But for Golden's students, it was fitting, as "fun" always shares the stage with learning.

His latest hit may be his finest ever, as he and his students went "golden" in the eyes of the Sunnyvale School District.

The man who leads the Bulldog bands and choirs is the Sunnyvale School District's Teacher of the Year, and that three-letter word that starts with "f" and ends with "n" has a lot to do with it.

"It's an honor ... It's funny because it's an affirmation that I might be doing something right," he said, chuckling. "I am passionate about what I do, and passion can mean being goofy or intense. I like to have fun ... and I want my students to have fun."

The man indeed has a way with his students, as most everything he says to them seems to have a positive tone to it. When sixth-grader Marshall Grasty tried out for the advanced band last Monday, Golden heard the squeaky parts and asked, "Why do you think I stopped you?"

On the parts where Marshall's oboe sent sweet sound across the room, Golden said, "You know your rhythms cold."

"You do a lot of motivation and encouragement, especially with beginning groups," Golden said. "I want to put them in situations where they will succeed. I like the 'ah-hah' moments, when you can tell that they really get it."

Marshall and fellow sixth-grader Ethan Villaflor both said their teacher helped them learn something that seemed complicated.

"It was hard at first, but he made it easy," Ethan said. "He educates and entertains us at the same time."

Golden's passion for music and fun has translated into an enrollment explosion for Columbia's music programs. When he began at the school in 1999, there were 56 students enrolled in band and choir combined. This year, there were 265, he said.

The rise in interest can be partly attributed to the choir's performance at Disneyland two years ago, he said. The choir was accepted to perform in the most magical place on earth, and students wanted to take part. Although the band wasn't accepted to play in 2003-04 school year, Golden said the rejection helped the band achieve its goal, as both the advanced choir and advanced band performed at Disneyland this school year.

"The fact that they didn't get in made them work that much harder," he said.

According to the judges at the California Music Educators' Association Band and Choir Festival this year, the hard work was well worth it. Advanced choir earned a superior rating while the advanced band was deemed excellent at the statewide competition, Golden said.

While Golden graduated with an English degree from the University of Redlands in Southern California, he enrolled at San Jose State University five years later to work on a credential in music. He was a music major for one year at Redlands.

"I like all kinds of music, though I lean toward rock," he said. "I just like to entertain."

In his free time, Golden likes to spend time with his family as well as hiking and jogging, he said. He directs the Morning Glory choir at the Los Altos United Methodist Church and he has two sons, 8-year-old Jonas and 6-year-old Calen. His wife, Cindy, works with the high school youth choir at the church as well.

Don't look for Golden to be teaching over the summer, though, as he will travel with the church's high school youth choir to Australia "as a mere tag-along."

For the immediate future, Sunnyvale's Teacher of the Year plans to take it easy, with an eye to a large goal.

"I need a break," he said. "In the future, I'd love to do a major work, maybe combined with another school."