Page 89 - Westlake Football Program: Week 4

2025 WESTLAKE FOOTBALL PROGRAM
ASSISTANT BAND DIRECTORS ASSISTANT BAND DIRECTORS
AUSTIN BYERS
Austin Byers is currently in his second year as Assistant Director of Bands at Westlake High School in Austin,
Texas. At Westlake, he leads the visual program for the marching band, directs the Symphonic Band, and assists all
ensembles and color guard classes.
Mr. Byers is a native to Austin, TX where he graduated from Westwood High School and the University of Texas at
Austin. At UT, he received his Bachelor of Music in Music Studies and Certificate in Trombone Performance, and
completed his degree student teaching at Westlake High School and Hill Country Middle School. After graduating
from UT, he began his teaching career in the Fall of 2020 at Cypress Woods High School in Cypress, Texas where
he served as the Associate Director of Bands until his return to Westlake. During his time at Cypress Woods the
marching band was a consistent BOA Regional finalist and 6A State Marching Contest participant, and received
multiple UIL Concert and Sightreading Sweepstakes.
Mr. Byers has an extensive background in the performing arts including experiences with drum corps, winter
guard, and a professional dance company. He began his drum corps career marching baritone with the Blue
Knights Drum and Bugle Corps, and continued to perform and age-out with Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and
Bugle Corps. From his marching experience, Mr. Byers developed a passion for movement which he continued to
pursue performing with ORIGINS Open and World, an independent winter guard based out of Austin, TX. While
in college, he spent a season training and dancing with Chaddick Dance Theater, a professional modern dance
company also based out of Austin, TX.
Aside from band directing, Mr. Byers also choreographs for various band and winter guard programs throughout
Texas. During the past few years he has worked on the visual staff for Santa Clara Vanguard, and has served as a
choreographer for the Colts Drum and Bugle Corps and the Breakdown Camp.
JOHN PEARSON
Mr. Pearson is a native of North Carolina where he earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at East Carolina
University in Greenville, NC. He served as Director of Bands at Speight Middle School in Wilson, NC from 2004-
2006. While leading the Cougar Band Program, enrollment nearly doubled and a band booster organization was
formed for the first time in program history.
Mr. Pearson served as Director of Bands at Clayton High School in Clayton, NC from 2006-2016. During his
tenure at Clayton the program was considered one of the strongest in the state. Accomplishments include being
a 6 time BOA Regional Finalist, WGI Regional and World Championship Finalists and Medalists in both Winter
Guard and Concert Percussion. In 2013, the Percussion won the gold medal in Scholastic Concert Open class for
the first time in school history.
In Fall of 2016, Mr. Pearson relocated to Texas where he became the Associate Director of Bands at Belton High
School. During his 3 years at Belton, the band program showed growth in nearly all areas. All 4 Concert Bands
earned sweepstakes at UIL Contest and Sight-Reading for the first time in the Spring of 2019. The Color Guard
program grew from 18 members to 46 and were a two-time TCGC State Finalist in Scholastic A.
In Fall of 2019, Mr. Pearson accepted the assistant director of bands position at Dripping Springs High School. In
his 3 years at DSHS Mr. Pearson led the Symphonic Band to sweepstakes at UIL and doubled the Jazz Orchestra
creating a second full jazz ensemble for the first time in school history.
Mr. Pearson lives in Buda with his wife, Leigh Anne, and their two children, Brayden and Kensley, and their dog
Stella.
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