Our Story

In July 2019, Jess Quintana’s phone rang off the hook with directors looking to hire him. He realized that he couldn't help everyone — something had to change.

It was clear. There is a shortage of percussion, brass, guard, and any other type of tech instruction in Colorado. Finding quality techs that are reliable, professional, and share common goals were becoming harder and harder to find.

In December 2019, Jess decided to expand his 23-year-old percussion business, Percussion Solutions LLC, into a new company. Scholastic Marching Arts evolved out of a need to help programs without all the resources they need at their fingertips.

After looking at the activity with a clean sheet of paper and talking to band directors across the country, Jess gathered the information needed to break new ground. Here is what he learned:

Many programs cannot find qualified staff and sometimes they cannot find any staff at all! SMA exists because Jess saw the need for a different approach to quality instruction in public schools in Colorado and beyond.

Through 2023, SMA has continued to grow and refine its methods across all areas of instruction. We have grown to nearly a dozen staff members and hope to broaden our horizons outside of Colorado in the very near future.

So… Why US?

To put it bluntly, our methods work! We are committed to taking your students to the next level, and we have done so with many. We help you to identify and work with the challenges in your ensembles, with Music, Methods, Design and Visual

Over the years, students of SMA have gone on to participate in:

80+ chairs in Colorado All-State Ensembles
Blue Knights, The Troopers,Broken
Seattle Cascades Rise Percussion,
Broken City, Blue Knights Percussion Ensemble ,University of Utah, Virginia Tech, Baylor University, University of Colorado, University of Northern Colorado, Colorado State University, Oregon State University, University of Washington, and The University of Minnesota

Testimonials

"Jess is an amazing Percussion Instructor but more importantly, he cares about the kids, the program he is working for, and the educator. Jess invests himself to make everyone better in the process. He helps the director learn how to instruct percussionists better and helps the kids with their technique and musicianship. You cannot go wrong using his program!"

"Jess Quintana is an outstanding educator. He has the ability to connect with students at all levels, from elementary through college, and works tirelessly to create huge results with those students. His methods are innovative and easy to comprehend. His knowledge of the percussion world is nearly limitless and he can communicate his expertise in a fun and humorous manner. He surrounds himself with great people who share his passion. Friendly, easy to talk to, and speak plain english.They will not disappoint!”

From Genice Matzke

Director of Bands, Cheyenne Mountain HS

Colorado Springs, CO

"Jess Quintana is an outstanding educator. He has the ability to connect with students at all levels, from elementary through college, and works tirelessly to create huge results with those students. His methods are innovative and easy to comprehend. His knowledge of the percussion world is nearly limitless and he can communicate his expertise in a fun and humorous manner. He surrounds himself with great people who share his passion. Friendly, easy to talk to, and speak plain english.They will not disappoint!”

From Jim Farrell

Retired Vocal Music Director, Littleton HS

Littleton, CO

“Jess pushes the entire program to be better whenever he is around. He is committed to the students’ understanding, execution, and performance of all concepts within their skillsets. He is highly skilled in working with directors and staff to aid students through attainable methods and enthusiasm. With Jess's program, you are guaranteed to see results quickly in your students and ensembles."

"Jess Quintana is an outstanding educator. He has the ability to connect with students at all levels, from elementary through college, and works tirelessly to create huge results with those students. His methods are innovative and easy to comprehend. His knowledge of the percussion world is nearly limitless and he can communicate his expertise in a fun and humorous manner. He surrounds himself with great people who share his passion. Friendly, easy to talk to, and speak plain english.They will not disappoint!”

“Jess pushes the entire program to be better whenever he is around. He is committed to the students’ understanding, execution, and performance of all concepts within their skillsets. He is highly skilled in working with directors and staff to aid students through attainable methods and enthusiasm. With Jess's program, you are guaranteed to see results quickly in your students and ensembles."

From Whitnea McDonnell

Color Guard Caption Head, Littleton HS

Littleton, CO

Scholastic Marching Arts

OUR STORY

In July 2019, Jess Quintana’s phone rang off the hook with directors looking to hire him. He realized that he couldn't help everyone — something had to change.

So… Why US?

Testimonials

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