David and Rebecca Gambino each had a love of music long before their meeting in 2010.  It was their own seperate journies on the path to become music educators that brought them together.  They met while studying at Southeastern Louisiana University and were married in 2014. They currently reside in Prairieville, Louisiana.

Woodwind doubler, educator, arranger, and composer, David Joseph Gambino hails from south Louisiana, just north of New Orleans, the birthplace of Jazz. David attributes his love for all things music to his parents and grandparents as they exposed him to everything from early big band swing to 70’s & 80’s rock. He began playing saxophone and piano and quickly branched into the rest of the woodwind family thanks to his teacher, Mel Rogers. Gambino knew from a young age that music, jazz in particular, was his calling.

            David Gambino obtained his Music Education degree from Southeastern Louisiana University in May of 2013, and shortly after became the Assistant Band Director/Director of Jazz Studies at Mandeville High School (Mandeville, LA).  The ensembles under his direction at Mandeville High School were wildly successful.  The Jazz Program won $10,000 from the Popeye’s “Love that Music” contest, and the Concert Winds received Super and Excellent ratings at District and State Festival.

            Recently, David served as a Graduate Teaching Assistant and Librarian for the Jazz Department while completing a Master’s in Jazz Performance at the University of South Florida (May 2018). He has studied with Jack Wilkins, Chuck Owen, Michael Tracy, Dr. Richard Schwartz, Paul Frechou, and Dr. Kim McCormick. Gambino has worked with notable musicians such as Randy Brecker, Gregoire Maret, Martina McBride, “Blue Lou” Marini, Bill Cunliffe, Christine Jensen, Frank David Greene, John Beasley, John Clayton, Danny Gottlieb, and Beth Gottlieb while at Southeastern and the University of South Florida. David’s arranging and woodwind proficiency can be heard in recordings of The Florida Bjorkestra as well as Louisiana local artists such as Tyler Kinchen, Hai Karate, Ned Fasullo, and most notably Nashville Star contestant, David St. Romain.

          Currently David serves as the Director of Bands at East Ascension High School.

Rebecca Gambino, a native of St. Amant, Louisiana, is currently serving as the Band Director at Southside Jr. High in Denham Springs, Louisiana.  Southside Jr. High has recently returned back home to it's original address on Pete's Hwy in Denham Springs but is now housed in a brand new multi million dollar campus built for students of the 21st century. Southside Jr. High Band performs several times each school year and received Excellent ratings at District IV Large Ensemble Festival for the last few years. The program is holding strong at just over 100 members despite setbacks caused by COVID-19 restrictions. 

Previously, Rebecca Gambino was the Elementary Music Specialist at Mango Elementary (Tampa, FL), where she taught 700 1st-5th grade students in compliance with Sunshine State Music Standards.  In January 2017 she was awarded a sizable grant for classroom instruments through the Hillsborough Education Foundation.  

Rebecca attended Southeastern Louisiana University while earning a Master’s Degree in Instrumental Conducing (May 2016).  Her responsibilities included rehearsing the Southeastern Wind Symphony, Symphonic Band, and Clarinet Choir, as well as instructing the Undergraduate Conducting Class.  Her conducting concert appearances include Festive Overture, March from Symphonic Metamorphosis, Bayou Breakdown, Ye Banks and Braes, On a Hymnsong of Philip Bliss and Trittico.  Also during this time she performed as the principal Bass Clarinetist in the SLU Wind Symphony. In 2015 she began djuticating for honor band auditions for District IX, District IV and St. Tammany Parish Schools.

In 2014 she received a Bachelor’s in Music Education from Southeastern Louisiana University.  While completing her Bachelor’s Degree she was the Undergraduate Administrative Assistant to the Director of Bands.  In this position Gambino spent several years as the student coordinator for the Southeastern Louisiana University Honor Band, which served over 150 local high school students.  After completing her undergraduate degree, she began instructing a clarinet studio ranging from beginning through advanced players. In addition to teaching clarinet lessons, Rebecca has several years of experience teaching beginning to intermediate piano. 

In 2010 Rebecca graduated from St. Amant High School after serving as Drum Major for three years.  During high school she was principal clarinetist of the St. Amant High Wind Symphony and received Superior ratings at the 2010 Louisiana State Solo and Ensemble Festival.  In 2009 Gambino began recieving private instruction for the clarinet.  Since then she has studied under Jennifer Bergeron, Dr. Dawn Lindblade (University of Central Oklahoma), Dr. Thomas Kmiecik (D’Addario Woodwinds), Dr. Jaqueline McIlwain (University of Southern Mississippi), and Victor Drescher (Southeastern Louisiana University).