Hi, my name is Alfred Esquivel. I have been asked to introduce myself as I am the newest TBA office staff member. My title here is Membership Manager, but really I am "Assistant to Everything and Everyone." I like to refer to the TBA office as my Gilligan's Island because...

In July 2005, I was asked to help with the upcoming TBA Convention / Clinic by good friend and colleague Al Sturchio. I gladly did so. Well needless to say, it is now September 2006 -- a year and two conventions later -- and I am still stranded with the "Skipper" on Gilligan's Island.

I have been in San Antonio most of my life. A proud graduate of Luther Burbank High School, I participated for four years in band. I left for San Marcos, Texas and attended Southwest Texas State College where I earned my BME and BS in mathematics in 1970. With the U.S. Army hot on my trail, I was able to teach for one year in the South San Antonio ISD before leaving for boot camp in June 1971. I was later stationed at Fort Sam Houston as a member of the then Fourth Army Band.

Two years later I found myself in Seoul, Korea playing for the Eighth Army Band at the Officers' Club three nights a week.

I actually began teaching music after returning to South San Antonio ISD as the High School Assistant Band director. I held this position for two years learning how to be a band director and making many friends. I returned to SWT and earned my MME in 1976.

I received a phone call from the band director at Robert E. Lee High School in San Antonio who asked me to be his assistant. We began as strangers; but I soon became his student and admirer for life. This director was Mr. Melvin Meads.

Melvin retired and I was appointed the director of the Robert E. Lee Volunteer Band where I stayed for 18 enjoyable years. When I left Lee, I returned to my alma mater Burbank High School and later went to Taft High School with a best friend and everlasting buddy Mr. Leland Sharrock. I retired from the school district in 2001 two years later.

I have been married to my high school sweetheart Rosalinda Esquivel for 39 years. Linda has recently retired from NEISD where she was a school librarian and summer school administrator. We have a son and a daughter. My son Paul A. Esquivel, Attorney at Law, practices Immigration Law with offices in Dallas and San Antonio. Our daughter Diana R. Esquivel is presently employed as an aeronautics engineer at Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth, Texas. Both are SMU graduates.

Since my retirement from teaching, I continue to enjoy serving as a clinician and adjudicator for UIL, TBA and TMEA. As a private saxophone teacher, I have been blessed with excellent students, several of whom have earned All State Band Honors. Prior to coming to TBA, I worked as the office manager at the Law Offices of Paul A. Esquivel.

It's great to be back among all my music friends on Gilligan's Island!!