Hello!  I am David V. Montoya - composer, teacher, and tenor.  Thank you for visiting my website!  In this website, you will find a listing of my PUBLISHED and MANUSCRIPT scores, NON-CHORAL scores, COMMISSIONED WORKS as well as a LISTENING LIBRARY where you can hear many of the pieces.  There is also a PHOTO GALLERY that chronicles my musical life with dear friends who have crossed my path along the way.  On THE BOOKSHELF you will find many books that have inspired me and that have served me well in developing my craft.  They may come in handy for you too. 
          Just for fun, I have included a listing of my self-proclaimed BEST AND WORST ROCK/POP SONGS of all time.  If you agree or disagree with me, let's start a fun musical conversation about it.  Finally, my CONTACT INFO.  Please feel free to drop me a line if you would like to chat about my music, solicit a commission, or perform an unpublished work.  Please let my know if  you would like a complimentary copy of any score, and I will be happy to mail it out to you, or send it in a PDF document.  Any pieces in this website that say [FREE DOWNLOAD] are yours to copy and perform as needed - my gift to you.

       My goal is to foster strong working relationships with conductors, composers and other musicians, and to continue to build up our respective musical lives.  My goal is to continue to produce music that makes the world a happier and more thoughtful place.  My goal is to share the joy of music with friends, colleagues, and acquaintances.  I would love to hear from you!  I would love to write for you. . .I would love to make music with you! 

                                                                            Peace and musical blessings,
                                                                                                                                               David V. Montoya

                                                                                                                                         [website updated 1-14-12]

          David V. Montoya  received a bachelor’s degree in music education from California State University, Los Angeles (1992), and a master of music degree from the University of Nevada, Reno (1998).  He has taught in the Southern California public school system for 19 years, teaching both junior high and senior high school music.  Currently, he is teaching at La Habra High School where he directs the choral and classical guitar programs, teaches Advanced Placement Music Theory, and directs the one and only La Habra High School Ukulele Ensemble.  This ensemble has appeared in newspapers and on television, and most recently at the 9th annual Southern California Ukulele Festival.  In the 2009-2010 school year Montoya was named LHHS Teacher-of-the-Year.
As a composer Montoya's music, including African Processional: "Jambo rafiki yangu," has been performed throughout the world by high schools, colleges, churches, and such prestigious groups as the Army Band's Singing Sergeants, El Cafe Chorale (Costa Rica), the Kansas City Chorale, Louisiana State University A Cappella Choir, the Philippine Chamber Singers, and the Grammy Award-winning Phoenix Chorale.  His compositions range from a cappella and accompanied choral music (from the silly to the sacred) to works for solo voice, guitar, piano, brass, ukulele, and even harmonica. 
          Montoya has spent his career making music in various churches around Southern California as a conductor, composer, tenor soloist and cantor.  As a choral musician, he has performed with such fine organizations as the Los Angeles Master Chorale, the Pacific Chorale, the Singers of the Chapel of Charlemagne (an all-Gregorian Chant choir) and he has sung under the baton of such great conductors as John Alexander, Carl St. Clair, John Mauceri, Bobby McFerrin, Seiji Ozawa, Paul Salamunovich, and Roger Wagner.  He even prepared a group of his students to sing with Grammy Award-winning chanteuse, Rickie Lee Jones.
          He is an active board member of the California branch of the American Choral Director's Association (ACDA).  On the ACDA Board, he holds the position of Repertoire and Standards Chair for Ethnic and Multicultural Perspectives.  He is also a member of the California Teacher's Association (CTA), the Southern California Vocal Association (SCVA), and the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP).  In his work with various professional organizations, he has been a workshop presenter for the national conference of Advanced Placement teachers, California ACDA summer conference, and the California Ukulele Festival. 
          In his "spare" time, he enjoys making music on his collection of instruments from various world cultures.  Many thoughtful hours have gone by playing on instruments from his collection of ukuleles, his sitars, tamboura, didgeridoo, Native American flutes, bowed psaltery, and harmonicas.  In his spare, spare time, he loves to play chess.  (Add him as a friend on www.chess.com - username davypavy.)
          Montoya lives in Southern California with his wife Patricia, his three sons, David Thomas (10), Joseph (9), Matthew (4), and the family feline Edward (15).  Montoya studies composition with his dear friend and teacher, noted author/composer, William Allaudin Mathieu. He also studied jazz ukulele with the late, great, acclaimed uke master Bill "Tappy" Tapia, who recently passed away just one month shy of his 104 birthday.  Bill was known as the oldest living professional performing musician in the world and he made music right up to the end..