration.
Mr. Lucio has taught band for 35 years in Uvalde, San Antonio, Austin, and Pflugerville. During his tenure, his ensembles have received numerous UIL Sweepstakes Ratings, Best in Class, and Best in Festival designations. A multitude of Mr. Lucio’s former and current students have earned placements in District, Region, Area, & All-State Bands. Many of Mr. Lucio’s students have also been acknowledged as ‘Outstanding Soloists’ at various state music festivals.
Upon retirement in 2018, as the Head Band Director of Park Crest Middle School, Mr. Lucio selected to continue working with young musicians as a Private Lesson Instructor, Band Clinician, and TMAA Adjudicator.
Mr. Lucio is very honored to be a part of the Weiss High School Band program.