Christopher Perez is in his 29th year as an active teacher, musician, presenter, adjudicator, composer and clinician who directs the Guitar Program at Freedom High School in Central Florida. His prior appointments include teaching Band, Percussion, Piano and General Music with the Kinnikinnick CCSD #131 in Roscoe, Illinois, and Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) at Hunter’s Creek Middle School, Oak Ridge High School, and Howard Middle School. He is a 2017 GRAMMY Foundation Award “Teacher of the Year” Quarter-Finalist.
Having studied saxophone and percussion, Mr. Perez is a graduate of Western Illinois University with a B.A. in Music Education. For two seasons he was a drum major for the WIU Marching Leathernecks, and was a Student Conductor Competition Winner.
Mr. Perez is a member of the:
- National Association for Music Education (NAfME), and served on the Guitar Council (2013-2019) as the Southern Division Representative. He is the Chair of the Guitar Council from 2020 until 2024. He also serves on the NAfME President’s Cabinet on the Professional Learning and Partnerships Committee and is the All-National Guitar Ensemble Manager.
- Florida Music Educators Association (FMEA) where he serves on the Secondary General Music Committee
- Guitar Foundation of America (GFA)
- Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia
He served eight years (2009 to 2017) as the Orange County Public Schools Guitar Chair. For the OCPS All-County Guitar Festival he was twice selected as Clinician with the 2012 High School Guitar Ensemble and 2018 Middle School Guitar Ensemble. Mr. Perez was the Advanced Guitar Ensemble Clinician for the 2020 All-County Guitar Ensemble Festival in Polk County, FL.
As a composer and arranger, his music is published with Drop6 Media, Inc. and has several music arrangements on the Florida Bandmaster’s Association State Music List. Mr. Perez is a percussionist with both the Southern Winds Symphonic Band and Walt Disney World’s “ENCORE! Performing Arts“. He continually serves on district, state and national level writing teams, developing guitar curriculum recommendations plus blueprinting, designing, writing and scoring CFE/EOC (Common Final Exams/End of Course Exams).
Mr. Perez presents professional development guitar sessions at local, state and national music conferences, of which several are published online as webinars and blogs. His students and ensembles have consistently participated in music events on local, state, national and international stages including presenting clinics and performing at the FMEA All-State Music Conference and FMEA State Guitar Festivals; the Orange County Public Schools All-County Honor Guitar Festival, Music In-Services, and district events including the OCPS “State of the Schools Address” and “Teacher of the Year Ceremonies”; Walt Disney World, Sea World and Marriott Resorts; as well as community events in and around the greater Central Florida area.
Over the years, the FHS Guitar Ensembles performed in concert at the:
- 2013 FMEA All-State Music Conference, Tampa, FL (Guitar Orchestra)
- 2013 & 2017 Long Island Guitar Festival – LIGF, Brookville, NY (Guitar Orchestra)
- 2015, 2017, 2019 Stetson University Guitar Extravaganza, DeLand, FL (Guitar Ensembles)
- 2018 Florida Guitar Festival at Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL (Guitar Orchestra)
- 2021 Long Island Guitar Festival LIGF Virtual HS Guitar Ensemble Showcase (Tasto)
- 2022 Miami International GuitART Festival (Guitar Ensembles)
He resides in South Orlando with his wife Stephanie and two sons, Evan and Brendan.
