Arizona Musicians Abroad | Trip Dashboard

Welcome to Arizona Musicians Abroad

Find the latest information on our Arizona trip below.

This international tour will be with a group from the great state of Arizona. Best known for the Grand Canyon, Arizona is the 14th most populous state. With much of the terrain desert, the state bird is the cactus wren and flower the saguaro cactus blossom. Famous for fry bread, chimichangas and Sonoran hot dogs, you’ll find plenty of good eats in the Grand Canyon State.

Information coming soon.

Our Office

Address: 5348 W. Vermont Street, Suite 200 Indianapolis, IN, 46224
Phone: 800.616.1112
Local: 317.637.0837
Contact

Meet Your State Organizers

Learn about your state's organizers and their roles in your upcoming trip.

Martin Hebda Co-Coordinator

View Martin Hebda's Bio

About Martin Hebda

Martin Hebda’s passion for music blossomed while growing up in Colorado Springs, Colo. He began playing piano then moved on to trumpet and was constantly active in both school and community music programs. In 1992 and 1993 while in high school, he marched with the Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps. Following high school, Martin studied music education at the University of Arizona where he participated in a variety of ensembles including small brass, vocal, jazz and wind ensemble. He also participated in marching band and pep band.

Martin has been teaching music for 26 years. He is currently in his 23rd year as band director at Casa Grande Union HS. Over those years he has enjoyed seeing the music program grow in both size and in quality. Martin feels it is important to stay involved with the professional organizations in Arizona, serving eight years on the WGAZ board as the AIA liaison, show host coordinator and vice president. He served as the Arizona Music Educators Association (AMEA) Southeast Regional Governor for six years and the AMEA member at large for four. Martin served as an ABODA new teacher mentor as well as the AzMBA vice president. Martin enjoys being involved with all the different organizations that serve the students of Arizona. Because of his service in the state of Arizona, he was awarded the AMEA George C Wilson Leadership/Service Award and was inducted in the WGAZ Hall of Fame in the spring of 2014.

Music is not his only love. Family is extremely important to Martin. His wife, Mercedes, taught the color guard for his marching band until they had their third child. Because she understands the long hours that a band director has, she has been endlessly supportive of Martin’s various time commitments to different organizations. Martin makes it a priority to balance family with the demands of his professional responsibilities.

Martin has traveled to Europe with performing ensembles seven times between the years of 2007-2019. He sees all the benefits this Musicians Abroad trip brings students and is dedicated to providing the best possible travel and music performance experience for everyone involved.

Jeff Marchant Co-Coordinator

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About Jeff Marchant

Jeff Marchant fell in love with band at Buena HS (AZ) in Sierra Vista under the direction of Rick Klein. He attended the University of Arizona with a trombone and jazz scholarship. While a member of UA's Olive Street Stompers, the group was a finalist in the National Association of Jazz Educators Collegiate Dixieland Competition. Jeff earned his Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Arizona studying trombone with Tom Ervin. While there, he was fortunate enough to perform with such musicians as Dizzy Gillespie, Bill Watrous, Bobby Shew and Ladd McIntosh. After college he performed and recorded with the Itsy Bitsy Spiders, Calexico, Descarga, blues legend Sam Taylor and the In Your Face Horns and the Crawdaddy-O Brass band.

Mr. Marchant marched with the Troopers Drum and Bugle Corps and was a staff member and director for the Sunset Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps in Tucson. He taught band and orchestra at Sabino HS in the Tucson Unified School District before accepting his current position as the Director of Bands at Rincon/University HS. Since moving in 2010, the program has grown steadily and won numerous awards for marching band, winning four Nunamaker awards in a five-year span at the University of Arizona Band Day. The program has also won high honors in concert band, jazz and winter drum line and color guards.

The Rincon/University HS Band was the inaugural champion of the Arizona Marching Band Association in 2015. The RUHS Jazz Ensemble has performed twice at the Arizona Music Educators Association (AMEA) conference and in Chicago at The Midwest Clinic in 2018. Marchant was awarded the O.M. Hartsell Excellence in Teaching Music Award in 2017 and is a frequent presenter at the AMEA conference. Mr. Marchant currently resides in Tucson with his wife and educator Donna, his youngest son Jack and his dog Maggie Fitzgerald.

Amanda Mitchell Choral Director

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About Amanda Mitchell

Amanda Mitchell has been teaching music in the state of Arizona since 2006 and has been the Choral Director at Glendale HS since 2007. Under her leadership, the program has tripled in size with a focus on excellence, musicianship and camaraderie. Her students perform at state-wide and district choral festivals, professional sporting events and prepare a wide variety of music to present at each of their quarterly concerts.

Mrs. Mitchell has mentored numerous interns and student teachers from multiple colleges and universities and currently serves as GHS Fine Arts Department Chair. At the state level, Mrs. Mitchell held the office of Vice-President for Professional Development for the Arizona Music Educators Association (AMEA) and Conference Chair for the Arizona Choral Educators board from 2011 to 2017. In 2014, she was awarded the AMEA George C. Wilson Leadership/Service award. She was a staff member with the Arizona Ambassadors of Music from 2009-2019 and is a member of the National Association for Music Education, the AMEA, Arizona Choral Educators, Arizona Choral Directors of Arizona and the Glendale Union Education Association.

Mrs. Mitchell holds a bachelor's degree in Choral Music Education from Arizona State University and is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Music Education from Kent State University.

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Arizona • Summer 2027

Welcome to Arizona Musicians Abroad