Directors
Mrs. Kari Zamora
kzamora@mckinneyisd.net
Mrs. Zamora is originally from Tustin Michigan and started playing the violin at age 4 through the area Suzuki program. Mrs. Zamora also plays flute and piano and made both All-State Orchestra and All-State band while attending Pine River High School. Mrs. Zamora attended Hope College in Holland Michigan where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Music in Instrumental Education and the University of Florida where she received a Master of Music in Music Theory graduation with a 4.0. Mrs. Zamora enjoys composing and has written many of the UIL sight-reading pieces for the State of Texas over the past 14 years. She is enthusiastic about the pedagogy of music theory and wrote the series "Music Theory for Strings" which has sold several thousands of copies nationwide. In 2007, Mrs. Zamora was selected as the Tex-ASTA Marjorie Keller Award and was a quarterfinalist for the Music Educator Grammy in 2012. She has been a member of ASTA, TMAA, and TODA. This year will be Mrs. Zamora's twenty-seventh year to teach and her twenty-first year at Faubion and currently serves as the Fine Arts Department Chair as well as the District Orchestra Team Lead. While at Faubion the orchestras have earned consistent UIL Sweepstakes Awards, been a frequent National Winner in the Mark of Excellence competition, performed twice at the Midwest Clinic and been frequent finalists in the State Honor Orchestra competition for string and full orchestra. Prior to teaching at Faubion, she taught in the Bark River-Harris (Michigan) Schools for two years as well as started the orchestra programs at Downing and Durham Middle Schools in Lewisville ISD. Aside from her music-related hobbies, she enjoys spending time traveling with her husband and 14 year old daughter as well as reading, cycling, and watching hockey and college football.
Ms. Emilia Arciniega
earciniega@mckinneyisd.net
Ms. Arciniega grew up in McKinney and began to play the guitar in elementary school. She later began learning bass in middle school. She is a proud Faubion Middle School and McKinney Boyd High School Alumna. Ms. Arciniega graduated Magna Cum Laude from West Texas A&M with a Bachelors in Music Education. While attending West Texas, she spent time instructing the bassists of the Amarillo Symphony "Sinfonia" Youth Orchestra. She also worked with students in Amarillo ISD Orchestras during her student teaching; helping their orchestras win accolades such as UIL Sweepstakes, best in Class and Best in Show awards. Additionally, Ms. Arciniega enjoys performing. In college she began working as a substitute bassist for the Amarillo Symphony Orchestra. She was awarded a position as a section bassist with ASO for their centennial season. Ms. A enjoys spending time with loved ones including friends, family and critters. She enjoys tending to her small flock of birds and spoiling her two dogs. Ms. Arciniega also enjoys attending concerts, crocheting, and hiking.