Austin Townsend
Associate Director, 
Jazz Band Coordinator

Austin Townsend is in his 4th year as an Associate Band Director at L.V. Berkner High School. His responsibilities include co-conducting the Symphonic Band III, coordinating and leading the Berkner Jazz Band program, assisting with the marching band and other concert bands, and teaching sixth-grade beginner band classes at elementary campuses within the Berkner cluster. 

Mr. Townsend was most recently an Assistant Band Director at John M. Harlan High School in San Antonio, TX. While at Harlan HS, Mr. Townsend was honored as the 2021-22 Harlan HS First Year Educator of the Year and was nominated for the 2021-22 Northside ISD First Year Educator of the Year. He directed the Concert Band to their first Sweepstakes Superior 1st Division Rating at the UIL Region 29 Concert & Sight-Reading Contest. He was an invited conductor with the Wind Ensemble at the 2022 Texas Music Educators Association as the 6A Invited Honor Band. He also assisted the other directors with all aspects of the Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Jazz Band, Marching Band, Student Leadership Team, and volunteer events at feeder campuses. 

Mr. Townsend graduated with Highest Honors from The University of Texas at Austin in 2021. During his tenure at UT Austin, he studied saxophone performance with Dr. Stephen Page and music education with Dr. Robert Duke and Dr. Amy Simmons. Mr. Townsend performed at the 2017 Midwest Clinic with the UT Saxophone Ensemble, presented research regarding musical practice methods with the UT Austin Graduate Cohort at the 2021 Texas Music Educators Association Conference, was a member of the Longhorn Band, and served the College of Fine Arts in the UT Senate of College Councils. He was also a three-time consecutive Distinguished College Scholar and Presidential Horizon Scholar, distinctions awarded to people with outstanding academic records and remarkable accomplishments in their respective departments. 

Mr. Townsend is a product of the highly regarded fine arts programs in Richardson ISD and a graduate of Richardson High School. He was most notably a member of the Lone Star Youth Winds, where he was selected as the 2016 Concerto Soloist with the Youth Winds and recipient of the 2016 Jack Stewart Memorial Scholarship. In his free time, he loves to hike, grill and cook new foods, and collect high fidelity audio equipment.