Sandra I Noriega received a full scholarship to the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, becoming the first woman to graduate with a degree in Percussion Performance from both the Conservatory in 1983 and CSU East Bay, where she earned her master's degree in 1985. Sandra held a tenured position as Principal Timpanist with the Women's Philharmonic from 1981 to 2004, and has been honored on numerous "Who's Who" lists. She has recorded four CDs with the Women's Philharmonic on the Koch International label. Sandra served as a professor of music at the college level for 11 years, and at the high-school and elementary levels since 1975, directing and producing many public performances including a Community “Sing-It-Yourself Messiah” in Oakland, Ca. Sandra also conducts the Bay Area Asian Children’s Percussion Ensemble, an outreach program of the Wisdom Culture and Education Organization. In addition, she has recently become co-founder and Music Director of the Oakland Public Conservatory of Music’s Youth Symphony, Chamber Orchestra, Community Concert Band, in addition to the Percussion Ensemble. In 2005, she became the founder and director of The Bay Area Women’s Percussion Troupe, a professional group dedicated to highlighting and promoting the presence of women in the field of Percussion Performance. In 2008, Ms. Noriega completed an intensive Post-Master's Studies Program receiving a Professional Certificate in Instrumental Conducting at California State University, Sacramento. Currently Sandra works for Education Through Music, Inc., as a Field Supervisor overseeing Music Educators throughout the Bay Area. Sandra also teaches privately in her percussion studio in Castro Valley, CA, in addition to her performance schedule.