Mr. Brian Peter

Brian Peter graduated from the University of Southern California in 2001 with a Bachelor of Music in Music Education while studying percussion with Eric Forester, Dale Anderson and a year with Ndugu Chancler. In January 2009, he earned a Master of Music in Conducting from the American Band College, at Southern Oregon University. He attended the ‘16 Northwestern University Conducting Symposium, led by Dr. Mallory Thompson and H. Robert Reynolds. Brian has appeared in Westlake Malibu Lifestyle magazine, written for Bandworld magazine, and was published in The Instrumentalist three times, including a feature interview in March, 2013. He received the Conejo Valley Unified School District “Teacher of The Month” – May 2014. Brian also worked six seasons as a Toy Soldier drummer in the Disneyland Christmas Fantasy Parade (1998-2002 & 2004), and was the Band Director at Valley View High School from 2002-2006.

Brian is the former Department Chair of Performing Arts and Band Director of Westlake High School. His WHS ensembles performed at Carnegie Hall, Walt Disney Hall, three times at the California All-State Music Education Conference, twice at The Midwest Clinic, three times at The Monterey Next Generation Jazz Festival, The Monterey Jazz festival, The Jazz Education Network Conference, The Chicago Natural History Museum, and at the U.S.S Missouri. His Westlake commissions include composers Gordon Goodwin, John Daversa, Victor Goines, George Stone, Tom Kubis, Matt Harris, Jeff Jarvis, Matt Finders, Mike Kamuf, Alan Ferber, Craig Skeffington, Scott Director, Patrick Burns, and Matt McBane.

Brian performed with the Blue Devils “A” Corps playing top bass in 1997 and snare in 1998, and snare in the USC Trojan Marching band 1994-1998. He was on the Blue Devils “A” corps visual staff since 2000-2017, instructed the Blue Devils “B” Corps pit 1999-2001 and 2002 Blue Devil “B” visual caption head. He was the lead full time instructor for the 2015/2020 Blue Devils “International Corps,” traveling Europe for five weeks, culminating with ten shows at the Basal Tattoo. With the Blue Devils “A” Corps he has earned multiple visual titles, nine DCI World Championships, including three undefeated seasons, and the highest DCI score ever recorded, 99.65, in 2014. Brian has been a full time staff member for the American Band College in Ashland, OR for the past two years. He has also served as a Master Teacher for four CSUN student teachers.

Brian has adjudicated field tournaments and concert festivals for the SCSBOA, winter drumline for SJVCGPR, ADLA, & PPAACC, and visual for Kamehameha HS. Brian is also a regular attendee of JEN conferences & the Midwest Clinic. His professional affiliations include the SCSBOA, CBDA, JEN, NAfME and System Blue.