Phil Idell currently holds a B.A. in Music Education from UCLA, where he studied under Mitchell Peters and participated in the Wind Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, and several other university performance ensembles. Phil was also a section leader in the award-winning UCLA Marching Band, with whom he travelled across the county for various NCAA sporting events, and even internationally as a featured performer in the 2010 Ekitopia Festival in Nagoya, Japan.
Since graduating from UCLA in 2012, Phil has become an extremely active percussion instructor and arranger in the Greater Los Angeles Area. While teaching some private lessons, the bulk of his work has been in marching percussion education, with emphasis in front ensemble percussion. Over the past 5 years, Phil has had the privilege of teaching the activity’s most elite ensembles, including: Arcadia High School (WGI 2016 PSW Bronze Medalists), POW Percussion, Mandarins Drum and Bugle Corps, and the 2013 DCI World Champion Carolina Crown. In addition to Westlake High School, Phil currently instructs Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps and the 2016 WGI PIW Bronze Medalists, Broken City Percussion.
Phil’s own marching experience includes: Pacific Crest 2009 and 2010, Blue Devils “A” Corps 2011 and 2012 (earning Percussion Performer of the Year in 2012), and RCC Indoor Percussion 2012 and 2013.
Phil, himself an alumnus of Westlake High School (Class of 2008 and 4-year member of the music program), is proud to be entering his fifth year as an instructor at his alma mater.