Patrick Arnold was raised in Ontario, California and graduated from Chaffey High School before earning his degree in Music Performance from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona in 1978.  There, he honed his craft under the guidance of esteemed mentors, studying composition with Dr. Phil Brown, jazz with professors John Defoe and David Grasmick, and mastering his beloved saxophone with Dr. James Mooney.  He also completed a fifth-year California Teaching Credential, setting the stage for a remarkable career.

Before settling into teaching, Patrick took a temporary detour after his junior year in college, hitting the road with the cover band "A Sure Thing."  For a year and half, he lived the musician's dream, playing funk, R&B, and Top 40 hits in clubs across California, the Pacific Northwest, Vancouver, British Columbia, Chicago, and even a memorable six-month stint in Honolulu in 1975.

Patrick's teaching career began in 1978 at Oxnard High School in Oxnard, California.  In 1983, he returned to his roots, teaching in the Chaffey Joint Union High School District, first at Upland High School and later at Alta Loma High School.  In 1994, Patrick and his wife, Donna, ventured to Washington state, where he inspired young musicians as the band director at Lake Stevens High School for 12 years.  Returning to California in 2006, Patrick spent the final decade of his teaching career in the Perris Union School District.  Patrick retired in 2017 after receiving a prostate cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatment at Loma Linda University.

That same year, Patrick joined the Ontario Chaffey Community Show Band, bringing his soulful saxophone to the ensemble.  As assistant conductor to his mentor and friend, Dr. Gabe Petrocelli, Patrick deepened his connection to the band.  When Dr. Petrocelli retired on June 16, 2025, he passed the conductor's baton to Patrick... a moment of profound pride and honor.

Patrick is currently the director of the Ontario Chaffey Community Show Band in Ontario California.