Richard F. Guillen has been a music educator for 34 years. Originally from Kearny, NJ, he earned his Bachelor's in Music Education from Kean University of NJ and his Master’s in Music Education from Western Connecticut State University. After 8 years as Director of Bands at Central Regional High School in NJ, Mr. Guillen joined the music faculty at Arlington High School in the Arlington Central School District, Dutchess County, NY in 1997. He is currently the High School Music Department Coordinator and Director of Bands. Mr. Guillen directs the advanced concert and jazz ensembles at Arlington HS, as well as co-directing 2 of the school’s orchestras. His bands consistently earn awards and accolades. In November of 2014, the Arlington HS Wind Ensemble made its Carnegie Hall debut and returned in April of 2018. That ensemble also performed in a joint/side-by-side concert with the West Point Band in 2017. The Arlington High School Jazz Machine is a 4-time winner of the prestigious Berklee Jazz Festival in Boston. The Jazz Machine is also a 4-time finalist at the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival in Maryland, taking 1st place in 2019 & 2023, and 2nd place in 2018 & 2020. In January of 2020, the Jazz Machine performed as an invited ensemble at the Jazz Education Network National Conference in New Orleans. As the director of the Arlington Admiral Marching Band from 1997 to 2005, the band won their first NY State Championship in 2004 and was named Northeast regional champions 2 times, a Bands of America Regional Finalist and Silver Medalist, and a Bands of America Grand National Semi-Finalist.
Aside from his duties at Arlington, Mr. Guillen is an active freelance music arranger and clinician. His marching band and drum corps arrangements have won several state, regional, and national titles. He was also a performing member of the Garfield Cadets and Sunrisers Drum and Bugle Corps in the 1980’s. Mr. Guillen is also an active adjudicator for marching bands and drum corps. He currently serves as the Drum Corps Associates (DCA) Brass Caption Judging Supervisor and the Music Caption Supervisor for Cavalcade of Bands (COB). He has also judged for US Bands, MMBA, ISSMA, KMEA, PIMBA, NJMDBA, KBA, NSBA, NESBA, and the NYSFBC. Mr. Guillen currently resides in the town of LaGrange, NY with his wife, their four daughters, and their cat and dog, and feels truly blessed!
Aside from his duties at Arlington, Mr. Guillen is an active freelance music arranger and clinician. His marching band and drum corps arrangements have won several state, regional, and national titles. He was also a performing member of the Garfield Cadets and Sunrisers Drum and Bugle Corps in the 1980’s. Mr. Guillen is also an active adjudicator for marching bands and drum corps. He currently serves as the Drum Corps Associates (DCA) Brass Caption Judging Supervisor and the Music Caption Supervisor for Cavalcade of Bands (COB). He has also judged for US Bands, MMBA, ISSMA, KMEA, PIMBA, NJMDBA, KBA, NSBA, NESBA, and the NYSFBC. Mr. Guillen currently resides in the town of LaGrange, NY with his wife, their four daughters, and their cat and dog, and feels truly blessed!