Jeremy Spicer

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Jeremy Spicer, Director of Bands at Vandegrift High School, is the Conductor of the Wind Ensemble and the Director of both the Marching and Jazz Ensembles.  Mr. Spicer graduated Magna cum Laude from Texas State University (formerly Southwest Texas State University) where he studied trumpet with Dr. Keith Winking and conducting with John Stansberry and James Hudson. Prior to his appointment at Vandegrift, Mr. Spicer spent ten years on the staff of the Cedar Park High School Band program.  During his tenure at Cedar Park the Timberwolf Marching Band was a consistent finalist at Bands of America competitions, placed 4^th at the 5a-State Marching Contest,  won 1^st place at the Westlake Marching festival in 2004, 2005 and 2008, and 1^st place at the 2007 Sam Houston State University Marching Festival.  The Timberwolf Marching Band is the 2006 recipient of the Sudler Shield, an international award for marching excellence awarded by the John Philip Sousa Foundation.  In 2004, the band was recognized with the Silver Medal at the 5A-State Marching Band Contest. 

As conductor of the Cedar Park Symphonic Band, the ensemble’s performances have drawn acclaim from audiences and colleagues alike.  The ensemble has been a consistent U.I.L. sweepstakes recipient playing such acclaimed works as Variants on a Mediaeval Tune, Jupiter, Blue Shades, Sleep, March from Symphonic Metamorphosis, Southern Harmony, Symphonic Movement, Four Scottish Dances, Mock Morris, Armenian Dances, and Irish Tune from County Derry.  The Symphonic Band was a consistent UIL Sweepstakes Award receipient. 

Jeremy has also been very active in DCI. He began his drum corps career playing mellophone in the Santa Clara Vanguard.  Since his age out year, Mr. Spicer has been a member of the brass staffs of the Santa Clara Vanguard, Boston Crusaders, Southwind, and the Carolina Crown, where he has served in various capacities ranging from Brass Instructor to Assistant Brass Caption Head.  In addition to his music education responsibilities, Mr. Spicer is the co-owner of S.A.S.I., a student leadership consulting firm focusing on in the empowerment of young leaders.  S.A.S.I. believes that students become empowered to succeed in their organization and their personal lives when they are properly equipped with a deeper knowledge and understanding of people, organizations, systems, and processes.  Mr. Spicer is instrumental in the development and presentation of this concept to thousands of students across the nation.  Mr. Spicer is active in the United States as a clinician and adjudicator. His professional affiliations include Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. He lives in Leander with his beautiful wife Elizabeth, precious daughter, Coral Amber, and their handsome son, Aiden Joseph.

Michael Howard

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The Vandegrift Band Program is proud to announce our newly appointed Associate Director of Bands, Mr. Michael Howard.  Mr. Howard joins the Vandegrift Program from Katy, Texas.  He is most recently the Associate Director of Bands responsible for directing the Marching and Jazz Programs, conducting the Concert Band, and coordinating and teaching the drumline at James E. Taylor High School.  He also taught beginner percussion classes at Memorial Parkway Junior High School.
  Mr. Howard, a native of Hondo, TX, started his teaching career at Morton Ranch High School, where he was a band director and helped open the school in 2004.  At Morton Ranch, he taught the Concert Band, Jazz Band, assisted with the marching band and directed all percussion activities.  Before teaching at Morton Ranch, Mr. Howard was a percussion instructor for the Cedar Park High School Band in Cedar Park, Texas and an instructor for the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps from Madison, Wisconsin.
  As an active percussion clinician, he has conducted clinics all over Texas and the Midwest including clinic appearances at PASIC and Yamaha Sounds of Summer.  Aside from percussion, Mr. Howard is an active marching and leadership clinician and consultant throughout the state of Texas.  Since 2004, he has taught the SASI marching and leadership curriculum to high schools throughout the state.  As a performer, Mr. Howard has performed with the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps, the Austin Symphony Orchestra, and the Austin Lyric Opera.
  Mr. Howard graduated from Texas State University in San Marcos with a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education.  He lives in Cedar Park with his wife Amber and two-year-old daughter, Madison.