vrhs band directors
Robert Herrings, Director of Bands
robert.herrings@leanderisd.org
Robert Tyrome Herrings, III is in his twenty-first year of teaching and has been teaching in Leander ISD since 2004. Prior to his appointment as Director of Bands at Vista Ridge High School, he was the Director of Bands at Artie Henry Middle School.
In 2003, Mr. Herrings received his Bachelor of Music Education degree from Baylor University in Waco, Texas, where he studied under Michael Haithcock, Jeff Grogan, Dr. Kevin Sedatole and Barry Hopper. While in college, Mr. Herrings was a member of the Baylor University performing wind bands, as well as a member of the Baylor University Golden Wave Band.
During his twenty years at Artie Henry Middle School, the Henry Middle School Honors Band was selected to perform at the 2008 and 2013 Western International Band Clinic in Seattle, Washington. The program was named the 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2024 TMEA Class CCC Honor Band and was also selected to perform at the 2010, 2012, 2016 and 2022 Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic. In June 2011, Mr. Herrings and the program were awarded the prestigious John Philip Sousa Foundation Sudler Silver Cup Award, and in July of the same year, Mr. Herrings was named the Phi Beta Mu Outstanding Young Bandmaster of the Year. In May of 2014, the Texas Chapter of the American School Band Directors Association awarded the Outstanding Band Program Award to the Artie Henry MS Band Program, and in November of the same year, the Henry MS Percussion Ensemble was selected to perform at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana. In 2018, the Henry MS Band Program was selected as the Texas Bandmasters Association Exemplary Middle School Band Award winner. Most recently, the program at Henry MS was named the National Band Association's Programs of Excellence Blue Ribbon Band Award winner.
An active clinician and adjudicator around the state, Mr. Herrings is a member of the Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, Texas Music Adjudicators Association, American Bandmasters Association as well as an educational consultant for the Conn-Selmer Division of Education. Mr. Herrings also serves as the Vice President of Phi Beta Mu Alpha Chapter, TMEA Region 32 Band Division Vice President, as well as the Region 32 TBA representative.
Mr. Herrings enjoys motivating young musicians to achieve the highest level of performance by sharing his extreme love and passion for music with them on a daily basis. He feels honored, privileged and extremely blessed to have a loving mother and grandmother, many great mentors, band directors and close friends who have influenced his career thus far.
Above all, his students have been his greatest inspiration!
Taylor Trevino, Associate Band Director
Mr. Trevino has served as an Associate Director and Marching Band Director at Lake Travis High School since 2015 and has been on the Santa Clara Vanguard Visual Staff since 2011, where he currently serves as the Assistant Visual Caption Manager.
Throughout his time with the Santa Clara Vanguard, Taylor has spent significant time working alongside some of the best educators in the activity and has played a part in the group's rise over the years, including the DCI World Championship year in 2018. Under his direction, the Lake Travis High School Cavalier Band has numerous first in school history moments. Through his leadership the Lake Travis High School Band not only had their first BOA Regional Finals appearance in school history but has since become a consistent BOA Regional and Super Regional finalist. The group also had its first 6A Area finals appearance, continued to make Area finals every year under his direction, including being the 6A Area Champion, and has had four consecutive appearances at the UIL 6A State Marching Contest.
At Lake Travis, he directed the Marching Band, the Non-Varsity Wind Symphony, and took the Sub-Non Varsity A and Sub-Non Varsity B groups to both of their first UIL Concert and Sightreading Contests in school history. Groups under his direction have received numerous Sweepstakes awards in both marching and concert settings. A graduate of Cedar Park High School, where he served as Trumpet Section Leader, and Texas State University, Trevino studied trumpet with Jack Laumer, Dr. Amanda Pepping, and Dr. Robert Cannon, and music education with Dr. Mary Ellen Cavitt and Dr. Amy Simmons. At Texas State University, he was also the Trumpet Section Leader and later Drum Major of the Bobcat Marching Band.
He completed his student teaching at Vandegrift High School under the guidance of Jeremy Spicer and Mike Howard, as well as served on the instructional staff for the marching band at Vandegrift in the Fall of 2012 and the school's inaugural year in 2009. He has also been on the instructional staffs at Ronald Reagan HS in San Antonio in 2010 and James Bowie HS in 2008. He has additionally taught Dum Major and Leadership courses at Texas Lutheran University's Summer Music Academy.
A longtime fan of the VR program, Mr. Trevino is incredibly excited to be joining the Ranger community.
Kate Allen, Associate Band Director
Mrs. Kate Allen graduated from McNeil High School in 2016. She attended Texas State University where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Music Studies with a trumpet concentration in 2020. Prior to her appointment at Vista Ridge High School, Mrs. Allen taught for two years in Fort Bend Independent School District as Associate Director of Bands at Clements High School where she was named Rookie Teacher of the Year by both the Clements Campus and by the school district. Her concert bands and marching bands received sweepstakes ratings at all UIL contests and her marching band competed at the 6A UIL State Marching Contest.
At Clements, she served as brass specialist, choreography teacher, and visual lead.
Mrs. Allen student taught in Leander ISD at Leander High School with Mr. Robert Selaiden. While attending Texas State, she was a marching technician for many schools in the Austin area including Westlake High School, McNeil High School, Dripping Springs High School, and Canyon High School. Mrs. Allen taught at The Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps from 2019-2023 as a high brass technician. She is currently a visual technician at The Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps.
Mrs. Allen’s drum corps experience includes marching with the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps (2017-2019). In the 2018 season, she was named “Visual Member of the Year” and in the 2019 season, she served as trumpet section leader. While at Texas State, she was a member of the Bobcat Marching Band where she served as Drum Major and, previously, trumpet section leader. In addition, she was a member of the Texas State Symphonic Band, the Texas State Wind Symphony, the Jazz Orchestra, and the Symphony Orchestra.
This will be Mrs. Allen's third year at Vista Ridge High School. She believes that Vista Ridge is a special place and she is so grateful for her wonderful students, supportive admin and colleagues, and loving parents and community. Her favorite part of her job is being around all different types of students and creating special memories with each of them.
Mrs. Allen resides in Cedar Park with her husband, Donovan, and their dachshunds, Penny and Willow. She enjoys camping, crafts, roller blading, and spending time with loved ones.
Brian Perez, Director of Percussion
Mr. Perez is excited to join the team at VRHS! “I have long admired the Vista Ridge Band, and specifically its Percussion program, for being a leader in setting the standard for what is possible in high school percussion programs,” Perez shared. “I feel incredibly honored to follow Mr. Hector Gil, and I couldn't ask for a better person to lead our team than Mr. Robert Herrings. His expertise and experience as a brilliant music educator will be a cornerstone of his leadership at VRHS, and I can’t wait to work alongside him and the rest of the Vista Ridge Band staff on our shared vision of providing a safe, nurturing place for students to belong, learn and grow.”
Mr. Perez has served as the Percussion Director at Klein Cain High School in Klein ISD since 2017. At Klein Cain HS, his roles have been directing all percussion & steel drum ensembles, writing the Cain Marching Band percussion arrangements, and helping direct and manage the percussionists at Ulrich and Doerre Intermediate Schools. The Klein Cain marching percussion has been awarded top percussion honors at several area competitions over the years, most recently receiving Grand Champion in 2022 and 2023 at the Aldine Percussion Invitational drum-line contest. The Klein Cain percussion studio also performed as a featured ensemble at the 2023 Music for All Percussion Festival in Indianapolis.
Since aging out as a member of the Santa Clara Vanguard (2000-2004), Mr. Perez has been on the percussion staff of several world class drum corps in Drum Corps International (Santa Clara Vanguard, Cavaliers, Madison Scouts and The Cadets). Currently, he is on staff with The Boston Crusaders Drum & Bugle Corps where he has taught since 2017. Over the years, the Boston Crusaders percussion team continues to revolutionize what is possible in the marching arts.
Mr. Perez has been an active educator in the Houston area for the last 20 years and received his Bachelor's Degree in Music Education from the University of Houston. He grew up in the Austin Area and is looking forward to being back in central Texas with his wife, Joni, and their three cats (Ziggy, Biskitt and Diddle).
Erin Kosman, Director of Colorguard
Erin Kosman graduated from Stockton University with a degree in Business Studies with a concentration in Marketing and Visual Arts in 2009 and her Bachelor of the Arts in Education in 2012. She has proudly directed the Vista Ridge Color Guard program for the past six years and is in her inaugural year serving as director of the Henry Middle School Color Guard program.
Erin has had an extensive marching arts career and the pleasure of teaching, choreographing, and consulting with many prestigious programs throughout the United States. Erin began her performing arts career as a baton twirler. A multi-time NJ State Champion, she performed and competed for ten years throughout the country. Highlights of her performances include NBTA World Championships at Notre Dame University, Twirl Mania Championships at Walt Disney’s Wide World of Sports, The Miss America Parade, and The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Erin’s DCI marching career includes the Crossmen in 2003 and the Phantom Regiment in 2004, 2006, and 2007.
In the winter months, Erin was a member of the Black Watch Winter Guard, one of the longest running winter guard programs in WGI history. As a member from 2004 – 2014 Erin was a seven-time WGI World Class Finalist performer. She served as captain in 2009 – 2010 and staff member 2011-2012. Erin taught the Colts Drum Corps from 2008 – 2009, served as lead guard instructor for Spirit of Atlanta 2010-2013, and color guard caption head for the Jersey Surf 2016 – 2017. Erin has also had the pleasure of choreographing for United Percussion in 2013 and Phantom Regiment in 2015. This past summer she proudly served as a staff member for the Bluecoats Color Guard.
Under her leadership the Vista Ridge Color Guard program has flourished. During her time with Vista Ridge, they have been a consistent WGI and BOA finalist program, won the 2018 Texas UIL 6A State Champions, were named a 2021 Bands of America Grand National Finalists, and were elected to perform in the 2023 Tournament of Roses Parade. The Vista Ridge winter guard has grown to include three ensembles, in which their Varsity ensemble has been Texas Color Guard State Finalists in 2019 and 2022 and 2021 WGI Virtual World Championship Finalists.
When not teaching color guard, Erin enjoys spending free time with her husband Erik and their two fluffy huskies Dakota and Penny.