Whether it be Jazz Band, Regional Mexican Music, or traditional high school marching band, Music Director Humberto Cera teaches it all and provides a wonderful listening and learning experience. Cera has been teaching for six years at Paso Robles High School (PRHS) and has learned to play a variety of instruments, including acoustic guitar, electric bass, saxophone, clarinet, tuba, and flute. He started playing at 13 years old, joining the Atascadero Marching Band in High School. Cera then joined a community band with his younger brother Gerardo Cera in 2012. Cera explained that as he explored career options nothing caught his interest, ultimately deciding to pursue his passion for music at CSU Sacramento. After graduating with a degree in music, he became a band director at PRHS, inspired by his former high school band director at Atascadero High School.
“I saw what my band director did, and I thought, ‘I think I could do that.’ And he would just teach us a lot about life through music. He’d be teaching us music concepts, and would say, ‘just go try this in your other class, go try it in life,’ then things just started getting way better for me really fast,” Cera said.
Many of Cera’s students admire his teaching and classes, spanning from all grades and musical programs. Jazz band members and freshman Oliver Taylor explains he is very glad to have Cera as one of his teachers for his first years in high school.
“Cera has helped me a lot. He got me into jazz band because I had him during summer school, and that’s how he got me into all the band programs here. So I really like him, he’s a good teacher,” Taylor said.
Sophomore Mya Grajeda, who’s in her second year of marching band, is another Bearcat who enjoys the band environment Cera offers.
“I especially enjoy him in jazz, because I feel like it’s like we get to go more in depth with everything. I play the tenor saxophone and he does too, so that deeper level of connection makes things nicer and easier,” Grajeda said.
Beyond the traditional music classes, Sophomore Emily Mendez who has been taking Regional Mexican Music for two years always appreciates the opportunities and support that Cera provides.
“I think that Cera is a really great teacher, he gives us all these opportunities to do what interests us. And I just really like that about him.” Mendez said.
Starting off as in Color Guard her freshman year, three year band member and senior Mackenzie Hatfield also shows appreciation with having Cera as a teacher. Hatfield has been in Cera’s class throughout her four years in high school.
“I love having Mr. Cera as a teacher. He’s very understanding and always has a way for you to make up an assignment if you miss a day. I’m glad I had him as one of my teachers for most of my high school years” Hatfield said.
Gaylene Ewing, the AP Biology teacher and Choir Director has worked with Cera in annual winter and spring concerts. Together both teachers will be expanding the music programs, teaching Vocalist and Instrumental Jazz next year.
“Each student’s going to come in with a really different skill set, and I think that having two teachers with different skill sets is going to be important for that class. For example I would be teaching the vocalist part and Mr Cera would be teaching the instrumental part,” Ewing said.
This class will be open to all grades and will take place in the 2026-27 school year. Cera welcomes all students to join the music program, and has hopes that they will actually partake in it.
“I love the band program, I love directing it and I love seeing the potential that these students have. I hope that any students reading this take interest in any of these classes” Cera said.
