Mr. Black leads the East Lake band program, with Ms. Bert as Director's Assistant. Section instructors and guest clinicians round out the staff — every member brings a working musician's perspective and a teacher's commitment to seeing students grow.
Mr. Black joined East Lake High School as Director of Bands in 2018 and directs the Wind, Concert, Jazz, and Percussion Ensembles. He also teaches AP Music Theory and Music Technology. Under his direction, the East Lake Silver Sound has experienced significant growth — doubling in size in his first two years.
Before East Lake, he served as Director of Bands and Orchestra at Dunedin High School for eight years, where his ensembles consistently earned Superior ratings, traveled to Disney and to Stirling, Scotland, and won Overall Festival Champion at the 2012 Spirit of America Music Festival in Washington D.C. He has served as both District Secretary and District Chairman for the Florida Bandmasters Association, and in 2013 was named recipient of the Kraf-Custer Outstanding Educator Award.
A Pinellas County native, Mr. Black graduated summa cum laude with his Bachelor of Science in Music Education from the University of South Florida, where he served two years as Drum Major of the 300+ member Herd of Thunder. He is a member of NAfME, FMEA, FBA, FOA, Pi Kappa Lambda, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and resides in Tarpon Springs with his wife Shannon.
Ms. Bert was born and raised in Tampa. At Chamberlain High School she was a member of the Symphonic, Marching, Jazz, and All-County Bands — playing bassoon, clarinet, and trombone. She went on to perform with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Band, in the stands and on the field at home games and pep rallies. The Buccaneers Band is also where she met her husband, a trombone player. Three of their four children went on to become band members themselves.
In 2010, while her daughter was at Dunedin High School, she began assisting Mr. Black for a few hours a week. That grew into a few days a week, then into being on the practice field and in the band room whenever the kids were. In 2018, she followed Mr. Black to East Lake. "I love doing what I can to help the kids and their amazing band director."
Each section meets with a dedicated instructor — a working performer or teacher with deep technical expertise. Section instructor portraits and bios are being collected; in the meantime, here's the structure of the staff.
Color guard has its own dedicated coaching staff — fall guard during marching season, plus a winter guard team for the indoor competitive season.
Whether you're a current parent, a prospective family, or a community member with a question, the staff answers email directly.
Registration is the first step — paperwork, placement, and a welcome email follow from there.
