As Poly is over 100 years old, it is not surprising that we have had numerous graduates that have made a name for themselves in the music and entertainment field. Below are a growing list of alums who have ventured into the music industry, with many of them working with Poly to uplift the same community that they came from. We are incredibly proud of these individuals as some have made a significant impact on our current music program.

Legacy alums

Larry is the keyboardist, lead singer/writer and founding member of The Standells. While still a student at Poly in the late '50's, Larry formed the critically acclaimed American garage band, The Standells, where their hit song "Dirty Water" is now regarded as one of "500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll" by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2023, the California Music Hall of Fame will be inducting Larry.
Graduate of Byrd Middle School and Poly High School, James went on to CSUN and the military before working in music technology. James is now a highly regarded expert on head-worn microphones where his patented products have been voted best in worship industry and is highly used in Broadway shows and television. To learn more about James, visit his company at Point-SourceAudio.com.
After graduating from Poly, Joe became the first cohort of CSUN's then newly formed Music Industry Studies undergraduate program. Joe went on to work in record labels for video coordination and promotions to becoming the Vice President of Talent and Manager at American Idol for nine seasons to then become the artist manager of Jordin Sparks, American Idol's youngest winner. Joe has since become an integral part of Poly's new music technology and industry studies program by sharing his experience and expertise with the younger generation.
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After graduating from Poly, Celeste started working as a temp and was placed at EMI (then a major record label) as a receptionist. After being offered the opportunity to work with Latin artists, Celeste's career took off despite her initial fear of not knowing enough Spanish. She then worked her way through as an A&R agent (artist and repertoire) to then working at SESAC, a performance rights organization, where she oversees the Latin music division as the Vice President of SESAC Latina.

Every year since 2018, Celeste has been named as one of Billboard's Latin Power Players where she is recognized as one of the most influential music executives in Latin music. Celeste has also been elected as a Governor to the Recording Academy's Los Angeles Chapter. 

As of 2023, Celeste has begun working with Poly's music technology and industry studies program to bring internship and career opportunities to our current students and recent graduates.
During his time at Poly, William was known to be fearless when it came to singing in front of a crowd and entertaining his peers. After graduating to attend UC Berkeley, William became a national sensation in 2003 on American Idol's third season to sing a rendition of Ricky Martin's "She Bangs", with Simon Cowell having less than favorable critiques for William. In the aftermath, William's positive attitude to continually improve his craft won the hearts of the Asian American communities across the globe and has even become a motivational speaker at various events.
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During his time at Poly, William was known to be fearless when it came to singing in front of a crowd and entertaining his peers. After graduating to attend UC Berkeley, William became a national sensation in 2003 on American Idol's third season to sing a rendition of Ricky Martin's "She Bangs", with Simon Cowell having less than favorable critiques for William. In the aftermath, William's positive attitude to continually improve his craft won the hearts of the Asian American communities across the globe and has even become a motivational speaker at various events.
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When she was attending Poly, Yvette had already known that she wanted to work in the music industry. After graduating to attend Cal Poly Pomona, Yvette went into music publishing to work at various companies, including ASCAP (American Society of Composers and Publishers), before being at Kobalt Music, one of the world's largest music publishing companies that oversees the pitching, marketing, protection and representation of works by clients that include Elvis Presley, Gwen Stefani, Childish Gambino, Finneas, and many more. Yvette is currently the Senior Manager for Writer and Publisher Relations for Film and TV at Kobalt.

Recent alums

Coming soon