Our staff

My name is Paul Kile

Paul Kile is Director of Bands at Edina high school, a 9 - 12 band program with nearly 500 band students, where he works with the premiere Concert Band, Jazz 1, 10th grade bands, and marching band. Whether working with the 10th grade band, Jazz 1, Concert Band or coaching the music listening team, he strives to provide an enriching musical experience that teaches students to perform at the highest level while creating an environment that is inclusive, equitable, and supportive of all members of the group.

Mr. Kile has taught high school band in Albert Lea (MN), Stillwater (MN), and Burnsville (MN) and has worked at the collegiate level having taught at Bethel College as interim Director of Bands. He was co-conductor of the Greater Twin Cities Junior Wind Symphony, former Principal Conductor of the City of Lakes Community Band and has been the Associate Conductor of the Minnesota Symphonic Winds, an Edina-based adult community band directed by Dr. Timothy Mahr, since 2015.

In 2012, Mr. Kile was presented with the Edina Public School’s “Teacher of the Year Award” by the City of Edina, and in 2014 he was featured as one of MPR’s Outstanding Music Educators in their “Teacher Feature” series. In 2017, Mr. Kile was awarded the prestigious Schmitt Music Director of the Year Award and was the only high school director to receive the award.

Mr. Kile received his Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire where he studied Euphonium with Dr. Jerry Young, and a Masters degree in Conducting from the University of Minnesota where he studied under Craig Kirchhoff. He currently serves as the Minnesota State Chair for the National Band Association (NBA-MN) and the American School Band Directors Association (ASBDA-MN); is the Band Representative on the Servant Leadership for Music (SLAM) national board and is on the board of the Music Listening Contest. Mr. Kile maintains professional affiliations with Minnesota Band Directors Association (MBDA), American School Band Director Association (ASBDA), National Association for Music Education (NAfME), Minnesota Music Educators Association (MMEA), College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA), World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles WASBE, and sits on the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies (GTCYS) Teacher Advisory Council. An advocate of both chamber music and commissioning, Mr. Kile has commissioned several works, most recently, Randall Standridge’s Symphony No. 1 ‘A Ghost Symphony’.

Every man is an architect of his fortune.

paul.kile@edinaschools.org

952-848-3080

My name is Andy Richter

Mr. Richter is the director of the Varsity Band, the Edina Hornet Marching Band and assists with the Symphonic Band and Valley View Middle School 7th grade band. Previously, he has taught in the Osseo School District as well as the Anoka-Hennepin school district. Mr. Richter completed both his Bachelor’s of Music Education and his Masters of the Arts degree in Music Education at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. During his undergraduate years he marched in the U of M Marching Band and served for three years as the 53rd Drum Major. He plays trumpet and sings in the rock band “Staff Infection”.

Mr. Richter grew up in Edina and graduated from Edina High School in 1996. He is a member of Music Educators National Conference, Minnesota Music Educators Association and Minnesota Band Directors Association. He is the recipient of the 2010 Distinguished Young Music Educator award presented by the American School Band Directors Association. He was also selected as the 2010 Minnesota State Representative for the School Band and Orchestra magazine’s annual publication of “Fifty Directors That Make a Difference”. Mr. Richter resides in Edina with his wife, Lynn, and children, Michael, Abby, Tony, and Charlie.

Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.

andrew.richter@edinaschools.org

952-848-3034

My name is Geneva Fitzsimonds

Geneva Fitzsimonds is in her 29th year teaching instrumental music. She holds degrees from Concordia College-Moorhead and St. Mary’s University, and is a National Board Certified Teacher. Her bands have performed at festivals across the region including the MMEA Middle Level Conference, the MMSA Conference and the MMEA Mid-Winter Clinic.

Geneva has served on the MMEA Board of Directors as a Region Representative and is currently President of the MN Chapter of the American School Band Directors Association.

She has served in several capacities on the MBDA Board, including her current role as South Central Region Jazz Coordinator. She is an MSHSL Adjudicator and has directed numerous honor bands and festivals throughout the region. Geneva has presented many sessions at state and regional clinics and her papers have been nationally published in Teaching Music magazine and on Banddirector.com. She is a Golden Apple Award recipient and an MVP Teacher of the Year. In 2014, Geneva was named MN Music Educator of the Year and in 2016 the Edina Teacher of the Year. She currently teaches 9th grade bands at Edina High School and lives in Minnetrista with her husband Scott and their two children; Bram and Berit.

Succeeding is us all being good together.

geneva.fitzsimonds@edinaschools.org

952-848-4425

My name is Martha Lundquist

Mrs. Lundquist has served as the band office paraprofessional at Edina High School since the fall of 2000. She and husband Kip have raised five children – Padrin ‘92, Prinna ‘93, Peter ‘96, Pharon ‘99, Perek ‘02 – all of whom were members of the Edina High School Concert Band between the years of 1990 and 2002. Martha has also been active as a band booster, volunteering with marching and concert band uniforms for many years and serving numerous times as concert band boosters general chair and concerts chair.