Band Staff
Alanna Tate Kumme
Director of Bands
akumme@eanesisd.net
512-732-9240 (32021)
Mrs. Kumme is in her 15th year of teaching. She began her career in South Carolina, where she directed the Blythewood Middle School Band and assisted with the Blythewood High School Band. In 2014, Mrs. Kumme moved to Austin, Texas and became the assistant director at West Ridge Middle School. Mrs. Kumme was named Director of Bands at West Ridge in 2019.
Throughout her teaching career, Mrs. Kumme's bands have received consistent Superior ratings at UIL Concert and Sight-Reading Contest, and her bands have been named "Best in Class" at numerous music festivals. During her time in South Carolina, her bands were repeat recipients of the SCMEA Outstanding Performance Award.
At West Ridge, Mrs. Kumme directs the Wind Ensemble and Concert Band classes, and assists with the Symphonic Band class. She also teaches the beginning Flute, Oboe, Bassoon, Clarinet, and Saxophone classes.
In addition to teaching music, Mrs. Kumme enjoys reading, road biking, running, gardening, spending time with her husband Kurt and dogs Riley and Archie, and performing in local musical theater productions. A few of her notable performance venues as a clarinetist include: Carnegie Hall in New York City, Midwest Clinic in Chicago, CBDNA Convention in Dallas, Texas, and NCMEA Convention in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Meghan Layton
Assistant Band Director
512-732-9240 (32805)
Mrs. Layton began her journey as a musician as a French horn player in the West Ridge Middle School Band and she is very excited to be back ‘home’ in Eanes! She graduated from Baylor University in 2016 earning her bachelor’s degree in Music Education. During her time at Baylor she performed with the Baylor Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Baylor Women's Choir, The Golden Wave Marching Band, and various small ensembles. Mrs. Layton was also a facilitator of elementary music outreach programs in the Waco area, bringing small ensembles to the music classrooms to perform, inspire, and educate students about wind instruments and life as a musician.
She began her teaching career in the Dallas area at Lake Highlands Junior High in 2016. While at Lake Highlands, Mrs. Layton directed the Symphonic Band and assisted with the Wind Ensemble and Concert Band. Under her direction the Symphonic Band earned consecutive Sweepstakes Awards each year at the UIL Concert and Sight-Reading Contest.
When she is not teaching or playing her instrument, you can find Mrs. Layton hiking all over America, Longboarding with her dog, Murdock, or building epic Lego towers with her daughter, Ahri.
Chuck Fischer
Percussion Director
Chuck Fischer is an assistant band director in Eanes ISD and is beginning his 24th year in the district. He is the EISD Middle School Percussion Director, and he will be directing the WRMS Wildcat Jazz Band. Under his direction, the students in the band programs have grown and thrived as student musicians, with many of them becoming successful artists and educators in their own right. His concert bands have won numerous awards including UIL Sweepstakes Awards and Best in Classification Honors. Mr. Fischer is happy to return to the WRMS campus where he began his career teaching private lessons for the WRMS band program under the direction of Bob Parsons and Susan Glover.
Mr. Fischer has spent his career as a music educator in Eanes ISD. He has enjoyed working with the HCMS band, the WRMS band, and the WHS band as well. He is an active performing musician in Austin, TX. You might see him playing in the orchestra pit at Bass Concert Hall, swinging with the Mr. Fabulous Big Band, being creative with the Golden Hornet Project, or just having fun playing rock and roll at any of Austin's great live music venues. He has been very fortunate to get to play with such artists as Willie Nelson, The Who, and Bobby McFerrin, as well as opening for acts like Bob Newhart and Jay Leno.
Mr. Fischer is an honors graduate of the University of Texas at Austin Butler School of Music where he earned a Bachelor's Degree in Instrumental Music Studies as well as certification in Percussion Performance. He is a member of the Recording Academy (Grammy Awards), Texas Music Educator's Association, Texas Music Adjudicator's Association, and the Texas Bandmasters Association. Mr. Fischer is one of the only middle school teachers to serve on the adjudication panel for the Texas State Solo and Ensemble Contest. He is a drum set and education artist representing the Sabian Cymbal Company, and he is an endorsed artist for the Premier Drum Company USA, Musick Ltd.
Mr. Fischer lives in Northwest Austin with his wife Valerie, who is a professional cellist, and HCMS percussion student (and daughter) Marlo.
https://sabian.com/en/artist/chuck-fischer