Staff Introductions
Get to know our staff.
Director of Bands
Mrs. Ashley Deane
Ashley Deane (she/her) is a bass clarinetist, conductor, and educator originally from Fayetteville, Arkansas. She holds a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Arkansas and a Master of Music in Instrumental Conducting from Florida State University, where she studied under Dr. Patrick Dunnigan and Dr. Rodney Dorsey.
While at FSU, Deane served as a graduate teaching and conducting assistant, working with a variety of collegiate ensembles, including the World-Renowned Marching Chiefs. She also supported the training of future music educators through classroom instruction and rehearsal leadership. Prior to and during her graduate studies, she taught middle school, junior high, and high school ensembles across Arkansas and Florida.
Deane is a proud sister of Sigma Alpha Iota, an honorary member of the Alpha Omega chapter of Tau Beta Sigma, and a member of the Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honor Society.
The 2026–2027 school year marks her tenth year of teaching and her second as Director of Bands at Queen Creek High School. Outside the classroom, she enjoys paddle boarding, crocheting, and spending time with her husband, Ian, and their two dogs, Miley and Pancho.
Staff
All of the Bands & Groups have phenomenal Staff. This page will showcase a few of them.
Assistant Marching Band Director
James Hutchins
Mr. James Hutchins is excited to work with the Queen Creek High School Bulldogs this year as the Assistant Marching Band Director! He is a graduate of Arizona State University where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education spring of 2012. He also earned a Masters in Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona University, Graduating with Distinction, in the spring of 2022.
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Prior to coming to Queen Creek, Mr. Hutchins taught for three years in the Washington Elementary School District where he taught band, orchestra, general music, and mariachi. He started the only mariachi in the district and more than tripled the sizes of the band and orchestra program. He has also taught private lessons for over fifteen years.
Mr. Hutchins has performed in many venues throughout the valley. He performed as a first violinist for the Chandler Symphony, was a member of the AZ Pro Arte Ensemble, and was a member of Mariachi Corazon de Phoenix for 5 years. He is currently a member of Mariachi Phoenix, and has been for eight years.
Outside of school, he is clinicing student orchestras and student mariachis around the valley, rehearsing and performing with Mariachi Phoenix, or spending time with his wife, Virginia, his daughter, Nayla, and their three dogs: Nico, Mendez, and Sam.