pablo Elias-Rodriguez - Marching Illini

mm, conducting – Teaching Assistant

Pablo Elias-Rodriguez is graduate teaching assistant at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, pursuing a Master of Music in Wind Band Conducting. A Florida native, he taught high school music in the public schools of Osceola and Brevard Counties for eleven years prior to pursuing graduate studies. Most recently, he spent seven years as the Director of Bands and Orchestras at Bayside High School in Palm Bay, FL, where he taught three concert bands, two jazz bands, two string orchestras, marching band, and AP Music Theory.

During his time at Bayside, the Instrumental Music Program doubled in enrollment to over 300 students, necessitating the creation of a second full-time music director position. The Bayside IMP achieved numerous milestones over this period, including increased student participation in All State Band, All County Band, and Solo and Ensemble Festival; performing more challenging literature; and consistently earning Superior ratings at Music Performance Assessments in marching band, jazz band, concert band, and orchestra. The Band program was awarded the Otto J. Kraushaar award for the first time in school history for earning Straight Superior ratings from all adjudicators at all District and State MPAs in the 2021-22 school year, and the Wind Ensemble performed twice at the Music for All UCF-Orlando Invitational Festival. Pablo’s focus was creating a family-centered culture in the program based on servant leadership, where students prioritized supporting each other and their fellow musicians from other programs around the school district and state.

While in Florida, Pablo was active as a tuba player with the Southern Winds, Central Florida Winds, and Brevard Brass. He also served as an adjudicator and band clinician across the state. He served the Florida Bandmasters Association as the All-State High School Honor Band Coordinator and the District 10 Secretary and Mentor Liaison, and was a supervising teacher for university student interns and a mentor to new teachers while at Bayside.

Pablo graduated Summa Cum Laude with his Bachelor’s Degree in Instrumental Music Education from Florida State University, where he also fulfilled the requirements for a Performance Certificate in tuba. He studied conducting with Richard Clary and Dr. Patrick Dunnigan and tuba with Paul Ebbers, and was a member of the Florida State University Marching Chiefs and Symphonic Band. Pablo holds memberships in the Florida Music Educators’ Association, Florida Bandmasters Association, Florida Orchestra Association, and Kappa Kappa Psi, and he has been recognized as an FMEA Emerging Leader and an Osceola County Rookie Arts Teacher of the Year. His primary mentors in FBA are PL Malcolm, Ian Schwindt, Jim Matthews, Jennifer Zahn, and Charles Watford. Pablo is passionate about inspiring students to become the best versions of themselves through experiences with music making.