Meet the Band Directors
Todd Blaser and Kristen Castiglione
Todd Blaser is originally from Norfolk, Nebraska, where he graduated from Norfolk High School in 1983. At Norfolk High School he was involved in band, intramurals, golf, and served as drum major of the award winning Norfolk High School Marching Band. After high school, he attended Northeast Technical Community College, the University of South Dakota, and eventually graduated with a bachelor’s degree in music education from Buena Vista College in Storm Lake, Iowa. In 2006 he received his Master's in Education from St. Catherine's University. While in high school and college he marched in Drum and Bugle Corps spending 5 summers with the Crimson Cadets of Norfolk, and one year with the Phantom Regiment of Rockford, Illinois which placed 4th at the 1984 DCI World Championships.
Todd maintains an active judging schedule working with marching bands, concert bands, jazz bands, and solo ensemble throughout the Midwest. He is a member of the Phantom Regiment alumni association, MMEA, NAFME, MBDA Phi Beta Mu.
Kristen Castiglione is originally from Nazareth, PA, and graduated from Nazareth Area High School in 1999. She attended Ithaca College in Ithaca, NY and received a Bachelor’s of Music with a double major in Music Education and Piano Performance. In 2025, she completed her Masters in Music Education from Northern State University.
Kristen’s primary instruments are piano and percussion, and she has taught both privately and in schools in Florida, North Carolina, and Minnesota. Kristen enjoys working with students to improve their musical skills and inspiring in them a lifelong love of music. Outside of school, she is married and has two young children. Besides music, her hobbies include traveling, gardening, being outdoors, and being involved at her church. Kristen is a member of MMEA, NAfME, and MBDA. She is looking forward to working with all the band students at WHS!