Westwind Brass

06/04/2026

Brain Health!

05/30/2026

Most people hear Call to Colors and think tradition. Steve Dillard hears it and thinks Tuesday.
Steve — trumpeter, Life Member of AFM Local 325, and the one and only Mr. Horntrader — regularly bugles for Del Mar Racetrack and Del Mar Horse Park. It's a real, paying gig that requires real skill. Different from a symphony stage, but every bit as professional.
When Westwind Brass visits your school, this is exactly the kind of conversation we bring: the full picture of what a music career actually looks like. Union membership. Multiple income streams. Niche performance opportunities your students have never considered. We cover it all.
If you're a band director, music teacher, or community partner who'd like to bring this program to your students, reach out. We’d love to make it happen.

05/28/2026

🎺 WE SHOWED UP. NOW LET’S FOLLOW THROUGH.
Yesterday, artists, educators, musicians, and arts advocates packed the San Diego Civic Concourse to send a clear message: San Diego’s arts and culture community will not go quietly.
Mayor Todd Gloria’s proposed FY27 budget eliminates all grant funding for arts and culture operating support and events — a devastating blow to over 150 organizations that serve our communities every single day. This isn’t just about concert halls and galleries. It’s about after-school programs, neighborhood festivals, working musicians, and the economic engine that keeps San Diego vibrant.
As members of AFM Local 325, we know exactly what the ripple effect looks like. When arts funding disappears, livelihoods disappear. And San Diego’s own economic data backs it up — this is quite literally the most expensive mistake a city can make.
📖 Read why: https://sandiegomagazine.com/features/the-most-expensive-mistake-a-city-can-make/

✊ HERE'S WHAT YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW:
✅ Write your City Councilmember — if you’ve already sent a letter, send another one. They need to hear from you again.
✅ Take action at Arts+Culture: San Diego → www.artsandculturesd.org
✅ Share this post — tag your friends, your teachers, your neighbors. The more voices, the louder the message.

Westwind Brass has served San Diego for 39 years. We’ve played in schools, parks, community centers, and concert halls across this city and beyond. We’re not going anywhere — and neither is this fight.
💬 Drop a comment if you were at yesterday’s rally. Let’s keep the momentum going. 🎶

05/27/2026

🎺🇺🇸 What a Memorial Day to remember!
Westwind Brass was thrilled to join the incredible Coronado Concert Band for their Memorial Day concert series opener — and wow, did Coronado show up! Conductor Fred Lee told us it was one of the largest opening-day crowds the series has ever seen. That’s YOU, San Diego and Coronado. You did that. 🙌

There's something truly special about making music together on a day set aside to honor those who gave everything for this country. We felt every note a little deeper yesterday. 🎶
Big thanks to Fred and the entire Coronado Concert Band family for having us — what a band, what a crowd, what a day.

📣 And hey — the fun doesn't stop there!
We'll be back out in the community this summer for Band at the Beach at Pacific Beach Middle School! 🏖️
📅 July 13–17

We love getting back in front of the next generation of music-makers. If your kiddo has a horn, a drumstick, or just a whole lot of curiosity — this is the place to be. Keep an eye out for more details!

Drop a ❤️ if you were part of that amazing Memorial Day crowd — and tag a friend who needs some live brass in their summer! 🎺☀️

05/26/2026

This one always hits differently. Honored to perform at Miramar National Cemetery yesterday for Memorial Day — and holding close the friends and family resting at national cemeteries near and far. Thank you to all who served. 🙏🇺🇸

05/23/2026

Hey musicians, check this out. Last time Sd Winds.. organized a band. Show up let’s see what happens. Make some noise!

Join San Diego ART Matters, Arts+Culture: San Diego, and regional arts and culture leaders for a public press conference calling attention to the proposed elimination of City funding for arts and culture grants in the FY27 budget.

05/23/2026

There’s something that happens when professional musicians walk into a school — and it’s bigger than a concert.

This reel was shot at Mount Miguel High School in Spring Valley, set to our own recording of Duke Ellington’s "In a Sentimental Mood." Fifteen seconds. But behind those fifteen seconds is 39 years of Westwind Brass showing up for students, educators, and communities across San Diego County.

Every musician you’re hearing is a life member of AFM Local 325 — the American Federation of Musicians, San Diego. That’s not a footnote. That’s the point. Professional standards. Fair labor. Community investment. These are union musicians who chose to be there.

Our Workforce Development Program exists to connect young musicians with the real world of music — the art, the craft, and the career. Sean Reusch’s visit earlier this year (see our previous post) was one piece of that. This reel is another.

🙏 Made possible through the California Arts Council, the Music Performance Trust Fund, and AFM Local 325.

05/23/2026

What does it take to become a better musician? Sean Reusch — professional trombonist and the educator behind Trombone101 — sat down with students at Mount Miguel High School in Spring Valley to answer exactly that.

Music isn’t just an art form. It’s a career. And we’re committed to helping the next generation see that path clearly.

🎶 Westwind Brass | Trombone101 | AFM Local 325

05/23/2026

If you caught Steve Dillard ZoozaHorn Flugelhorn debut at our Coronado concert, you already know what this instrument can do.

Today at Mount Miguel, Steve took a different ride.

Same song — Duke Ellington's In A Sentimental Mood. But this afternoon, the flugelhorn got to do what she does best: hang back, take her time, and let that warm, rounded tone do the talking. Soft. Pretty. No fireworks needed.

We like to say the flugelhorn is the trumpet's shy stepsister. She's there at every family reunion, but she'll never steal the spotlight on purpose. She doesn't have to.

Two concerts, one song, one remarkable little horn. Watch both and hear the difference.

🙏 Westwind Brass programs are made possible through the generous support of the California Arts Council Music Performance Trust Fund and Musicians Association of San Diego County, Local 325, AFM