Appointed Director of Bands and Associate Director of Fine Arts in 2014, Charles Pisarra is originally from Tulsa and has been a part of the Union Public Schools community for over thirty years: thirteen years as a student (graduating class of 1995), three years as consultant/designer, three years in a part-time role, and seventeen years in a full-time role. From 2006-2014 he served as Assistant Director and Percussion Specialist.

Mr. Pisarra holds a Bachelor of Music Education (with distinction) and the Master of Music Education, both from University of Oklahoma, where he studied wind band conducting with Dr. William Wakefield and Music Education with Dr. Steve Paul, Dr. Michael Raiber, & Dr. Nancy Barry. His mentors in percussion include Dr. Richard Gipson, Dr. Lance Drege, Dr. Julia Gaines, and Dr. Blake Wilkins.

As a percussionist, Charles enjoyed performing with the University of Oklahoma Wind Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, Pride of Oklahoma Marching Band, Steel Drum Band, & Percussion Orchestra. As an OU percussionist, he was fortunate to have had unique performance opportunities, including world premieres of major percussion ensemble works, at the Julliard School, NYC’s Merkin Hall, the National Conference on Percussion Pedagogy, & the PASIC Convention. In the pageantry realm, Charles performed with the Concord Blue Devils Drum & Bugle Corps, and played & taught with the Dubuque Colts Drum & Bugle Corps.

Among his duties at Union are co-leading the Union High School Wind Ensemble, overseeing a full-time staff of eight assistants & nearly twenty part time staff members, and facilitating a nationwide team of clinicians & designers for the pageantry arts programs. Serving over 700 students, the Union Bands program includes multiple leveled concert band ensembles at the high school, seven ensembles at middle school level, a curricular jazz ensemble, curricular winter guards, numerous extracurricular chamber music and competitive percussion ensembles, and ten+ beginner-level instrument classes.

In his tenure as percussion coordinator, Mr. Pisarra’s chamber & marching arts ensembles earned superior ratings & championship acclaim. Under his direction as Lead Band Director, the Union H.S. Wind Ensemble has consistently achieved superior festival ratings and sweepstakes recognitions, with invitations to appear in honor performances at the 2016 and 2020 OkMEA Winter Conventions. Under his leadership the Union High School Renegade Regiment competitive marching band has thrice earned Bands of America Grand National Championship Finalist appearances (2014, 2017, & 2019), achieved multiple top-5 finalist appearances in regional championship events, consistently garnered numerous local awards & championships, performed in Florida at the Orlando Citrus Parade & at Walt Disney World, and appeared in the world-renowned Macy*s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2021.

Administratively, Mr. Pisarra leads fine arts students involved in the district’s Service Learning program, handles supervisory duties as a TLE evaluator, and serves on the district’s co-curricular subcommittee. As Associate Fine Arts Department Director, he interfaces daily with a wide array of district departments, including accounting / finance / purchasing / assets / budget, child nutrition, safety/security, athletics, transportation, human resources, operations, I.T., and communications, all for the purpose of strategically equipping teachers to engage students in the arts.

Mr. Pisarra is a member of the National Association for Music Education, the Oklahoma Music Educators Association, the Oklahoma Bandmasters Association, the Northeast Band Directors Association, and the Phi Beta Mu International Bandmasters Fraternity. He proudly endorses Innovative Percussion sticks & mallets, SABIAN Cymbals, and Neutrik audio connectors. Outside his work life Mr. Pisarra enjoys traveling and spending time with his family.