Meet the Team
Director of Orchestras, Ryan Napier
Ryan Napier is the Director of the Harpool Middle School Orchestra program. In addition to teaching at Harpool, he instructs beginner orchestra classes at Adkins and Blanton Elementary schools.
Ryan Napier grew up in Flower Mound, Texas, where he graduated from Flower Mound High School. During that time, Ryan studied double bass privately in Denton with Dr. Gudrun Raschen and attended the Bass and Cello Conservatory of Dallas. He participated in a youth exchange with the local Rotary Club, which sent him to Helsinki, Finland for a summer to learn about their culture. He went on to pursue a music education degree at the University of North Texas, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude in May of 2015. While at North Texas, he studied double bass under Jeff Bradetich and orchestral excerpts with Brian Perry. In addition to double bass, he has taken secondary lessons on violin, viola, and played cello since high school. He was also a member of the Phi Tau chapter of the professional music fraternity, Mu Phi Epsilon. During his time in the organization, he served on a variety of different committees, sang in the choir, participated in their percussion ensemble, and performed in their jazz band and symphonic band on double bass. He was also a Volunteer Tutor through the UNT Learning Center, where he tutored music theory and math classes to undergraduate students of all majors. In October of 2013, he participated in a faculty led study abroad trip to Hungary, learning about Hungarian culture and teachings of renowned music pedagogue Zoltan Kodály, and again in October of 2014 to Austria, where they learned about Austrian culture and the music pedagogue Carl Orff. He completed his student teaching in Denton ISD under the direction of Angela Harvey at Crownover Middle School and Hawk & Nelson Elementary schools and under Michelle Hanlon at Guyer High School and McNair Elementary.
As a performer, Mr. Napier has played in the UNT Concert Orchestra under direction of Dr. Clay Couturiaux, the North Texas Wind Symphony under direction of Eugene Corporon, and the UNT Symphonic Band under direction of Dennis Fischer. He gave a Senior Recital, where he played an unaccompanied bass piece in the style of a Bach Cello Suite, a baroque work accompanied by piano, and a romantic chamber piece accompanied by viola. During his time at UNT, he was a part of three recording sessions with the two wind ensembles (all released by GIA Publications) as well as a worship album by The Loverlies. Since beginning college, Ryan has sought to expand his musical horizons and has played double bass, electric bass, guitar, violin, and cello with a wide variety of groups at venues in the Dallas Metroplex area, Oklahoma, and East Texas. He previously taught private double bass and cello lessons in the Lewisville Independent School District, was a teacher in the UNT String Project, and in his last semester of classes, worked as the Assistant Music Director at Denton Calvary Academy.
Mr. Napier is a sought after adjudicator and holds professional memberships with Texas Music Educators Association, American String Teachers Association (previously), International Society of Bassists (previously), and Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honor Society. He also holds a International Tutor Training Program Certification from the College Reading & Learning Association and Music EC-12 Certification through the state of Texas. In his free time, he enjoys reading, drinking coffee, traveling, and spending time with his wife and their twin toddlers.