The Leander High School Band Program provides an outstanding one-on-one educational program through our amazing private lesson staff. These teachers are specific to your child’s instrument, and lessons are incredibly convenient as most lessons take place during a child’s band class or before or after school.

Email Mr. Sirna at ryan.sirna@leanderisd.org for district private lesson grant information.

  • Private Lesson Facts to consider:
    • 82% of the Band Program is in private lessons
    • 100% of the students that band Region, Area, and All-State take private lessons
    • 98% of the Wind Ensemble takes private lessons
    • Taking private lessons has a direct correlation to a student’s success

Click here to sign up for Private Lessons

Private Lesson Staff

Flute – Rachel Lopez

Flute – Annie LeDonne

Oboe – Korey Young

Bassoon – Karen Stephenson

Karen Stephenson is a bassoonist and bassoon repair specialist based in Austin, Texas. Originally from Sugar Land, Karen graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a double degree in Bassoon Performance and Spanish. During her studies at UT, she attended the Eastern Music Festival in 2019, where she studied with Karla Ekholm and George Sakakeeny. 

Karen frequently teaches masterclasses at Dulles High School in Fort Bend ISD as well as private lessons at Leander High School, Running Brushy Middle School, and Bastrop Intermediate, Middle, and High Schools. 

In addition to her private teaching studio, Karen runs a specialized bassoon repair business in the Central Texas area and has hosted repair masterclasses at The University of Texas at Austin and Texas State University. She studied with revered bassoon repairperson, Ken Potsic, in Atlanta and hopes to continue growing her repair business. You can reach out to her at repairsbykaren@gmail.com. 

 

 

Clarinet – Stephanie Grubbs

Stephanie Grubbs is one of the clarinet private lesson teachers at Leander HS. She earned a Bachelor’s in Music Education at the University of North Texas. She was a band director for 10 years and has been teaching privately for in the Austin area for over 19 years. She lives in Liberty Hill with her husband and has two grown daughters. She prides herself on her personal and positive approach to teaching. 

Clarinet – Tricia Moore

Clarinet – Samu Jarvela

Saxophone – Dustin Hunter

 

Dustin Hunter is an Austin based saxophonist and music educator. He holds a Bachelor’s of Music degree from Louisiana State University and a Master’s of Music degree from the University of New Mexico. Locally, Dustin performs regularly with Honey Made, a funk and soul band hailing from Austin, Texas, and the Austin Saxophone Ensemble, one of the only professional classical saxophone ensembles in the country. He has also performed with the San Antonio Symphony, Mid-texas Symphony, and various other ensembles of all genres of music. He has been a guest soloist with the Heart of Texas Concert Band and the Louisiana State University Wind Ensemble. As an educator he has been teaching professionally for over twelve years in Virginia, Louisiana, New Mexico, and Texas. His students have consistently won auditions in region, district, area, and state competitions, and have often continued their education at the collegiate level.

 

 

Saxophone – Lucy Croasdale

Trumpet – Dr. Shane Pitsch

Shane Pitsch holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in trumpet performance and literature from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a Master of Music in Trumpet Performance degree from Eastern Illinois University, and a Bachelor of Music in Trumpet Performance (jazz emphasis) degree from the University of Texas at Austin. Shane has performed with artists such as Willie Nelson, The Drifters, Sam Moore (of Sam and Dave), Maria Schneider, Wayne Shorter, Steve Turre, Henry Butler, Spoon, What Made Milwaukee Famous, The Latin Breed, Johnny Bush, Ron Wilkins, and many others. 

Over the past several years, Shane has been involved with many Austin area bands, including Global Soul (co-leader), Ghandaia, Opositivo, The Latin Breed, The Caldwell Shine Band, ATX Big Band, Blind Date, The Nash Hernandez Orchestra, and The Contemporary Works Jazz Orchestra. 

Trumpet – Joey Tkach

Horn – Caitlynn Sandberg

Trombone – Dr. Javier Stuppard

Dr. Javier Stuppard strives for excellence as an eclectic musician while upholding the highest of standards. He maintains an active performance schedule in various styles of music including Jazz, Salsa, Orchestral and Commercial. He has been featured at several major conferences such as the International Trombone Festival, the National Trombone Workshop and the Texas Music Educators Conference with both the Minor 4th Trombone Quartet and JazzBonez. In addition, the Minor 4th Trombone Quartet presented at the Texas Bandmasters Association Conference, have been featured guest artists with professional and collegiate Symphony Orchestras, and perform recitals and master classes at Universities nationwide. 

Dr. Stuppard is an energetic advocate of music in public schools and often serves as an adjudicator, clinician, and mentor. In 2015, he gladly accepted the position of Artist Mentor for Electrify Your Band!, a program that was created to assist with the promotion of fine arts in school districts around the nation by bridging imagination and intellect though musical self-expression. This program allows him the opportunity to teach students the important combination of being an educator, performer and entertainer though clinics and performance on Electric Trombone. 

Additionally, he is a founder the Fresh2Def Horns, a horn section who’s soulful sound is a culmination of an exceptional blend, superb musicianship, and creativity that is adjusted to enhance any genre of music. They have a distinct style that is deeply rooted in entertainment; their delivery of a “complete package” is evident though choreography, and high-energy that engages the audience through interaction. To further enhance the experience the look of the section is chosen from a wardrobe of matching attire such as suit and ties, fitted hats and Air Jordan shoes. 

As a free-lance musician, Dr. Stuppard has performed with Lukas Graham and taped live for the MTV Woodies, played festivals such as SXSW, Austin City Limits, Blues of the Green, and opened for a variety of artists such as Canadian Brass, Leon Bridges to Kool & the Gang. On the orchestral side of music, he has also performed with the Austin Symphony Orchestra, Laredo Philharmonic Orchestra, Temple Symphony, Round Rock Symphony, and the Bermuda Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2010, he had the distinct honor of opening for a speech given by President Obama in Austin, Texas. From 2009-2018, Dr. Stuppard served as Assistant Professor of Music at Huston-Tillotson University. He holds a B.M.E from Norfolk State University, a M.M and D.M.A. from The University of Texas at Austin. His principal teachers include Paul Adams, Ron Westray and Dr. Nathaniel Brickens. 

Dr. Stuppard has served as the International Trombone Festival Competition Coordinator since 2012, is an artist/clinician for Michael Rath Trombones, Applied Microphone Technology, 64 Audio, and plays exclusively on Pickett Brass Mouthpieces. 

Trombone/Euphonium – Chris Porteous

Tuba – Ben McWilliams

Percussion – Dr. Ryan Patterson


Click here to sign up for Private Lessons