Meet the VHS Band and Color Guard Staff

Kelvin Flores

Director of Instrumental Music

Kelvin Flores graduated magna cum laude from California State University, Northridge with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music Education. Mr. Flores holds a cleared teaching credential from the State of California. During his collegiate studies, Mr. Flores was the treasurer then president of the CSUN Collegiate Chapter of the National Association for Music Education. During this time he presented a session at the California All-State Music Education Conference in 2016. He also collaborated as a co-president of the CSUN University Chorus for three semesters.

During his internship studies, Mr. Flores also volunteered as a music instructor at Calahan Charter Elementary School, James Monroe High School, Glendale High School, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Rosemont Middle School, and West Ranch High School. He also served at Valencia High School for the 2015 marching band season as the Woodwind Caption Head and Visual Tech. Valencia earned a gold medal that year at the SCSBOA Marching Band Championships with their show entitled “Tron”. After completing his university and credential program, he began his first teaching position as the Director of Instrumental Music at Arroyo Seco Junior High School. In the three years he was a teacher at Arroyo Seco he provided more opportunities for his students by creating a jazz program, improving recruitment and retention rates, and increasing the number of students participating in District Honor Band, California All-State Honor Band, summer camps, private lessons, and chamber ensembles.

As a musician, Mr. Flores led the CSUN Wind Symphony flute section as principal player and section leader. He was also part of the CSUN Wind Ensemble, Discovery Players, and the Santa Clarita Philharmonic. Among the various awards and recognitions earned throughout his career include:

• 2019 Arroyo Seco Junior High School Teacher of the Year
• 2019 CSUN Wind Symphony Conductors Workshop Participant
• Collegiate Professional Achievement Recognition from the National Association for Music

Education

The CSUN Music Department Outstanding Student in Music Education Award
Membership into the Pi Kappa Lambda Music Honor Society
The University Chorus Outstanding Student Award

Currently the Director of Instrumental Music at Valencia High School, Mr. Flores strives to be a positive role model and inspire the bright minds of tomorrow. Wanting to be the best educator possible for his students, he regularly attends clinics, workshops, and conferences to keep up to date and improve his teaching practice. When not working to be a better teacher and musician, he enjoys watching movies, learning something new, and spending time with his family.

Lorraine Kohagen

Color Guard Head

Lorraine Kohagen has been instructing the color guard at Valencia High School since 2008. Since Lorraine began at Valencia, the program has been quite successful, winning several sweepstakes and first place trophies, in addition to being 5-time medalists at SCSBOA Field Band Championships, and for the past four years at WGASC Championships.

Lorraine has been an Adjudicator for over 20 years, and is currently judging for SCSBOA, WGASC, UMEA and UWGA. She recently received the Distinguished Member Award from the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association, in addition to being a featured presenter and clinician for their annual judges training for the past two years. She also travels to Oregon, Minnesota, Washington, Missouri, South Carolina, Nevada, and Texas to judge marching band and winter guard contests. Lorraine lives in Santa Clarita, California with her husband Kevin, who plays tuba, and son Dylan, who attended VHS (Class of 2018) and played French horn and mellophone.

Kilan Thorns

Jazz Band Director

Kilan Thorns is from Sacramento, California and began his education in music in 2012 under the direction of Ron Cuhna, who has led many ensembles to festivals such as the Folsom Jazz Festival (2016), Woodcreek Jazz Festival (2016), Fullerton College Jazz Festival (2016), Forum Music Festival (2015), and the Heritage Jazz Festival located in New Orleans (2014). Soon after he went to continue his education at California State University at Northridge as a jazz studies major in 2016.

Kilan has played and performed at various venues, competitions, and locations. From being accepted to perform at Next Gen in Monterey (2019), going on tour across California with the CSUN Jazz “A” Band (2019), and CSUN Jazz being invited by Wynton Marsalis to perform and compete at the First Annual Jack Rudin Jazz Championship Competition hosted by Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York, New York (2020).

Kilan continues to expand and reach out to those who pursue musical expression and craftsmanship, looking to help out anyway he’s able to.