CMS Strings
Proud to be a part of Covington Middle School Fine Arts Academy in Austin, Texas.
OUR MISSION: The Covington FAA Orchestra Program will utilize everything that the music experience offers to provide a positive and successful learning experience for our students. Orchestra will also offer students the opportunity to achieve musical excellence through the study of violin, viola, violoncello, and string bass, as well as to provide students with the opportunity to play some of the finest music literature. Decades of studies show how music helps to promote brain function, creativity, leadership, dedication, and teamwork, as well as to improve grades in all subject areas. Our students’ experiences in Orchestra will stay with them for the rest of their lives and contribute to their future success in the workplace and as model citizens.
Jeffrey Hall is the Orchestra and Guitar Director at Covington Fine Arts Academy. He has been teaching Guitar and Orchestra in AISD since 2010, and began teaching at Covington in 2015. Mr. Hall attended the University of Houston, receiving a bachelor's degree in Music Education. In addition to teaching Strings, he has been classically trained in Piano, Classical Guitar and Music Composition.Mr. Hall and his students receive the highest ratings possible each year at the UIL Concert and Sight-reading Contest and every year, many Covington students are accepted into the Region 18 Orchestra. In his career, his students have been featured several times on KUT and local news outlets. He has also applied for several grants and coordinated many fundraiser events to provide instruments and support for students without adequate resources to learn music.In his free time, he loves to spend hours watching Netflix, Hulu and HBO, as well as doing Yoga and Pilates with Ms. Vallejo, our Amazing Theatre Director. After teaching music for over 10 years, Mr. Hall has found a home at Covington and cannot say enough great things about his amazing students!
Saul Hernandez-Trejo
Austin native Saul Hernandez-Trejo is a passionate music educator, performer, arranger, and composer. He holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Texas State University, where he specialized in classical guitar, choral music, and jazz.
Mr. Hernandez-Trejo is currently entering his sixth year as the director of the classical guitar program at Covington Middle School in Austin, Texas. Prior to his time at Covington, he founded the mariachi program at Akins High School, where he also directed classical guitar ensembles. As a bilingual educator of Salvadoran heritage and a first-generation Austinite, Mr. Hernandez-Trejo is proud to connect with students and families from diverse backgrounds.
He is dedicated to fostering confidence, individuality, and determination in his students, using music as a vehicle for personal growth and creative expression.
Outside of school, Mr. Hernandez-Trejo leads a local jazz quartet and regularly performs throughout the Austin area. He is also an active arranger and composer, creating original works and custom arrangements for student ensembles. A devoted film enthusiast, he enjoys spending his weekends at Alamo Drafthouse, where he never misses a chance to catch the latest movie release.