About Me
Felix Ponce, avid educator and performer in the Chicagoland area, is responsible for the Lakers Marching and Pep Bands. His mission is to provide a positive atmosphere and school spirit for the students and fans at athletic events.
Outside of Roosevelt, Felix currently serves as Director of Bands at Back of the Yards College Preparatory IB High School. He created the band program with 30 students and has tripled it in size since his appointment in 2016. In this short span of time, his bands have scored various Division I ratings at the Chicago Public Schools Music Festival and Midwest Music Festival held at Lemont where his students have earned best percussion in their class two years in a row. Other ensembles that Felix manages include Drumline, Jazz Ensemble, and a Traditional Mexican Music Ensemble.
Felix devotes his time to improve instruction for students all over the city through his experience as the All-City Concert Band Director, Chicago Public Schools REACH student assessment evaluator, and as a member of the Chicago Public Schools Music Festivals Committee. In this capacity, Felix has been able to showcase his challenging International Baccalaureate curriculum that has been praised at several district meetings and used as an exemplar at various district initiatives.
Felix shares his love of music and teaching through various teaching positions across the Chicag-land area. As a teaching instructor at The People’s School of Music in Uptown, Felix leads the Ignite and Evolve Concert Bands and teaches private and group lessons. He has helped improve the school’s Master Teaching Playbook and participated in panels as a mentor teacher. During the summer months, he serves as the Assistant Marching Band Director for Dwight D. Eisenhower’s competitive marching group, Cardinal Regiment. During his tenure there, Felix helped connect the marching band program to Denis Wick representatives at DANSR Inc. for a mouthpiece initiative to give students professional equipment and received a commendation from Community High School District 218.
Felix earned his Bachaelors of Music in Music Education from Saint Xavier University where he graduated summa cum laude. While at Saint Xavier, Felix created a funk show for the marching band with drill and choreography that was hailed as one of the best shows seen on campus by the president of the university. Felix earned his Masters of Music in Music Education from Central Michigan University where he graduated with a 4.0 GPA and focused much of his studies in the music of Mexico.
Aside from Felix’s many music endeavors, Felix enjoys spending time with his wife and dog Boba, playing tennis and traveling. His personal goal is to visit every state in the U.S. along with every national park.