Conductor Profiles 

Mr. Moreno is graduate of Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas, where he received his Bachelors Degree in Music Education with an emphasis in Instrumental Studies. Over the past 7 years, Mr. Moreno has served as one of the music directors at the Texas State Strings Camp. Prior to becoming DAAYO’s Symphony Orchestra conductor, he led DAAYO’s Philharmonic group, and also taught with the Collin County Youth Orchestra, UT-Arlington Strings Camp and now serves as the Plano ISD Strings Camp Director. He also served as director at Frankford Middle School (Plano ISD) and at Killian Middle School (Lewisville ISD).

As a double bassist, he has performed with various Texas orchestras, musicals, jazz groups, and often on cello with string quartets. He is a member of the Texas Music Educators Association and the Texas Orchestra Directors Association. Outside of teaching and performing, he is an active composer and arranger for orchestral music having been published with FJH Music and Grand Mesa Music. JW Pepper Music selected his works as “Editor’s Choice” and have been performed at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Conference in Chicago as well as UIL Contest.

Mr. Moreno currently lives in Allen, TX with his wife Liz and their two cats, Peter and Tink.

Mr. Slaughter grew up in Oklahoma City, OK, where he received his Bachelors of Music Degree from University of Oklahoma. He then went on and received a Masters in Violin Performance from the University of Arizona. Before moving to teach in Wylie ISD, Mr. Slaughter was the Director of Orchestras at Shepton High School and Wilson Middle School in Plano, TX. He also was an instructor at the Arizona School for The Arts and in Cedar Hill ISD. As an active violinist, he has performed in various orchestras including the Phoenix Symphony, Phoenix Opera, Allen Philharmonic, Ft. Smith Symphony, and the Lewisville Lake Symphony. He has also been in back up orchestras for performances featuring Stevie Wonder, Mary J Blige, Eartha Kitt, Led Zeppelin, Josh Groban, Jennifer Holiday, Harry Connick Jr. and many more artists.

As an educator, Mr. Arakawa has spent 25 years as an Instrumental Music Director and taught students from elementary to high school. Ensembles under his direction consistently earn “Superior” ratings at UIL and other adjudicated contests. Prior to his appointment at Vines, he was the Associate Director at Eaton High School, Director of Instrumental Music at Orange High School, and the Associate Director of Orchestras at Valencia High School where the program expanded to more than 200 students during his tenure.

Mr. Arakawa is a graduate of the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at California State University Long Beach with a Masters in Instrumental Conducting and a BM in Music Education.

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She is the former concertmaster of the Volks Kammer Orchestra and the Modern Pops Orchestra. She has served as sectional violin for Skokie Symphony Orchestra(IL). Currently, she is a substitute violin for Plano Symphony Orchestra, Irving Symphony Orchestra, East Texas Symphony Orchestra, San Angelo Symphony Orchestra, and Midland-Odessa Symphony Orchestra.

As a chamber musician, she was a member of the Korean American Youth Symphony(KAYS) Ensemble in Seoul, and the Sonare String Quartet in San Francisco. Additionally, she has performed in multiple chamber music concerts and international music festivals, including the Summit Music Festival(NY), David Kim Orchestral Institute(PA), and Kuhmo Music Festival(KOR). As a pedagogue, she has served as faculty at various youth orchestras. Many of her students were selected for the All-Region Orchestras, All-State Orchestras, and Carnegie Hall Honors Students Series. Currently, she is an orchestra director at Irving ISD.

She has earned her Bachelor’s degree at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, South Korea, and completed her Master’s degree at University of North Texas (UNT) under the instruction of Dr. Felix Olschofka, and Sookmyung Woman’s University. She is currently pursuing a Doctorate degree in Violin Performance under the instruction of Professor Philip Lewis at UNT. She is an accomplished violinist at UNT, and recipient of numerous awards and scholarships.

Originally from Abilene, TX, Ms. Sledge earned a Bachelor of Music Education from Stephen F. Austin State University as a Summa Cum Laude graduate. In addition to teaching summer camps for SFA, RISD, and most recently Dallas ISD, she has been a violinist and flutist with the Stephen F. Austin Wind Ensemble, Orchestra of the Pines, and Chamber Orchestra. Ms. Sledge is a former violin student of Isador Saslav. In addition to being a violinist, Ms. Sledge is also a flutist and has performed in many symphonies, orchestras, and ensembles. She is a former flute student of Sydney Carlson, Diane Boyd Schultz, and Mary Karen Clardy. She is a member of Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Orchestra Directors Association, and American String Teachers Association.

In addition to being a music educator, she is active in her community in the Junior League of Richardson. She has served numerous roles in the organization including President in 2012-2014. She feels strongly about giving back to her community in which is lives and teaches.

Ms. Sledge currently lives in Richardson, TX with her two cats Marlie and Millie.