Mark Campayno, Director – Biography
Upon graduating summa cum laude from Seton Hill University in 2003, Mark accepted a position in Sterling, Virginia with Loudoun County Public Schools teaching sixth and seventh grade music lab. He split his time between Sterling Middle School and River Bend Middle School.
The following year he was appointed director of the guitar department at River Bend Middle School in Sterling. Within two years he built the program to over two hundred and twenty five seventh and eighth grade guitar students. During that time, Mark also taught after school strings for four years directing fourth through eighth grade students in violin, viola, cello, and double-bass education and performance.
In 2005, Mark was recognized by then Virginia Governor, Mark Warner, for teaching excellence. In his seven years at River Bend Middle School Mark was awarded Teacher of the Year twice and was runner up another two times.
In 2010, Mark moved up to the high school level splitting his time between directing guitar at Heritage High School in Leesburg, and Broad Run High School in Ashburn, Virginia.
Believing in a broad-based approach to musical study, Mark believes strongly in the individual student’s path to musical fulfillment seeing potential in all areas of musical performance for his students. Improvisation, creativity, and structured musical development are musts for up and coming guitarists and musicians.
Mark has more than doubled enrollment at Broad Run High School in Ashburn and is employed full-time there. In his ninth year of teaching, Mark has found his home at Broad Run and describes it as his dream position.
Mark served on the middle school curriculum committee for the Loudoun County Public School’s guitar program in 2008. He also directs the rock/jazz classes at Loudoun County Public School’s Summer in the Arts Program. He is also the Youth Entertainment Coordinator for Loudoun County’s annual YouthFest festival, which showcases teen talent in music.
In addition to his public school teaching, Mark also owns and operates his own performance school, Musicians-Inc. in Sterling. Opened in December of 2009, Musicians-Inc. has grown into a full-service music school dedicated to preparing students for performance and futher study in music. Providing instruction in all styles and approaches to music education and performance, Musicians-Inc. is an outgrowth of Mark’s love of learning, teaching, and performing.
Mark’s plans for the future remain consistent with his philosophy of teaching: to use creativity, spontaneity, new ideas, and tried and true teaching methodology to prepare his students for a lifetime of musical enjoyment. In that journey he uses the unlimited daily opportunities available to increase his own knowledge and to move closer towards teaching excellence.
Mark’s YouTube Channel