ABOUT US
Basha High School is a 5A senior high school serving the East Valley area in the Chandler Unified School District. The Band Program participates in the AMEA Southwest region and includes many diverse groups, such as the Symphonic Band, Concert Band, Percussion Ensemble, Marching Band, Jazz Bands, Winter Drumline, and Winter Guard.
Basha Bands is supported by the Basha Band Boosters, a non-profit organization of volunteers who lend their time and talents, not only to raise funds, but also for supporting tasks such as equipment transportation, uniform alteration, photo and video production, meal provisions for game days, etc.
Basha Bands is supported by the Basha Band Boosters, a non-profit organization of volunteers who lend their time and talents, not only to raise funds, but also for supporting tasks such as equipment transportation, uniform alteration, photo and video production, meal provisions for game days, etc.
STAFF
Mr. Miles Denny is a graduate from Arizona State University where he received his B.M. in Music Education. He is currently the Associate Director of Bands at Basha High School and Basha Accelerated Middle School. Miles was previously the guitar and band director at Smith Jr. High School and Stevenson Elementary in Mesa, AZ. Previously, Miles has worked as percussion specialist for various percussion ensembles in the valley including Dobson High School in Mesa and Basha High School.
Mr. Kevin Joseph is currently in his fourth year teaching and serves as the Associate Director of Bands at Basha High School in Chandler, Arizona. Prior to his appointment at Basha, Mr. Joseph was the Director of Bands at Rhodes Junior High School in Mesa, Arizona. Mr. Joseph is passionate about education, conducting, and performing. He was chosen to conduct the Mesa Public Schools Elementary Honor Band, Mesa Community College bands, as well as serve as a consultant for Mesa community college summer music camp. As a performer, Mr. Joseph regularly plays Tuba with the Red Mountain Brass Quintet. Mr. Joseph has also performed with the Chandler Symphony and was a featured soloist with the Mesa Community College bands. Mr. Joseph has extensive experience in marching band in Arizona, having taught at over ten schools across the valley. Mr. Joseph primarily focuses on brass pedagogy and performance. The programs he worked with consistently received Superior Ratings and Music Performance captions. Most recently he helped lead the Dobson High School marching band to a 4th place finish in the state finals marching band competition. Mr. Joseph received his Bachelor’s in Secondary Music Education cum laude from Ottawa University and plans on pursuing a Master’s in Music Education/Wind Conducting degree in the very near future.
Mr. Joseph lives in Gilbert, Arizona with his 2 dogs, Zeus and Apollo. He is a native of Brooklyn, New York.
Zeth Shirley is the caption head for the Basha High School Color Guard program. Born in Corona, California, and raised in Phoenix, Arizona. He has spun with groups like Desert Vista High School, Arizona State University, and was to be contracted with Santa Clara Vanguard for the 2020 season. He has also competed in the WGI world championships in 2019. Zeth taught for Fred J. Miller, based in Miamisburg, Ohio, in the summer of 2019 and hopes to return sometime in the future. His teaching experience includes Basha High School, Mesquite High School Winterguard, Williams Field High School Varsity Winterguard, and the Cooley Middle School Winterguard. He hopes to spend many years at Basha and is super excited to work with each and every student.
Tess Evans is a color guard tech for Basha High school. She is from Phoenix, Arizona. Tess has been involved in color guard since she was just 9 years old, spinning with various groups such as Desert Vista High school. She will also be spinning with Arizona State University in the fall as well as Carolina Crown over the summer. She has volunteered many years helping to teach for the Altadena Middle school color guard and coached their JV guard program in 2018. She is super excited to be working with Basha and can not wait for many amazing seasons with them.
Juan José Oliveros Saldaña is an alumni of Arizona State University where he received a BFA in Studio Arts with a focus in Painting. Along with being an independent Artist and Designer, Juan is currently a Front Ensemble instructor at Basha High School as well as Mesa High School, and Flux Indoor Percussion. He has previous experience as an instructor with Casa Grande High School and Campo Verde High School.
Joseph Manuel graduated from Basha High School (BHS) in 2010 after being a member of both the Basha Bear Regiment (BBR) and Basha Indoor Percussion Ensemble (BIPE) for all four years of his high school career. Upon graduating, Joseph started his college career at Stanford University in Northern California. While taking a break from Stanford, Joseph became a tenor technician at BHS and Casa Grande Union High School for the 2012 Fall season. At this time Joseph became a member of the Sun Devil Marching Band for the 2012 Fall season and subsequently, became a member of the Arizona State University Indoor Percussion Ensemble for the 2013 Winter Guard International (WGI) season. Joseph also became a member of the Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps for the 2013 Drum Corps International (DCI) season.
Shortly after graduating with a B.A. in Science, Technology, and Society (STS) and Minor in Political Science from Stanford University in 2018, Joseph returned to Arizona and began teaching the BHS drumline by invitation from Miles Denny. The most rewarding part of teaching at BHS, for Joseph, is seeing the marked growth of all the individuals he has the pleasure of teaching as his focus is teaching crucial life skills through the artistic medium of drumming and marching.
Additionally, Joseph resides on the Gila River Indian Community (GRIC) where he sits as a Court of Appeals Judge for GRIC. In his spare time, Joseph enjoys playing drums and singing for the Eagleheart Band, dancing with the Alex and Desiree World Wide Phoenix Bachata Team, and participating in traditional Hopi ceremonies.
Shortly after graduating with a B.A. in Science, Technology, and Society (STS) and Minor in Political Science from Stanford University in 2018, Joseph returned to Arizona and began teaching the BHS drumline by invitation from Miles Denny. The most rewarding part of teaching at BHS, for Joseph, is seeing the marked growth of all the individuals he has the pleasure of teaching as his focus is teaching crucial life skills through the artistic medium of drumming and marching.
Additionally, Joseph resides on the Gila River Indian Community (GRIC) where he sits as a Court of Appeals Judge for GRIC. In his spare time, Joseph enjoys playing drums and singing for the Eagleheart Band, dancing with the Alex and Desiree World Wide Phoenix Bachata Team, and participating in traditional Hopi ceremonies.
Olivia Atallah is one of Battery Instructors, with a focus on Bass Drums. She has participated in a variety of ensembles across Arizona, and also currently marches Bass with Vision Percussion.