Our Band Director

The SLO County Band is delighted to have Leonard Lutz as its current director. Leonard began directing the band in June of 2000.

Leonard Lutz has been involved in music all of his life. As a baby, he would make his own music as soon as the radio was turned off for the night. By the age of two he was playing the record player. In second grade Leonard started his "formal" training on piano, which he managed to do for only six months due to getting headaches whenever he went to his piano lesson. He continued to play and practice under his Mom's tutelage. In third grade he started trombone lessons and in order to reach the longer positions he had to use his foot. That was the beginning of Leonard's interest in learning as much as he could musically. Along the way he picked up banjo, 12-string guitar, baritone, French horn and trumpet. On a whim, Leonard decided to audition for the elite singing group at Glendale Adventist Academy and was welcomed into it. Although, or because, he was a Freshman, he was still a first tenor and could sight-read.

When he was a high-school Junior, the school bought a bassoon and Leonard was interested in learning it. That has been his favorite instrument to this day and his first woodwind. Leonard attended Pacific Union College in the Napa Valley as a Music Major. He took lessons on piano, organ, voice and classical guitar, all while supposedly being a "Diversified Low Brass" Major. He continued playing as many instruments as he could get his hands on. But, unable to decide on an instrument on which to specialize, he turned to Music Education. Then, late in his Junior year, he switched to Communications with Broadcast Emphasis. He had been working at the college's radio station as an Assistant Engineer and went on to become the Music Director, and he programmed all the music. In 1977, Leonard received his BS in Communications with a minor in Music Education. His minor recital was on classical guitar.

In 1978 he married his wife, Jeane (pronounced Genie, as in "I Dream of") and then moved to Thousand Oaks where he took a position as Music and Sound Effects Editor for the Adventist Media Center in Newbury Park. After 2-1/2 years, a son, Leo, was born and Leonard switched careers into teaching music for six schools in western Los Angeles. At this point it was necessary to finish learning the woodwinds - saxophone, clarinet and finally, flute - so he could teach them to beginners. Near the end of that year a daughter, Chandra, was born and the teaching made a pivot. Now Leonard was teaching both regular classes as well as providing music instruction for a couple of schools in the Central Valley of California.

In 1987 he moved to the Central Coast to teach at Valley View Adventist Academy in Arroyo Grande. He was teaching grades 5 & 6 and started a band. Within three years he was directing the choir and handbell choir which he'd also introduced to the school. Ring of Class, as the group was called, was a premiere group along the Central Coast and quite well-known among the handbell choirs. His handbell choirs have been invited to play with orchestras and bands and has participated in many community events.

In 1998 Leonard was asked to direct the San Luis Chamber Orchestra, of which he was the principal conductor until Keith Waibel took over the reins in 2008. In 2000, he was invited to become the director of the Grande Ringers at the First United Methodist Church of Arroyo Grande, and later that year he became director of the San Luis Obispo County Band. He continues to enjoy directing both of these groups.

For several years along the way he played in the Hancock Concert Band and played, at one time or another, in every section except for trumpet and tuba. He enjoys writing, arranging, singing and playing with almost any combination of instruments or voices.

He is currently the Dean of the American Guild of Organists Central Coast Chapter. Though essentially retired, he continues to keep busy with music, visiting his 3 exceptional grandchildren, Cedar, Kyndree and Dawson in Sacramento, and in general enjoying life with his wife of almost 43 years. His main hobby is sleight-of-hand magic and he is a member of the Central Coast Conjurors. He and his wife are cat enthusiasts and are now down to one remaining cat from a high of seven! They are residents of Nipomo, which has the "Best Climate in North America" according to Jeopardy. The SLO County Band is privileged to have someone with Leonard's experience and enthusiasm as its director!

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