Conductors & Guest Artists

Jeremy Spicer

Owner & Director
SASI Leadership

Mr. Jeremy Spicer is a Magna cum Laude graduate of Texas State University and the owner of SASI Leadership, a consulting firm dedicated to empowering young leaders. At SASI, we believe that equipping students with a deeper understanding of people, organizations, and systems is essential for their success in both personal and organizational settings.

In addition, Mr. Spicer is the founder of J.Spice Designs, a pageantry arts organization that crafts exceptional marching band shows, enabling students to achieve excellence beyond expectations. Our programs have garnered multiple State Championships and accolades, including Regional, Super Regional, and Grand National titles, ensuring that students are set up for success while helping directors create impactful programs for their communities. 

  • Beyond his entrepreneurial pursuits, Mr. Spicer serves as the Artistic Director and Co-Conductor of the Cedar Park Winds (CPW), alongside Chris Yee, Mike Howard, and Richard Floyd. Founded in 2007, CPW has grown in size and quality, offering free concerts for local music students and families. The ensemble has been invited to perform at prestigious events, including the 2024 Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic, with past appearances at theTexas Bandmasters Association Conventions in 2013 and 2022 and the Midwest Clinic in 2017.

    Previously, Mr. Spicer was the Director of Bands at Vandegrift High School, where he led the marching band to win the 2013 UIL 5A State Marching Band Championship and achieve finalist status in various Bands of America competitions. The Wind Ensemble earned third place in the 2013 Texas Music Educators Association Honor Band Competition and was named a National Winner in the 2012 Mark of Excellence National Wind Band Honors Competition.

    Before Vandegrift, Mr. Spicer spent eight years at Cedar Park High School, where he conducted the Symphonic Winds and directed the Marching and Jazz Ensembles. Under his leadership, the marching band consistently reached finals at UIL State contests and BOA events, winning the Sudler Shield in 2006, an international award for marching excellence.

    Mr. Spicer also has a rich background in Drum Corps International (DCI), having played mellophone for the Santa Clara Vanguard. He has contributed to the design teams of The Cadets and Crossmen and has worked on brass staffs for the Boston Crusaders, Carolina Crown, Santa Clara Vanguard, and Southwind, holding positions from Brass Instructor to Assistant Brass Caption Head.

    As a clinician and adjudicator, Mr. Spicer is active both nationally and internationally and is a proud member of the Texas Music Educators Association and Texas Bandmasters Association.

Christopher Yee

Director of Bands
Cedar Park High School

Christopher Yee is the Director of Bands at Cedar Park High School and co-founder of the Cedar Park Winds Community Band. He is also a member of the Texas Bandmasters Association Board of Directors and is honored to serve Texas band directors and students through board membership.

Born and raised in Klein, Texas, Christopher received his bachelor’s degree in music education from Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York where he studied trumpet with Frank Campos. Upon graduation in 2005, he began teaching middle school band in Austin, Texas as an assistant band director at Canyon Ridge Middle School under the mentorship of Amy Allison Rivera. In 2010, Christopher opened Four Points Middle School as its Director of Bands and served in that position until 2017. The Four Points Middle School Wind Ensemble, under Mr. Yee’s leadership, performed at the 2015 Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic.

  • Christopher was thrilled to be added to the Cedar Park High School Band staff by his mentor Steve Wessels in 2017. In 2020, Mr. Yee transitioned into the Director of Bands role and serves in that position currently. While Christopher has been Director of Bands, the Timberwolf Marching Band has claimed numerous State Marching Band Championships and a TMEA Honor Band finalist ranking in 2023. Most recently, the Timberwolf Marching Band earned 5th place in 2024 BOA Grand Nationals finals competition.

    Mr. Yee co-founded the Cedar Park Winds in 2007 with Manuel C. San Luis. Since then, the band has grown in both size and quality performing free concerts for local music students and their families. The Cedar Park Winds was invited to perform at the 2013 and 2022 Texas Bandmasters Association Conventions and the 2017 and 2024 Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinics.

    Christopher enjoys conducting all-region bands, serving as a clinician for local band programs, and writing curriculum for the SASI Leadership Company. He lives in Leander, Texas with his wife Jenna and two sons Noah and Ashton.

Mike Howard

Director of Fine Arts
Leander I.S.D.

Mike Howard currently serves as Director of Fine Arts, Music and Performing Arts for the Leander Independent School District.  Prior to this, he spent 20 years as a High School Band Director, most recently in Leander ISD at Vandegrift High School. At Vandegrift HS, Mr. Howard’s Marching Bands were recognized with several high honors such as 2019 BOA Grand National Champion, 4-time BOA Regional Champion, consistent BOA Super Regional Finalist, BOA Super Regional Class Champion, 6A UIL State Marching Contest Silver Medalist, 6A UIL State Marching Contest Bronze Medalist and 5A UIL State Marching Contest Silver Medalist.  The Vandegrift HS Marching Band was also awarded the Sudler Shield by the John Philip Sousa Foundation in 2019.  Under Howard’s direction, the Vandegrift Wind Ensemble was selected as the 2019 TMEA 6A State Honor Band and was chosen as a featured ensemble at the 2021 Midwest Clinic in Chicago.  The Vandegrift Concert Band Program was also the recipient of the 2020 Sudler Flag of Honor by the John Philip Sousa Foundation. Prior to his time in Leander ISD, Mr. Howard was an assistant band director in Katy ISD. 

  • Mr. Howard serves music education through state and local leadership roles.  He currently serves as Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) State Vice President and Band Division Chair.  He has also served as the Texas Music Adjudicators Association Concert Band Vice-President, TMEA Region 32 Band Division Chair and TMEA Area E Band Division Chair.  Mr. Howard is an active clinician around Texas and serves as an adjudicator for UIL, Bands of America and Drum Corps International.

    Mr. Howard’s professional affiliations include membership in the American Bandmasters Association, Phi Beta Mu, Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Fine Arts Administrators Association, Texas Music Adjudicator’s Association, and the Texas Bandmasters Association.  He graduated from Texas State University - San Marcos with a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education and from Concordia University Texas with a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership. He lives in Leander, Texas with his wife Amber, daughter Madison, and son Justin.

Richard Floyd

State Director of Music Emeritus
The University of Texas at Austin

Richard Floyd is currently enjoying his 63rd year of active engagement as a conductor, music educator and administrator. He has enjoyed a distinguished career at virtually every level of wind band performance from beginning band programs through high school and university wind ensembles as well as adult community bands. He currently holds the title of UIL State Director of Music Emeritus having retired from that post in 2015.

Floyd is a recognized authority on conducting, the art of wind band rehearsing, concert band repertoire, and music advocacy. As such, he has toured extensively throughout the United States, Canada, Australia and Europe with engagements in 45 American states and in 9 other countries as a clinician, adjudicator and conductor.

  • In 2002 he was the recipient of the prestigious A.A. Harding Award recognizing his significant and lasting contributions to the school band movement. He was named Texas Bandmaster of the Year in 2006 and in 2009 he was presented the Texas Music Educators Association Distinguished Service Award. In March of 2011 he was inducted into the Bands of America Hall of Fame and awarded the prestigious Midwest International Clinic Medal of Honor for his distinguished and unique contributions to educational bands and orchestras.

    In 2021 the College Band Directors National Association established the Richard Floyd CBDNA Distinguished Service Award in recognition of his decades of service to that organization and presented him with the CBDNA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024.

    His critically acclaimed books entitled The Artistry of Teaching and Making Music and The Seven Deadly Sins of Music Making are and available from GIA Publications. In 2016 he was named a Yamaha Master Educator.

Aruna Quartet

Evoking bagpipes, fiddles, deep sea creatures and everything in between, the Aruna Quartet performs programs of new music and original arrangements. The quartet leverages the chameleon nature of the saxophone to present a tasting menu of sounds to their audience in concerts, educational programs, and multimedia collaborations “Aruna” translates literally to “red, ruddy, tawny”– a succinct descriptor of the dust storms and sprawling, flatland sunsets that visually define West Texas where the quartet formed.

The Aruna Quartet was awarded the Grand Prize at the 46th Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, among other national and international prizes. The Aruna Quartet presents world premieres, collaborations, and new programs on the “Aruna Quartet Presents” series in Central and West Texas. The quartet works with composers to tell new stories, push against genre boundaries and present a charcuterie of sounds in their concerts.