Richland High School Band
Meet Our Directors
Honors Band
Marching Band
Band Fees
RABB
Private Lesson Coordinator
Mr. Mike Pickrell - Director of Bands
Mike Pickrell joined the Richland High School Band in 2013 and has served as the Director of Bands since 2018. All Concert Bands under his direction earned UIL Superior ratings every year and the Varsity Band was recognized as a 2023 TMEA 5A State Honor Band Finalist. During his tenure the Richland High School Marching Band is a UIL State Finalist, Bands of America Regional and Super Regional Finalist on multiple occasions, and a Bands of America Regional Champion.
Prior to his current appointment, Mr. Pickrell served as the Director of Bands for Williamstown High and Junior High School in Williamstown, KY. During his time both the High School and Junior High School concert bands earned recognition as Exemplary Performing Groups in the KMEA Concert and Sight-Reading Festival, and the marching band was a state finalist every year and a BOA Class A Champion and Regional Finalist. Mr. Pickrell began his career as an assistant band director at Keller High School in 2007. Mr. Pickrell was a performing member of the Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps in 2004-2005 and a Brass Instructor from 2006-2009.
His professional affiliations include Phi Beta Mu, TBA, TMAA, and TMEA. He graduated from Eastern Kentucky University with a Bachelors in Music Education, Mike currently resides in Keller, TX with his beautiful wife Sharon, loving daughter Auden, and rambunctious son Paul.
Symphonic Band
Marching Band
Jazz Band
Instrument Inventory and Rental
Locker Assignment/Checkout
Mr. Anthony Rivera - Assistant Band Director
Anthony Rivera is currently in his thirteenth year of teaching and is serving his seventh year as the assistant band director at Richland High School in North Richland Hills, TX. At Richland High School, Mr. Rivera works with the award-winning Richland Marching Band, conducts the Symphonic Band, directs the Jazz Band, and assists with the Honor and Concert Bands. Before his appointment at RHS, Mr. Rivera was the head director at Richland MS in Birdville ISD, head director at Travis Middle School in Amarillo ISD, and an assistant director in Monahans, TX. Mr. Rivera’s concert bands have consistently been named best in class and runner-up in festivals in the panhandle and DFW areas, earned unanimous superior ratings at UIL Concert Sightreading, and have advanced to the State level of the TMEA Honor Band process. The marching bands Mr. Rivera taught with have been consistent competitors at contests around Texas and have been recognized as a Bands of America Regional Champions and a UIL State Marching Contest Finalist. In addition to his band director duties, Mr. Rivera serves as a clinician to many bands across Texas and has served as a region band clinician. Mr. Rivera was a teacher of the year finalist in 2017 and 2021. Mr. Rivera is a 2011 Cum Laude graduate of West Texas A&M University and received his Master of Arts from WTAMU in 2018. He is a member of Kappa Kappa Psi, Phi Mu Alpha, Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, and the Texas Music Adjudicators Association. Mr. Rivera resides in Watauga, TX with his wife Katie, and dog Blaze.
Concert Band
Marching Band
AP Music Theory
Woodwind Coordinator Presto/Forms
Ms. Samantha Barringer - Assistant Band Director
Originally from Wixom, Michigan, Ms. Barringer is a recent graduate of Michigan State University, where she earned her degree in Music Education. At MSU, she was an active member of the Flute Studio and performed with the Symphony Band, Wind Symphony, and Spartan Marching Band. She served as drum major for four years, becoming the first female in Spartan Marching Band history to hold the position for that length of time. In the summer of 2022, she traveled to Austria and performed at the Mid-Europe Schladming and SCL Festival with the Spartan Marching Band.
Ms. Barringer began her teaching career at Mesquite High School in Mesquite ISD, where she directed the Concert Band and assisted with the marching band. Always seeking to improve as an educator, she has attended conducting symposiums at Michigan State University and Baylor University, working with leading wind conductors including Dr. Kevin Sedatole, Professor Jerry Junkin, Dr. Eric Wilson, and Dr. Mallory Thompson.
In her free time, Ms. Barringer enjoys working out, exploring the Dallas area, and spending time on the Katy Trail - her favorite spot in the city.
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Percussion
Front Ensemble
Private Lesson Coordinator (Percussion)
Mr. Nathan Hawk - Percussion Director
Nathan Hawk is an educator, arranger, and percussionist who resides in Dallas, Texas. He currently serves as the Percussion Director for Richland High School from North Richland Hills Texas. His duties include: creating a cluster wide percussion curriculum 6-12, overseeing marching percussion, and conducting the percussion ensemble.
Prior to his appointment at Richland, Mr. Hawk was the Percussion Director at Irving High School, a private lesson teacher at Duncanville and Arlington Martin HS, and music arranger at various high schools in Texas and Pennsylvania.
Mr. Hawk has been involved in the indoor drumline and drum corps activity as an instructor, Coordinator, arranger, and performer. He was a member of the Hawthorne Caballeros (2004, 2007), The Glassmen (2008-2010), and Matrix IPE (2009-2011). As an educator Mr. Hawk taught with the Glassmen (2011 snare tech), Caballeros (2012-2013 Battery Coordinator - Front Ensemble coordinator) and arranged for the Penn State University ID (2013-2014).
Mr. Hawk received a Bachelors in Music Education from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania where he studied under Dr. Gifford Howarth.
Mr. Ari Lozano - Assistant Percussion Director
Ari Lozano is in his third year with the Richland Royal Band, acting as the primary percussion lesson teacher for the cluster, as well as the front ensemble coordinator for the high school. Mr. Lozano also assists in teaching and programing the middle school percussion classes with Mr. Hawk.
Hailing from Houston, Texas, Mr. Lozano has been teaching percussion for two decades, most recently working with programs in the DFW area such as Prosper HS, Lovejoy HS, and Denton HS, where he started Roots Percussion Independent.
When he is not teaching or hanging out with his cat - Paul Thomas Anderson, Mr. Lozano writes and arranges percussion music for marching band, bowls in a local league, enjoys cooking, and is considered to be somewhat of a film connoisseur.
Percussion
Front Ensemble
Private Lessons Instructor
Email coming soon
Ms. Julianna Vazquez Brewster - Color Guard Director
Julianna Vazquez Brewster returns to the Richland Royal Band for her third year, now serving as the director of the RHS Color Guard program. After two years as an assistant director, she steps into this role, committed to continuing the growth and excellence of the program.
Born in Puerto Rico and currently residing in Fort Worth, Texas, Ms. Vazquez has six years of experience in the activity. She has performed with Mirage Performance Ensemble for two seasons, competing with Ménage in the Open Class during the 2024 season and earning a bronze medal at the WGI World Championships, followed by a season in the World Class in 2025.
Outside of teaching, Ms. Vazquez is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering with a minor in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington.