Kevin T. Cato is the Director of Instrumental Music at Mt. Eden High School and Martin Luther King Middle School in Hayward, CA. He holds a BA in Music and a Minor in Dance from CSUH and a MFA in Dance and Choreography from Mills College.
In addition to being an accomplished composer, he is also a singer/song writer, costume designer, and sound engineer that serves as the artistic director for a non-profit performing arts group called Dreamscape Arts. His compositions Clockwork, Emo, It Starts with One, Primal Calling, Fanfare, Majestic Monarch, Train, Omerican Banner Fanfare, Transcendence, Grand Spectacle, The Strength Within, The Legendary Journey to the Peak of Mt. Eden, Origins, A Look to the Stars, and A Tale of Two Monarchs: The Lion and The Butterfly have been performed under his direction at national and international music festivals in California, Hawaii, Boston, New York, Annapolis, and Indianapolis which includes world premieres at such famous venues as Boston and Davies Symphony Hall, Segerstrom Hall, and Carnegie Hall.

His works received praise from music professors and educators Gary Hill, Craig Kirchhoff, Robert Reynolds, Eric Hammer, Peter Boonshaft, Anthony Mateo, Wesley Broadnax, Timothy Smith, Roland Nielson, Dave Eshelman, Micheal Boitz, Ed Harris, Frank Laroca, Buddy James, John Eros, Tim Harris, Frank Ticheli, the Emeritus Navy Commander Raymond A. Ascione, and Steve Williams.

Under Kevin’s direction, the instrumental music program at Mt. Eden High School has achieved state, national, and international success since 2005. The prestigious Mt. Eden High Wind Ensemble took top honors at the Invitational National Music Festival of Gold held at Davies Symphony Hall on April 8, 2013, and was a feature ensemble at the 2014 Music for All National Music Festival.

Along with adjudicating for the Northern California Band Directors Association he also serves as an auditioner and clinician for Music for All’s National Honor Band of America as well as performs hosting duties for participating ensembles during the festival. Musically, Kevin has been recognized by Who’s Who among America’s Teachers in 2006, 2008, 2012 and featured on Comcast Bay Area News Group 2008-2010. In 2009, the 91st Army Reserve Band and the Mayor of San Ramon honored him for outstanding contributions to music education.

Furthermore, he received the Gold Coin of service from the Sergeant Major of the United States Army School of Music, the first civilian to receive such an honor. Also in 2009, Kevin was featured as a Hometown Hero from Bay Area News and Comcast, featured on Channel 7 news and Berkeley News. He received State Resolutions presented to his music programs at Mt. Eden High School from both California State Assembly Member Mary Hayashi and Senator Ellen Corbett. In addition, Kevin was honored with an official ceremony at the California State Capitol in Sacramento, marking the first time a non-state official received recognition on the California State Assembly floor. Most recently, Kevin received the Alameda County Arts Leadership Award on September 24, 2013.