ABOUT MR. FISHER | luis-d-fisher

Mr. Fisher is a music educator, low brass specialist, and marching arts adjudicator currently living in Lehigh Acres, FL. He is the Director of Athletic Bands at the College of Idaho in Caldwell, Idaho. He previously served as the Director of Bands and Music Department Chairperson at Gateway High School in Fort Myers, FL from 2020 to 2025. He also served as the Director of Music and Music Department Chairperson at East Lee County High School in Lehigh Acres, FL from 2019-2020, Director of Music and Fine Arts Department Chairperson at Florence High School in Florence, AZ from 2017-2019, Director of Instrumental Music at Sabino High School in Tucson, AZ from 2015-2016, Visual and Performing Arts Department Chairperson and Director of Bands at Pueblo Magnet High School in Tucson, AZ from 2012-2015, and the Director of Musical Ensembles at Mission Heights Preparatory High School in Casa Grande, AZ during the school's inaugural school year of 2011-2012. During the 2016-2017 school year he served in a temporary capacity as the Interim Director of Instrumental Music at Valencia Middle School in Tucson then as the Interim Music Director at North Pointe Prep in Phoenix, AZ. Throughout his career, Mr. Fisher has specialized in either building or rebuilding band programs. His history has been that regardless of his tenure, his programs are always left better than when he found them.

Mr. Fisher is a native of Fort Lauderdale, FL and grew up in Pompano Beach, FL. He is a 1991 graduate of Coconut Creek High School in Coconut Creek, FL. His love for band and performing came when he first picked up a trombone in beginning band at Margate Middle School in Margate, FL. He went on to learn tuba in the seventh grade and added euphonium in high school. While in high school he was in band for all four years and performed in every instrumental ensemble. He was a member of the North (Broward County) Area Honor Band on both tuba and trombone all four years of high school. During that time, he also made the Broward County Honor Band and Honor Jazz Band on both tuba and bass trombone. During his junior and senior years, he performed with the South Florida Honor Band (now the Frost Honor Band) making 1st chair tuba in the Symphonic Band his junior year and 1st chair tuba in the Wind Ensemble during his senior year. Also, during his junior and senior years he performed with the indoor color guard ensemble. Additionally, during his sophomore year Mr. Fisher was selected to be the school's delegate to the Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership Foundation Seminar in Miami, FL. After graduating high school, he went on to begin his pursuit of a music education degree at Broward Community College (now Broward College)-North Campus in Pompano Beach before transferring in the spring of 1993 to the University of North Alabama in Florence, AL. In December 1994, he left UNA to enlist in the United States Air Force where he served as a C-130 aircraft mechanic from 1994 to 2000 and an air surveillance data systems technician from 2000 to 2005. During his tenure in the Air Force his assignments took him to places such as Arizona, Florida, Germany, Iraq, Italy, Great Britain, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Albania, Morocco, and Turkey while being promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant (E-5). During his time in the Air Force, SSgt Fisher earned three Associate of Applied Sciences degrees: two in Aircraft Systems Maintenance Technology and Air & Space Operations Technology from the Community College of the Air Force and one in Industrial Management Technology from Okaloosa-Walton Community College (now Northwest Florida State College) in Niceville, FL. After leaving the Air Force in 2005 he returned to the University of North Alabama to complete his undergraduate degree. In 2008, Mr. Fisher graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Music degree majoring in Instrumental Music with Bass Trombone as his principal instrument. Upon graduation he was hired as a music and visual technician for the tuba section of the Teal Sound Drum & Bugle Corps for the remainder of the 2008 season. At the end of the season Mr. Fisher moved to Nashville, TN where he took on the jobs of substitute teacher in the Metro Nashville Public School system, security officer, and collections representative for the Internal Revenue Service. In 2011 he graduated from Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville with a Master of Arts in Teaching degree majoring in Secondary Education. Soon after, he moved to Casa Grande, AZ to begin his career as a music educator.

Musically, Mr. Fisher has over 30 years of performance experience on tuba, bass trombone, euphonium, euphonium bugle and contrabass bugle. He has performed as either the principal bass trombonist/section leader or on euphonium or tuba with ensembles such as the Bonita Springs and Southwest Florida Concert Bands in Lee County, FL, Sonora Winds in Tucson, AZ, Shoals Symphony in Florence, AL, ensembles at Broward Community College, University of North Alabama, Central Arizona College and the University of Arizona. Mr. Fisher is also an eight-year veteran of the drum & bugle corps activity. He performed on contrabass bugle with the Florida Wave Drum & Bugle Corps from 1989 to 1991 and the Colts Drum & Bugle Corps from 1992 to 1994. He also performed on contrabass and euphonium bugle with Atlanta CV Drum & Bugle Corps from 2004 to 2005. From 2016 to 2019, he drew upon his expansive marching arts knowledge and experience to work as a visual caption adjudicator with the Arizona Marching Band Association and Winter Guard Arizona.

In addition to his musical and teaching credentials Mr. Fisher holds either active, alumni, or lifetime memberships in the National Education Association, American Federation of Teachers, Florida Educators Association, Teacher Association of Lee County, National Association for Music Education, Florida Music Educators Association, Florida Bandmasters Association, Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity. He currently sits on the Corporate and Booster Board of Directors for the Colts Youth Organization in Dubuque, IA.

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