Old Town Leander Christmas Festival

Saturday, December 3rd, 11:00 am at Old Town Leander

Old Town Leander comes alive December 3rd to spread Christmas joy throughout the community. Band of the Hills will play a concert of holiday favorites starting at 11:00 am. Other activities include the Old Town Rudolph Run, Christmas Marketplace, Hometown Parade, pictures with Santa, live performances, and local food and craft vendors.

For more information, visit the City of Leander web site and the Leander Chamber of Commerce

LOCATION
105 N Brushy Street, Leander, TX

PARKING

• Along the streets that surround Old Town.  Please do not park in front or or in the yards of Old Town residents.
• In the Leander ISD parking lots unless otherwise indicated.

The following streets will be closed all day- N. Brushy, W. South, Willis.  Bagdad & Atkins will be closed for a portion of the day.

Concert Program

• Pending

Conductors

Bob Dalrymple, Music Director

Band of the Hills has been very fortunate to have director Bob Dalrymple since the very first rehearsal in 1998. Bob received both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Texas at Austin. During his 48-year career, bands under Bob’s direction have performed and won competitions in Texas, Colorado, Louisiana, Florida, Missouri and Georgia. In 1987 his band represented the United States as the first high school band to tour Russia in years. Bob taught for 20 years in the Round Rock ISD. While at Round Rock High School, his marching band won the first UIL State Marching Contest. Bob has served as Region Band Chairman, contest chairman, clinician, adjudicator and conductor.

While at UT, Bob was President of the Fine Arts Council, President of the music service fraternity, Phi Mu Alpha, a member of Kappa Kappa Psi, worked in the Dean’s office and was a stage manager of the Austin Symphony Orchestra. He has been a member of Phi Beta Mu, Phi Mu Alpha, the Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, Phi Kappa Phi and Iota Kappa Lambda.

Mark D. Slater, Associate Conductor and Composer

Mark D. Slater received his Bachelor Degree in Music Education from the Crane School of Music at SUNY-Potadam and his Master’s Degree in Instrumental Conducting from the University of Texas at Austin. He has studied with Anthony Maiello, Tom Lee, and Glen Adait (conducting), Robert Washburn (composition), Arther Frackenpohl (orchestration), and Ray Crisara, John Schorge, and Fred “Moe” Snyder (trumpet).

A retired public school music educator of thirty-one years, Mr. Slater has taught band at all levels from fourth grade through college. Twenty-six of those years were at Old Saybrook Middle School in Old Saybrook, CT. While teaching, he was an active member of NafME, CMEA, TMEA, ASBDA, and Phi Beta Mu. He has had the privilege of serving as guest conductor for bands and festivals in Massachusetts, New York, Texas, and Connecticut.

In addition to teaching, Mr. Slater worked as a professional trumpet player in a wide range of venues. Most notably, he was the staff trumpet player for Goodspeed Musicals for over twenty years.

Mr. Slater also has a varied background as a composer and arrange for both instrumental and vocal ensembles. His most recent commissioned work for band include “Fanfare and Jubilation” for the 125th anniversary of the Crane School of Music, “Though I Walk Through The Valley” for Johnson High School in Buda, TX, and “Acadia Celebration Overture” for the Acadia Wind Ensemble in Maine.

In addition to composing and arranging, Mark is also busy teaching trumpet lessons and master classes for schools in the Hays Consolidated Independent School District.

He and his wife, Wanda, currently reside in Uhland, TX.

Maegan Schneider, Assistant Conductor

In 1995, Maegan Schneider moved to Austin to attend The Unversity of Texas School of Music. While at UT, she played oboe in The University of Texas Symphony Band and marched flags in the Longhorn Marching Band. She also served as Color Guard Section Leader and as President of Longhorn Band. She was named a Distinguished Teaching Fellow and awarded The Vincent R. DiNino scholarship. She was a counselor for Longhorn Music Camp and, upon graduation, taught at the camp as a private instructor, master class teacher, and a woodwind specialist for the bands.

Maegan graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with her degree in Music Education in 2000. She taught band at Lamar Middle School and McCallum High School, where she also served as the color guard instructor.

Maegan has taught privately for over 25 years and continues to work as a private music instructor. In 2016, she founded the Schneider Summer Band Camp. The camp’s purpose is to help her kids and their friends as well as parents to have fun making music together over the summer. She loves working with them and watching them grow while having fun together. The annual concert is a highlight of her year.

Maegan has helped teach and conduct the New Horizons Community Band, been the principle oboist and guest conductor for Band of the Hills. She is honored to serve the band in this capacity.

Maegan is married to her high school sweetheart and fellow Band of the Hills saxophonist, Ben Schneider. They live in Leander and have three children: Kaiden (17), Kase (13), and Kolbie (6). Kaiden and Kase have both performed with Band of the Hills over the years, making this a true family affair.