John Arata is the band director at Eureka High School. Mr. Arata teaches the Wildcat Pride Marching Band, the Symphonic Band, Concert Band, and AP Music Theory and assists the Wildwood and LaSalle Springs Middle School band programs. Groups under his direction have performed for the President of the United States, Fourth of July at Mount Rushmore, Missouri Music Educators Assn., and the Midwest Band and Orchestra clinic. He is a National Board Certified Teacher and a graduate of Missouri State University and Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville.
Jeremy Knudtson is assistant band director and Symphonic Winds and Jazz Band director at Eureka High School. In addition to his duties at EHS, he also assists with the band program at LaSalle Springs Middle School. Before coming to EHS, Mr. Knudtson was the director of bands in the Valley Park School District for three years and taught for five years in the Meramec Valley School District as an assistant band director and music theory teacher.
Mr. Knudtson is a National Board Certified teacher and a graduate of University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Central Missouri State University. He currently performs with the St. Louis Philharmonic Orchestra and the Missouri Baptist University Concert Band. Mr. Knudtson's private students regularly have success at the regional and state levels.
Cassie Renner is Assistant Band Director and Percussion Instructor for the Eureka High School Bands as well as the primary guitar teacher at EHS. A native of Washington, MO, Ms. Renner holds bachelor's and master's degrees from Truman State University. In addition to her school responsibilities, Ms. Renner is a frequent adjudicator and free-lance percussionist with various performing ensembles across the state. Prior to her position at EHS, Ms. Renner served as the Assistant Band Director at St. Clair High School.
Jason Bergman is the assistant band director at Crestview Middle School and directs the EHS Color Guard and Winter Guard. He is a 2007 graduate of Missouri State University. He is currently attending Lindenwood University where he is pursuing a master’s degree in education. He has been the visual caption head for the Francis Howell Marching band since 2007. He was a member of the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps and is now a member of the Madison Scouts logistics staff. He has also written winter guard shows for Francis Howell’s JV and Parkway South and has been involved in the activity since 2007.
Chris Becker is assistant band director and retired from Parkway South High School. Chris Becker graduated with distinction from the University of Missouri, Kansas City Conservatory of Music, and earned an M.A. in Education from Lindenwood University. He began his teaching career in 1977 as an Assistant Band Director in the Park Hill School District of Kansas City, Missouri. He taught in Parkway Schools from 1981 to 2017, he moved to St. Louis and accepted the directorship of the Parkway Central High School Bands. Under his leadership, the Jazz Bands from Parkway Central, Parkway South, and Washington University have all performed for the Missouri Music Educators Annual Convention and have been recognized for outstanding performance at numerous jazz band festivals.
Mr. Becker is a member of the Music Educators National Conference, the Missouri Music Educators Association, and the Missouri Band Masters Association, and is Past President of the Missouri unit of the International Association of Jazz Educators. He was named "Charles Emmons Outstanding Band Director of the Year" by Phi Beta Mu Band Directors Fraternity in January, 1999. In 2004 he was nominated for the Pillar of Parkway Award, which recognizes commitment and dedication for work in the Parkway School District.
