Award-winning musician and music teacher Samuel Elmore was hired as the new band director for the 2022-2023 school year. 

While in college, Elmore took part in the Mandarins Drum Corps. He joined the brass section in 2012 and began marching from 2014-2016, taking a summer off to focus on college studies. 

In his 2016 year, he had received the title of Trumpet Section Lead, and in 2018 he had attained the title of Horn Lead and returned to marching. 

He took his new position and led the Top-12 Mandarins hornline into the DCI finals for the first time in the band’s history. After finals, Elmore was awarded the Outstanding Corps member of 2018. 

After college, he became the music teacher at Florence Markofer Elementary School in Elk Grove. Once COVID hit, he moved to virtual lessons.

Elmore still teaches online brass lessons at Mandarin’s Music Academy, as well as teaching the Troopers Drum and Bugle Corps based in Casper, Wyoming. There, he scouts, teaches, and auditions talented musicians to compete at a world-class level.

When given the opportunity to teach at Oakmont, Elmore was ecstatic, as he was looking for something closer to home. His partner is a music teacher as well, so that was a contributing factor as to why he felt it was necessary to stay local.

Once he began his career at Oakmont, he realized that “[the] band needed a fresh start,” Elmore said.

With the introduction of a new band director, the band, proudly called The Royal Blue Regiment, should be flooding with new energy, creativity, ideas, and perspectives.  There should be much improvement as there is a new band teacher, creating a brand new band. 

In terms of future plans for The Royal Blue Regiment, he expressed that he would like to at least double the size of the band. 

“I would like to get it to 150,” Elmore said. “That is the highest division you can go into, and I would love them to compete there.”

Elmore also expressed that he has wishes to develop a more competitive field show band. 

“This is our first year doing it, but I already have plans for next year,” Elmore said. “I already have some themes in mind, I already have staff I wanna hire.”

With Elmore’s arrival, it seems like he doesn’t just plan on teaching, but spearheading a new generation of band, bringing the Royal Blue Regiment back into the band it was always meant to be — a fierce and respectable competitor in the competitive scene, and a fun and welcoming environment for all aspiring musicians. 

As Elmore said, the Oakmont band was ready for a fresh start, for something exciting and lively. With that said, Oakmont happily welcomes Samuel Elmore to lead our band into a new era of the Royal Blue Regiment.