CONDUCTORS

& GUESTS

Amy Allison-Rivera

Director of Bands

Amy Allison-Rivera is in her 28th year of teaching and her 26th year in Leander ISD in the Austin, TX area.  Since the opening of the school in 2004, Mrs. Allison-Rivera has been the head band director at Canyon Ridge Middle School. Under her direction the CRMS Band Program has had great success. The CRMS Band Program was named the Texas Bandmasters Association Exemplary Middle School Band Program of the Year in 2021 and was awarded the Silver Sudler Cup from the John Philip Sousa Foundation in December of 2017.

Mrs. Allison-Rivera received her Bachelor's degree in Music Education from Stephen F. Austin State University. She performed as the piccolo player with the American Wind Symphony Orchestra in Pennsylvania before pursuing her career in teaching and is currently the piccolo player for the Cedar Park Winds. Mrs. Allison-Rivera is a regular clinician throughout the state of Texas and is the conductor of the 7th Grade Honors Band at the Stephen F. Austin State University every summer. She was inducted into Phi Beta Mu, the International Bandmasters Fraternity, in 2011, and served as the Region 26 Middle School Coordinator from 2006-2009. She has served on the PML committee and the sightreading committee for UIL and conducted the PBM Reading Band on grade 1s at TBA in 2024. She has presented at the TBA Academy the past several years. Amy lives in Cedar Park, Texas, with her husband, Bert, and their dogs, Winston and Winnie.

  • The CRMS Honor Band was an Invited Band performing at the 2021 Texas Music Educators Association Convention and performed at The Midwest Clinic in Chicago in December of 2014. Ms. Allison-Rivera brought the Honor Band to the TBA Convention in 2015 to give a demonstration clinic on rehearsal strategies and practice techniques, and again in 2023 to give a clinic on the new sight reading procedure for the state of Texas. The band program has reached the state level of the Honor Band competition twice and has been named a National Winner in the National Wind Band Honors through the Foundation for Music Education for the past several years. Throughout her teaching career, her bands have consistently received sweepstakes ratings at the Texas UIL Concert and Sight-reading Contest. 

    Before her time at Canyon Ridge, Mrs. Allison-Rivera taught at Cedar Park Middle School, Leander Middle School, and at DeSoto West Junior High and was selected as the First Year Teacher of the Year for DeSoto ISD in 1998.

Steve Myers

Associate Director

A native of Ohio, Steven Myers has been teaching for more than 20 years and is now in his seventh year at Canyon Ridge Middle School. An alumnus of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and a member of the 2000 DCI World Champion Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps, Mr. Myers has performed and taught around the globe on bass, tuba, trombone, steel pan, and voice.

He began his career as the Junior High Band Director at Preble Shawnee Junior High School in Camden, Ohio, where he led the bands to superior festival ratings and guided the Winter Drumline to its first-ever appearance in the MEPA Circuit Championship Finals.

Mr. Myers resides in Cedar Park with his wife, Jenny, a first-grade teacher in LISD, and their Aussie-doodle, Rudy. They enjoy spending time outdoors and on the water, traveling, golfing, attending sporting events, and exploring Austin’s music, food, and coffee scenes. Mr. Myers remains active as both a clinician and performer, most notably with Tubalele—an eclectic trio of fellow performing arts educators—and with the Cedar Park Winds community band, with whom he had the honor to perform at the 75th Annual Texas Bandmasters Association Conference and the Midwest International Band & Orchestra Clinic in 2017 and 2024.

  • Following his graduate work at Miami and a contract performing bass aboard Princess Cruises, Mr. Myers moved to Texas in 2008, joining the Lopez High School Band in Brownsville under the direction of George Trevino. The Lopez bands advanced to state in both UIL Marching and the TMEA Honor Band competition, placing 5th in 2010. His low brass students earned numerous honors, including placements in region, area, and all-state jazz and concert ensembles.

    In 2012, Mr. Myers transitioned to middle school as the head band director at Palo Alto Middle School in Killeen, TX. During his tenure, enrollment increased from just over 100 to more than 180 students, and the Wind Ensemble earned the program's first Sweepstakes award in 20 years—only the second in school history. He also taught at Shoemaker High School, directing the Symphonic and Jazz Bands and revitalizing the Winter Guard, which earned a Silver Medal at TCGC State Finals in 2011.

    Mr. Myers later led the middle school band program in Burnet CISD, where the bands consistently earned Sweepstakes ratings. He also worked closely with the Burnet High School Marching Band, updating their movement and visual fundamentals and helping the ensemble return to the UIL State Marching Band Contest after a four-year absence.

Anna Saenz

Associate Director

Anna Saenz is in her twenty-third year of teaching and currently serving her first year as Associate Band Director at Canyon Ridge Middle School. She brings a wealth of experience and a passion for teaching young musicians. Prior to Canyon Ridge, Mrs. Saenz served at Bastrop Middle School as Assistant Band Director and later Director of Bands, overseeing three concert ensembles, the jazz band, and supporting beginner instruction at Bastrop Intermediate School. 

Mrs. Saenz has spent most of her career teaching high school bands. Her students and ensembles have consistently earned Superior ratings at UIL Concert and Sightreading Contest and been recognized for their precision and artistry at the UIL State Marching Contest.

Mrs. Saenz credits much of her love of music to her father, Armando Rodriguez, a retired band director in San Antonio, Texas. There was always music in the house and concerts to attend. Life looks similar now, except she’s blessed to share it with her husband Drew and 5-year-old son Apollo, whose enthusiasm and love energize her both in and out of the band hall. 

  • Mrs. Saenz began her teaching career at Connally High School in Pflugerville ISD in 2003 where, under the mentorship of Chico Portillo, she both grew and helped grow the band program for eleven years. During her tenure the Cougar Band was a four time UIL State Marching Band finalist, medaling twice. From 2016 to 2020, Mrs. Saenz worked alongside Kerry Taylor as an Assistant Band Director at Westlake High School in Eanes ISD. She helped sustain the Chap Band’s tradition of excellence, including appearances at the Tournament of Roses Parade and the National Band and Orchestra Festival at Carnegie Hall.

    For over 20 years, Mrs. Saenz has also served as a Leadership Facilitator with SASI – The Leadership People, working with student leaders and drum majors nationwide.  She holds a Master’s degree in Wind Conducting from Texas Tech University where she studied with Dr. Sarah McKoin- Wreck ‘em, Tech! She received her Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Texas State University in San Marcos- Eat ‘em up, Cats! Mrs. Saenz has been honored with several recognitions through her career, including the Golden Apple Award for student appreciation at Westlake High School, and a feature in San Antonio Woman magazine for her contributions as a role model in education.

Tim Shuster

Associate Director

Maryland-native Tim Shuster has been teaching in the Austin area since 2015, and is currently in his 6th year as the Percussion Specialist at Canyon Ridge Middle School, where he instructs  the beginning percussion class, percussion sectionals with all three 7th and 8th grade bands, and teaches private lessons.  In addition to his duties at CRMS, he teaches private lessons at Four Points Middle School and Vandegrift High School.  He also served as an assistant director for the VHS Percussion Ensemble's performance at the 2024 Midwest Clinic.

Mr. Shuster has deeply immersed himself in the Austin music scene, having performed with a multitude of ensembles, including the Austin Civic Orchestra, Cedar Park Winds, Conspirare, Central Texas Philharmonic, The Kraken Quartet, line upon line percussion, Panoramic Voices, and Tetractys New Music.  He has performed at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic (2017) and the Percussive Arts Society International Convention (2017).

During the summer, Mr. Shuster works in artistic production as Percussion Manager at the Music Academy of the West, a prestigious orchestral training institute in Santa Barbara, California.  He holds degrees in percussion performance from Louisiana State University and The Ohio State University.

Outside of teaching and performing, Mr. Shuster is an avid road cyclist, runner, and surfer.  He lives in Austin with his wife Sarah, and their cat Mondo.

Guest Conductor

Cheryl Floyd

Cheryl Floyd completed her twenty-fifth year as Director of Bands at Hill Country Middle School in Austin, Texas in May 2017.  Prior to her tenure at Hill Country, she served as Director of Bands at Murchison Middle School, also in Austin, for eight years. Musical organizations under her leadership have consistently been cited for musical excellence at both local contests and national invitational festivals. Mrs. Floyd is recognized nationally for her educational and musical achievements at the middle school level. In 1990, her Murchison program was the recipient of the coveted Sudler Cup Award presented to exemplary middle school band programs by the John Philip Sousa Foundation. The Hill Country Middle School Band performed at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in 1998 and again in 2006, Music For All’s National Concert Band Festival in Indianapolis (March 2012), as well as the Western International Band Clinic (November 2014) under Mrs. Floyd’s direction.

Over the past twenty-plus years, she has maintained a keen interest in commissioning new works for concert band and has collaborated with such internationally recognized composers as Frank Ticheli, Cajun Folk Songs, Shenandoah, Bob Margolis, Renaissance Fair, Dana Wilson, Sang!, Ron Nelson, Courtly Airs and Dances, Steven Barton, Hill Country Flourishes, Chris Tucker, Twilight in the Wilderness. Catherine McMichael, Cape Breton Postcard, John Mackey, Undertow, Donald Grantham, Spangled Heavens, a consortium commission for TMEA’s MS Region 18 by Viet Cuong entitled Diamond Tide, and most recently, Sparkle by Scott McAllister. The works generated by these ongoing projects have been acknowledged as being among the most significant works for young band.

In 2003, Mrs. Floyd was elected to the American Bandmasters’ Association. She is the fifth female member of this 225-member organization and the first middle school band director to be chosen for ABA membership.

Guest Trombone Soloist

Amaan Syed

Amaan Syed started his trombone life as a member of the Canyon Ridge Middle School Band and is currently studying under Joseph Alessi at the Juilliard School, where he is pursuing his bachelor’s degree in trombone performance. He is a member of the Juilliard Orchestra and has played under the baton of many esteemed conductors, including Giancarlo Guerrero, JoAnn Faletta, Jeffrey Milarsky, and David Robertson. He is also a member of the Juilliard Trombone Choir, led by Joseph Alessi, and has performed with the group throughout New York.

In the summer of 2024, Amaan traveled to Colorado Springs, where he participated in the Colorado College Summer Music Festival. At this music festival, he studied with John Rojak, played in the Colorado College Summer Music Festival Orchestra, and performed with the other brass fellows in several chamber music concerts. In the summer of 2025, Amaan went to Lenox, Massachusetts and spent 8 weeks at the Tanglewood Music Festival, where he played with the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra and study with members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Amaan is originally from Austin, Texas, where he started studying the trombone in sixth grade. While in high school, he was a part of the National Youth Wind Ensemble and performed under the baton of Jason Fettig. During that time, he also performed Arthur Pryor’s Fantastic Polka as a soloist with the Vandegrift High School Wind Ensemble.

Amaan Syed is a proud recipient of the Kovner Fellowship at the Juilliard School.

Adrian Teti

Trombone Soloist - Send Off Concert

Adrian Teti is an educator and performer in the Austin area. Prior to his beginning his band directing career at Four Points Middle School, Adrian earned his Master’s degree in instrumental music education from Texas State University, where served as a teacher for undergraduate brass techniques classes, as well as the teacher’s assistant for Dr. Mary Ellen Cavitt and Dr. Amy Simmons. While at Texas State Adrian also sat as Principal and Co-Principal trombone in the Texas State trombone choir under the direction of Dr. Martin McCain, and was a finalist for the 2015 Texas State Concerto Competition. Prior to his arrival in Texas in 2008, Adrian received a bachelor’s degree in trombone performance from the University of Maryland, where he was a 3-year member of the Wind Ensemble/Philharmonic Orchestra rotation, and a student of John Huling and Craig Mulcahy.

In addition to performing with the Austin Brass Collective, Adrian also serves as the trombone section leader of the nationally recognized Cedar Park Winds, and performs around the Austin area in a variety of styles and settings.

Prior to band directing, Adrian served as a full-time low-brass private lesson teacher in Round Rock and Georgetown, where he routinely taught 50-60 students per week. Many of these students achieved high levels of success, including All-State, All-Area, and All-Region placements in TMEA Region 26 competitions, and consistent superior ratings at Solo and Ensemble festivals. Several are now majoring in music at institutions of higher learning.

Adrian currently lives in Leander with his wife, Victoria, children, Patrick, Olive, and Ethan, their colony of cats, and a single mischievous dog . He continues to be motivated and inspired by the wonderful students and colleagues he has the privilege of working with each day.