By Judy Truesdell

 

Four directors – Glenn Lambert, Paul Heuer, Matt Holm and Suzie Hanggi – are at the helm of Wylie East’s band, The Pride of the East.
 

Lambert, head director, is in his third school year at East. He holds a master’s degree in trumpet performance from Texas Christian University and a bachelor’s degree in music education from Texas Tech University. He was the recipient of numerous scholarships and was a Theodore Presser Music Scholar at Texas Tech.

Before coming to East to lead the new band program, he was band director at Shepton High School in Plano, one of the freshman/sophomore campuses in PISD. He also taught at South Garland High School and Shackelford Junior High in Arlington and has served often as a UIL band judge and clinician. He’s a member of the American School Band Directors Association, Texas Music Adjudicators Association, Texas All-State Concert Band Trumpet Sectional Instructor, Texas Music Educators Association and Texas Bandmasters Association, as well as a member of Kappa Kappa Psi, a national honorary band fraternity.

Lambert and his wife Holly have three daughters: Heather, age 13, Claire, 10, and Emma, 7.

Assistant Band Director Paul Heuer comes over from Wylie High School, and he said he was happy to move from the well-established program to a school where he will be able to create a “new legacy for the community.”

Heuer holds a Bachelor of Music from the University of Houston and a master’s in trumpet performance and master’s in instrumental conducting from Southern Methodist University. He taught at Tarleton State in Stephenville and Birdville High School in North Richland Hills. 

He said he enjoyed opening up the Birdville High School band program in 1999 and seeing the band grow to be a state marching band finalist and state honor band finalist in a very short time.

“I have been a part of a new program before, and it is exciting to be part of a program that has no place to go but up. I can’t wait to see where we are in a few years,” he said of the Pride.

Heuer and Lambert split teaching responsibilities and are co-directors of the marching, symphonic and concert bands.

Heuer and his wife Megan recently moved to Sachse from Grapevine. Megan plays principal oboe in the Abilene Philharmonic and is a private teacher in Plano, Richardson and Wylie. He said they have no kids, but they have “an awesome Scottish terrier named Lola.”

He also said Wylie’s students, along with the parental and administrative support, are tops.

“The students are the best! We have gone from basically nothing to something in a very short time. The kids worked very hard this season and are having a great time. They have been very open and cooperative and have caught on to new concepts quickly.

“We have great parent and administrative support here in Wylie, and because of that, are set up for success from the start.”

Matt Holm, director of percussion studies and drumline instructor, received his Bachelor of Music Education and Bachelor of Music degrees from the University of Minnesota and his Master of Music and Doctorate of Musical Arts from Arizona State University. 

He was the percussion specialist for Gilbert Unified School District in Gilbert, Ariz. and was the ASU Sun Devil Drumline instructor; that band performed in the pre-game show at Super Bowl XLII. 

Lambert said Holm is sponsored by several percussion instrument and mallet manufacturers, including Jupiter/Mapex and Innovative Percussion. “We are very lucky to have him here and hope to keep him forever!” Lambert said. 

Holm married Laura Wiedenfeld in June of this year; they live in Garland.

Regarding starting this new band, Holm said many of his students grew up with an awareness of That Wylie Band and the quality they have produced over the years. Participation has been excellent, he said, and the students seem to understand the commitment level expected.

Colorguard director Suzie Hanggi received her degree from Kennesaw State University in Georgia and taught at North Cobb High School and Kell High School. She said one of her favorite teaching accomplishments was taking the Kell High School Colorguard to the World Championships for the first time and placing second.

Hanggi is single and lives in Irving. She said the kids at East “work very hard and are trying to push their level every day.”

“I love being a part of the building stages,” she said. “The kids are brand new and so they don’t have any jaded feelings; they just do what you tell them to do.” 

Hanggi is responsible for teaching the colorguard and choreographing their flag routines.

Share This Story: