Ryan Sirna – Director of Bands
Wind Ensemble
Leadership Team
ryan.sirna@leanderisd.org
Ryan Sirna is the Director of Bands at Leander High School. Mr. Sirna has been at Leander High School since 2019 and a music educator in Texas since 2008. Prior to joining Leander ISD Mr. Sirna served as the Associate Director of Bands at Pflugerville High School.
The Leander Band program has recently been selected as a featured performer at the Midwest Clinic International Band Orchestra and Music Conference, in 2020; named the bronze medalist at the UIL 5A State Marching Contest in 2021; and received 5th place at the Bands of America Grand National Championships in 2019.
Mr. Sirna received his Master’s Degree from Texas Christian University where he studied with Brian West, Richard Gipson, Paul Rennick, Bobby Francis, German Gutierrez, and Joey Carter. During this time Mr. Sirna taught and performed with the 2005 PASIC Percussion Ensemble Featured Concert winners and the 2006 PASIC College Marching Percussion Champions. Mr. Sirna received his Bachelor’s degree from Southwest Texas State University (Texas State University) where he studied under Genero Gonzalez, John Lopez, James Hudson and John Stansberry.
Mr. Sirna has extensive experience as an educator, designer, clinician and evaluator. He has taught, adjudicated, and written works for high schools and universities throughout the country. During each summer, Mr. Sirna has been active as a facilitator for the SASI Drum Major and Leadership Camps. He was the Marching Percussion Coordinator at Texas State University from 2000-2002, as well as a staff member at the Southwind Drum and Bugle Corps from 2000-2001. Mr. Sirna is a proud alumni of the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps where he marched snare drum in 1998-1999. From 2003-2005 Mr. Sirna toured the U.S. playing drumset and spent time as a studio musician in Nashville, Tennessee. He has also had the honor of performing with the Austin Symphony and Austin Lyric Opera on multiple occasions.
Mr. Sirna resides in Leander, TX with his wife Ashley and his two beautiful children.
Michael Swiren – Associate Director of Bands
Symphonic Wind Ensemble
Leadership Team
Private Lesson Program
michael.swiren@leanderisd.org
Michael Swiren is currently in his seventh year as Associate Band Director at Leander High School. In addition to helping run the nationally-recognized marching band, Mr. Swiren also directed the Non-Varsity and both Sub Non-Varsity ensembles as well as the Pit Orchestra. Prior to his appointment at Leander High School, Mr. Swiren earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education and Master’s Degree in Wind Conducting both from the University of Delaware under the tutelage of Dr. Chad Nicholson, Heidi Sarver, Jim Ancona, and Brian Brown. While at the University of Delaware, Mr. Swiren held positions as a Graduate Assistant and Conductor of the Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Marching Band, Pep Band, and Tuba Ensemble.
An active musician, Mr. Swiren performed for three summers as a member of the Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps (2010, 2011, 2013). In 2014 Mr. Swiren was also selected as a Yamaha Young Performing Artist, selected by a panel of professional Yamaha Performing Artists as one of the nation’s top performing young musicians. Mr. Swiren still enjoys performing with the Cedar Park Winds in Cedar Park, TX.
In addition to teaching and performing, Mr. Swiren is also an active researcher and author. In 2015 his article entitled, “Sequencing Your Band to Success” was published in the National Band Association Journal. Mr. Swiren also presented research in March of 2018 at the National Association for Music Educators’ Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.
Amanda Petro – Assistant Director of Bands
Symphonic Band
Jazz Ensemble
Leadership Team
Instrument Inventory
amanda.petro@leanderisd.org
Amanda Petro is an Associate Director of Bands at Leander High School in Leander, TX. Prior to joining Leander ISD, she was an Assistant Band Director at Dripping Springs High School. Ms. Petro is currently on the Brass Staff with the Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps from LaCrosse, WI, and is an active choreographer for bands across the country. She was recently a presenter during Student Day at the 75th Annual Texas Bandmasters Association Convention/Clinic in 2022.
Ms. Petro received her Bachelor of Music Education degree from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music in 2019. During her time at IU, she studied trumpet with Professor Joey Tartell, as well as performed with the IU Concert Band, IU Marching Hundred, and IU Big Red Basketball Band. She also served on the board and performed with the Brass Band at Indiana University in its inaugural years.
Ms. Petro performed with the Phantom Regiment Drum & Bugle Corps from 2015-2018, serving as the horn sergeant in 2018. She was the 2017 recipient of the Jim Ott Scholarship, Diane Thompson-Wells Scholarship, and Friends of DCI Scholarship. Ms. Petro served on the Phantom Regiment Alumni Association Board of Directors from 2018-2022, serving as Vice President until 2022. She also taught on the Visual Staff for Monarch Independent Percussion in 2022.
Outside of teaching, Ms. Petro enjoys rock climbing and hiking, drinking coffee, and playing with her dog, Luna.
Daniel Reberger – Percussion Director
Percussion Program
daniel.reberger@leanderisd.org
Daniel Reberger currently serves as the Director of Percussion for Leander High School. In addition to the high school, he is also the percussion coordinator for Running Brushy and Leander middle schools.
Mr. Reberger received his Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music where he studied with Kevin Bobo, Steve Houghton, John Tafoya, and Michael Spiro.
As an active musician, Mr. Reberger had an extensive drum corps career with the Troopers (12), Madison Scouts (13,14), and the Cadets (15,16). Reberger also performed with the Indiana University Wind Ensemble, and the Indiana University Percussion Ensemble.
Mr. Reberger had been an educator in Texas for 5 years. Prior to joining the Leander Band staff, Mr. Reberger was the percussion director at Highland Park High School (2019 UIL 5A Silver Medalist), Belton High School, and was the assistant percussion director at Wakeland High School.
Mr. Reberger resides in Leander, TX with his two orange cats, Goose and Duck.
Allison Petro – Color Guard Director
Leander High School Color Guard/Winter Guard
allison.petro@leanderisd.org
Allison Petro is the Color Guard Director at Leander High School in Leander, TX. Ms. Petro is also the Color Guard Director at Leander Middle School and Running Brushy Middle School. Originally from Plainfield, IL, Ms. Petro is a 2020 graduate from The Ohio State University in Columbus, OH with a B.S. in Public Health.
Ms. Petro’s color guard performance career spans a total of 15 seasons between marching band, drum corps, and winter guard. Her performing career began at Plainfield North High School in the marching band, and continued into the indoor season with Plainfield Winter Guard from 2012-2015. Allison went on to perform with Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps from 2015-2018, serving as color guard captain in 2017 and 2018. She performed with Juxtaposition in 2016, as well as Onyx in 2017, 2018, and 2022.
Ms. Petro has taught and choreographed at multiple organizations during and following her performing years. She has worked with multiple high school programs around the country, including schools in Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, and Texas, and has spent multiple years with the Sacramento Mandarins Drum and Bugle Corps as both a technician and choreographer.
In her free time, Ms. Petro enjoys reading, traveling, and being outdoors.
Click here for your Directors Favorite things!