About Us

Travis Ranch School is a public middle school located in Yorba Linda , California . Our instrumental music program has grown to over 300 students. The program consist of: three bands (two of which march during marching season), three orchestras, and two jazz bands. The top instrumental groups have consistently received the highest ratings and awards at various festivals and competitions.

The program also has a very active parent booster organization known as the Travis Ranch School Instrumental Music Boosters or TRSIMB for short. TRSIMB is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to provide support whenever practical and possible to the Director of Instrumental Music so that his or her efforts can be more fully dedicated to the musical education of the students. This support includes logistics, financial, administrative, clerical, and organizational assistance.
Kay Crask

Director

Adjudicator Kay Crask received bachelors degrees in both music education and in music theory with a violin performance minor from the University of Kansas , and her masters degree with emphasis on gifted and talented students from Grand Valley State University in Allendale , Michigan . She has taught band and orchestra in public and private schools in Iowa , Kansas , Michigan and California since 1980. From 1980-1985 she was assistant director of Child Arts Studios in Encino, a pre-professional school for the arts. During that time she also taught violin at Pasadena City College .

Since 1996, Kay has been the orchestra director at Esperanza High School and at Kraemer Middle School in the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District in Orange County , California . Under her direction, the number of string students has tripled and her orchestras consistently score superior ratings at district and regional orchestra festivals throughout Southern California .

Kay is an active member of the Southern California Band and Orchestra Association, serving as a mentor to new string teachers and as a presenter at conferences. She completed her adjudication training through SCSBOA in spring of 2004 and has judged at many festivals for SCSBOA, Music Teachers of America , and Music in the Parks.

She is also active in chamber music and as a free-lance violinist.
James Johnson

Director

James Johnson becomes the director at Travis Ranch Middle School after nearly twenty years of music education experience. Mr. Johnson has taught instrumental music throughout Southern California . He has been the band director at both Palm Springs and Rancho Cucamonga high schools as well as teaching at the elementary level for both the Upland and Jurupa Unified School Districts .

During his teaching assignments, Mr. Johnson's groups have performed at the highest levels. His high school groups gained national recognition with performances for the Fiesta Bowl Parade and National Band Championship (Rancho Cucamonga H.S.; with an invitation also extended to Palm Springs H.S.), a performance for the President of the United States and consistent Superior Ratings at festival performances.

Johnson is currently an adjudicator for the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association (SCSBOA) and has been an adjudicator for the Winter Guard Association of Southern California (WGASC) as well as for other contests and associations both in California and out of state.

Mr. Johnson holds an A.A. in Music from Saddleback College , a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education and a teaching credential from California State University Fullerton and a Master of Music from the University of Redlands where he was also selected for the Pi Kappa Lambda Honor Society.