David Rackley
Music Appreciation Instructor
David Rackley was born and raised in Modesto, California and received his bachelor of music and master of arts degrees in theory and composition from San Francisco State University, where he studied conducting with Lazlo Varga and composition with Luigi Zaninnelli, Roger Nixon, Peter Sacco, Carl Sitton, and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Wayne Peterson.
Upon completion of his studies, Rackley entered the United States Air Force Bands and Music Program where he was appointed commander and conductor of Air Force Bands. During his Air Force career, he conducted numerous bands in various worldwide locations, including the United States Air Force Band; the Tactical Air Command Band, Hampton, Virginia; and the United States Air Force Band of the Pacific where he was the permanent guest conductor and clinician for the Southeast Asian International Schools solo and ensemble contest and Honor Band. He was also the special guest conductor of the Combined Services Pacific Military Band in Honolulu, Hawaii.
A published composer, Rackley has scored video and film productions for the Jones Entertainment Group, Library of Congress, UCLA, Allan Hancock College, Cal Poly State University, and the Department of Defense. He has composed production music for CNN, NBC, CBS, ABC, The Learning Channel, A&E, and the Discovery Channel. Some of his production music credits include Days of Our Lives, America’s Most Wanted, Cheers, Nurses, Picket Fences, L.A. Law, All My Children, General Hospital, Home Improvement, Quantum Leap, and Seinfeld.
In addition to Cuesta College, David is currently on the music faculties at Allan Hancock College and Chapman University, and is director of music for Grace Baptist Church, Santa Maria, California.
He has studied trumpet with Donald Rhineberg, principal trumpet of the San Francisco Symphony; Reinhold Loesch, principal trumpet of the Mannheim State Opera; and legendary jazz trumpet virtuoso, Bobby Shew.