About Us

Mr Tiger is excited to kick-off another year with the Giddings Buffalo Band! Mr. Tiger is a seasoned band director with more than 30 years teaching experience. The 2023-2024 season marks Mr. Tiger’s 9th year at Giddings ISD and will be his first year as the Director of Bands and the Head Director for the High School Band. Prior to this year, he served as the Giddings Middle School Band Director, earning sweepstakes awards and placing 4th in the Outstanding Performance Series for ATSSB.

During the summer, he serves as a Director of Percussion for the Texoma Marching Arts and Leadership Academy, a week long band camp that attracts students from all over Texas & Oklahoma, and focuses on improving marching, performance & leadership skills. 

Before relocating to Texas, he taught for over 20 years in Durant, Oklahoma for the award winning Pride of Durant High School band. He worked alongside OBA Director of the Year, Mr. Chris Gregg, and OkMEA Hall of Fame honoree, Mr. John Parnell. During his time there, the band program earned numerous sweepstakes awards and marching contest accolades. He also led the Durant High School Jazz Band to a state championship title. 

Mr. Tiger earned his bachelor’s degree from Southeastern Oklahoma State University, where he studied music education under the direction of Dr. James Wintle, Dr. Marc White and Dr. John Locognata.

Outside of school, Mr. Tiger enjoys volunteering for SXSW, visiting friends and family back in Oklahoma, and spending time with his wife, Audrey (and their cat Kaspar).

The success Mr. Tiger has enjoyed in his career is rooted in the enthusiasm he has for music education and creating a supportive learning environment for all of his students. “Being part of a band program teaches students the value of community while creating lasting memories from fun experiences, and helps them develop skills they will carry with them the rest of their lives.” 

Mr. Leonard is very excited for his 3rd year as a band director with the Giddings Bands! He graduated from Texas State University in May 2021 with a Bachelor’s in Music Education and a minor in Psychology. He studied tuba under Raul Rodriguez and has performed with the Symphonic Winds Ensemble, the Concert Band, the Bobcat Marching Band, the Bobcat Basketball Band, and the Tuba-Euphonium Studio. 

Mr. Leonard is an advocate for the marching arts. He served as a tuba instructor on the Cadets Drum & Bugle Corps Brass Staff for their 2021 and 2022 seasons. He has also served as a marching technician with Johnson High School in Buda, Texas, Rouse High School in Leander, Texas, and Winston Churchill High School in San Antonio, Texas. There, he worked both as a visual technician and a brass technician. His drum corps experience includes the Troopers from 2015-2016 and the Bluecoats in 2017 where he marched tuba for all three years.

Outside of music, Mr. Leonard loves spending time with his wife, watching movies, cooking, and playing D&D. 

This will be Mr. Bankston's 2nd year in Giddings. He is also a former Giddings graduate. He received his associate’s degree in arts from Blinn College and received his bachelor’s degree in music education from Texas Tech University. Some of his favorite hobbies include spending time outdoors, reading books, and hanging out with friends and family. 

Ms. Najera will be joining the band staff for her first year with the Giddings Middle School and Giddings High School Bands for the 2023-2024 academic year. 

She is a South Texas native and holds a Bachelor of Music from Texas A&M University - Kingsville where she graduated in December 2020. She studied clarinet under Dr. Nancy KingSanders, Dr. Karen Bronson, and Dr. Andrea Vos-Rochefort. She has performed with the Wind Symphony, Concert Band, University Band, Kingsville Chamber Orchestra, Kingsville Chorale, Crown Quintet, and the Javelina Marching Band. 

Ms. Najera served as the Assistant Band Director for Lexington ISD for two years prior to coming to Giddings ISD. During her time at Lexington, the Lexington Middle School Bands under her direction, earned first divisions in sight-reading consecutively at the UIL contest as well as first divisions at music festivals in the area. She has had students earn spots in the All Region Bands in both middle school and high school. Her contributions to the high school program resulted in two consecutive sweepstakes awards. She has had clarinet, flute, saxophone, and percussion students earn first divisions at UIL Solo & Ensemble and advance to State Solo & Ensemble. She is most proud of creating opportunities for her students that did not exist before such as the first ever Lexington Middle School Fall Concert and the first ever Lexington ISD Bands Showcase Concert. 

Ms. Najera is excited to be at Giddings ISD and cannot wait to see all she and her students will accomplish together alongside the rest of the band staff. 

In her free time, she likes to read books, hang out with her cat Noodlez, binge watch New Girl or Law & Order: SVU, go for a run, or go to the gym! 

Ms. Najera’s professional affiliations include the Texas Music Educator’s Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, Association of Texas Small School Bands, Tau Beta Sigma, and Sigma Alpha Iota.

Ms Vicky instructs the Buffalo Gal drill team.