Billy Hochkeppel, Band Director
Billy Hochkeppel is currently in his ninth year of teaching instrumental music in Louisiana. He serves as the Director of Bands at Southside. After receiving his Bachelors of Music Education Degree from Louisiana State University, he began his teaching career at Westgate High School in New Iberia. After leaving Westgate, he spent three years at Acadiana High School in Lafayette, LA and was then hired as the first band director for the inaugural year of Southside High School. Under his direction, his bands have consistently received superior ratings at various competitions on the district, state, and national levels. They have also worked with some of the leading composers and clinicians in the music profession, such as John Mackey and David Maslanka. As the first band director at Southside High School, he is working to build the traditions and fundamentals of a successful program from the ground up.
Mr. Hochkeppel has performed with many ensembles throughout the state, including the LSU Wind Ensemble under Frank Wicks, the LSU Symphonic Winds, and the LSU Tiger Band. He currently plays with The Acadian Wind Symphony and the Skyliners Big Band. He serves as the assistant conductor for the Lafayette Concert Band, which is a community band organization in Lafayette. He also serves as the music director for the Iberia Performing Arts League, which puts on full-scale musical productions every year. Mr. Hochkeppel received the Outstanding Young Music Educator Award given by the Louisiana Music Educators Association in 2012 and was also named Southside High School’s first-ever Teacher of the Year. His professional affiliations include the National Association of Music Educators, Southwest Louisiana Band Directors Association, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.
Chuck Guardia, Assistant Band Director
Chuck Guardia is currently is his eleventh year of teaching instrumental music in south Louisiana. He serves as the Assistant Director of Bands at Southside. Mr. Guardia received his Bachelors of Music Education for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and began teaching at Anderson Middle School in New Iberia, La. After three years, he served as the Director of Bands at JH Williams Middle School and Assistant Director at Abbeville High School in Abbeville, La before join the Shark Band program in 2019.