• Mr. Balderrama, (Mr. B), is a college graduate from the University of Texas at San Antonio earning his bachelor’s degree in Music Studies with an emphasis in music education. Mr. B started playing the violin in the 5th grade and has continued to do so for the last 25 years. He was a previous member of Judson High School’s Honor Orchestra (2005-2008) UTSA’s Symphony Orchestra and UTSA’s Opera Orchestra (2008-2014). Most recently, he has been a guest artist with Angelo State University’s Symphony Orchestra, playing viola. (2018-2019) While attending college, Mr. B was a part of UTSA’s String Project, a teacher training program serving as both a teacher and student director, for six years and taught an after-school strings program at Krueger Elementary in San Antonio’s Northside Independent School District.

    From 2015-2019, Mr. B was the head orchestra director of Lee Middle School (now Lonestar Middle School) in San Angelo, Texas. Under his leadership, the students earned many recognitions and awards including: 2017 UIL Superior Stage Rating, 2017 Bluebonnet Classic Superior Rating/Outstanding Performance, 2018 Bluebonnet Classic Superior Rating, 2019 UIL Sweepstakes, and 2019 Soundwaves Festival Superior Rating/ Best in Class/Best in Festival. The Lee Middle School Symphony under Mr. B’s direction was invited by Tarpley Music Company to perform at their annual Fiddle Fest in store during the 2018 and 2019 school years, their performances were streamed live on social media. Mr. B also coached a student in his program to audition and perform for the Worldstrides Honor Performance Series, an invitation-only 8th grade composite orchestra made up of students from all around the world at Carnegie Hall in New York City back in 2019. Previously, Mr. B served as the Vice-President of the Concho Valley Youth Orchestra in San Angelo, Texas, helping to run the organization, act as a sectional coach to various sections within the orchestra and conducted repertoire.

    As the director of the San Marcos High School Orchestra, Mr. B has led the orchestra program to UIL Sweepstakes for six consecutive years. Many orchestra students have also qualified and earned superior ratings at UIL Area and UIL Texas State Solo and Ensemble. The orchestra program also had several students make placement in both the TMEA Region 12 Philharmonic and Symphony orchestras, a composite orchestra made up of the best orchestra students in the greater San Antonio area. The San Marcos Orchestra has also had a student make the TMEA All State Orchestras in the 2022, 2024 and 2025 school years. Previously, the orchestras have traveled to different festivals in Dallas and Corpus Christi and have won Superior Ratings, Best in Class, and Best in Festival trophies. The SMHS Chamber Orchestra had the honor of being invited to perform at the Youth Orchestras of San Antonio’s annual YOSA Invitational back in May 2024 where they performed the newly commissioned work Four Future Memories by New York composer, Stephanie Ann Boyd, after discovering the Chamber Orchestra performing on YouTube. Mr. B has also had the honor of being invited multiple times to serve as a clinician for the Angelo State University Summer Music Camp by Orchestra Professor, Dr. Fagner Rocha. (2021-present)

    As an active member of the American String Teachers Association, Texas Music Educators Association and the Texas Orchestra Directors Association, Mr. B is always on the forefront of learning new and exciting ways to teach students not only music, but to be future role models in society. Mr. B is currently serving a term of 2 years as the TMEA Region 12 Orchestra Chairman, his duties include: oversee all TMEA orchestra/mariachi activities and auditions within Region 12, hire clinicians for Region activities, and organize the annual December TMEA Region 12 Orchestra Clinic and Concert.

    In his free time, Mr. B loves learning new music on the violin, viola and playing his electric bass. He dabbles in composing and arranging music for orchestra as well. Mr. B is also an avid fan of video games, basketball, and pro wrestling. (Ask him how to optimize a Biotic character in the Mass Effect Trilogy, and why Mick Foley is the greatest “unsung hero” of pro wrestling.)

    “If you don’t believe in yourself, no one else will. You’ve got to be your own biggest fan, even when you’re your own worst enemy.” -Ozzy Osbourne

  • Sinfonietta Orchestra

    • Requires no audition, this orchestra is for the hobbyist who wishes to continue to play their instrument in high school but will not be as intensive as the other sections. If you feel you need some refreshers for topics, this is your class! 
      If you wish to participate in UIL Solo and Ensemble to challenge yourself, you can!

    Philharmonic Orchestra (By audition only)

    • Think of this orchestra as a pre-AP class, it is intensive to a degree but still has some flexibility. This is the advancing group where we will work on skills and technique needed for the Chamber Orchestra while playing fun repertoire. The Philharmonic Orchestra is a UIL Non-Varsity performing group. You will also have opportunities to perform outside of class at different events. You might be asked to audition for the Symphony Orchestra UIL group* depending on needs of the ensemble. 
    • It is suggested that you audition for the Philharmonic Region 12 orchestra in the Fall.  If you want to challenge yourself and participate in UIL Solo and Ensemble you can as well! 

    Chamber Orchestra (By audition only)

    • Think of this orchestra as an AP class. We will be exploring high concepts and techniques as we play advanced and professional repertoire from the great composers of old to modern masterpieces. If you are serious about playing your instrument this is the class for you! The Chamber Orchestra is our Varsity UIL performing group and everyone in the class is expected to also play in the Symphony orchestra UIL group* as well. You will have many opportunities to perform outside of class
    • It is suggested that you audition for the Region 12 Philharmonic Orchestra or the Region 12 Symphony Orchestra and participate in UIL Solo and Ensemble. 
      • * The Full Symphony orchestra is a combined ensemble with band that will meet outside of class. It is not its own class period.

    AP Music Theory (General Music)

    • The AP Music Theory course is for any music student at San Marcos High School that is enrolled in any performing ensemble. (Band, Choir, Guitar, Mariachi, Orchestra) It is recommended that you take this class if you are a junior or senior with at least 5 years of experience performing music. The class is designed to develop a student’s ability to recognize, understand and describe the basic materials and processes of music that are heard and/or presented in a score. All students are expected to take the AP Music Theory test in the Spring Semester. The achievement of this goal may best be promoted by integrated approaches to the student’s development of:
      • Aural skills through listening exercises
      • Sight-singing skills through performance exercises
      • Written skills through written exercises
      • Musical compositional skills through creative exercises
      • Analytical skills through analytical exercises