Hailing from Lincoln, Nebraska, Liz Love is an active music educator and saxophonist in the Austin, Texas area. She is currently in her fourth year as the Director of Bands at Leander Middle School. Previous to her time at LMS, she was the Director of Bands at Grisham Middle School, where the Honors Band was selected to perform at The Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in 2019. She is a sought-after clinician and adjudicator around the state of Texas and across the country. In 2025, the Leander Middle School Honors Band was selected to perform at The Midwest Clinic as well!

Ms. Love is a founding member of the Austin Saxophone Ensemble, which is in its twelfth season and has recorded extensively. She also founded ASEYouth, a city-wide youth saxophone ensemble with the most talented middle and high school saxophonists from the Austin area. Ms. Love is a member of the Texas Music Educators Association and the Texas Bandmasters Association. She also served as the TMEA Region 26 Middle School Band Chair for four years, as well as the Region 26 TBA representative. Liz has given clinics at TMEA and TBA about mental health and the UIL Sight-Reading process, the latter with a demonstration band of students from Leander Middle School.

Ms. Love received her Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and her Master’s Degree in Saxophone Performance from the University of Texas at Austin. She has performed and recorded extensively on flute, clarinet, and saxophone at both schools and counts Susan Scarborough, Jerry Junkin, Jeff Hellmer, Harvey Pittel, and Carolyn Barber as her principal mentors.

Liz attributes her passion for music and education to her incredible music-teacher parents, Ed and Loretta. Teaching middle school kids how to play their instruments and be better people is her jam. She lives in Cedar Park, Texas with her ridiculously supportive and adorable husband, Walter.

Starbucks Order: Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew (Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew if it's in season!)

Summer Moon Order: 16 oz Quarter Winter Moon with Oat Milk

Jeremiah Ward is an Assistant Band Director at Leander Middle School, and is in his tenth year as a Band Director. Mr. Ward teaches beginner french horn, trumpet, and trombone, and assists Ms. Love with the beginning flute class. 

Jeremiah began his teaching career in Fredericksburg, where he was raised, and was given the opportunity to learn from many great directors. During the five years teaching there, Mr. Ward was able to assist many students who were selected for Region Bands, All-State Bands, and other individual honors. With several sweepstakes over the years, the highest honor was in 2019 the Honor Band was selected as a performing ensemble for the Youth Orchestra of San Antonio Invitational, a performance they were able to give in May 2021 at the Tobin Center in San Antonio, Texas. In the 2020-2021 season, Ward's ensembles also ranked in the top 6 in both categories of the ATSSB Outstanding Performance Series, as well as being named a Commended Winner of the Class A Mark of Excellence. During his time at Fredericksburg, Mr. Ward was an active member of the ATSSB Region 29/32, serving as the Region Jazz Coordinator and the Region Coordinator. 

Jeremiah also works with the International Trombone Festival as the Director of the Youth Workshop. This program is for trombonists aged 12-17 to come to the ITF and have an experience that is curated for trombone instruction from world class teachers, live concerts every night, and exclusive access to some of the worlds most foremost trombone performers of our time. 

Mr. Ward lives in the area with his wife, Michelle, and his 7 year old son, Harrison . In his free time, Mr. Ward enjoys Taekwondo, collecting Jordan’s, spending time with his family, and mowing his lawn. 

Starbucks Order : Tall Iced Americano extra ice 
Sugar Free Vanilla

Summer Moon Order: Small Iced Americano with Sugar Free Vanilla

Emily Smith is thrilled to be a part of the Tiger Band family as an Assistant Band Director in her eighth year of teaching! Ms Smith teaches Beginning Tuba, Euphonium, Double Reeds, and directs the Concert Band.

Emily grew up on the Jersey Shore and attended the University of Delaware for both her BM in Music Education and her MM in Trombone Performance. During her Masters program, she had the opportunity to be the Graduate Assistant for the Fightin Blue Hen Marching Band (go hens!). Previous to joining the LMS team, Ms. Smith was a Band Director for Colts Neck High School in NJ and at Patterson Middle School in Killeen, TX. She is also a clinician for the George N Parks Drum Major Academy in camps across the country each summer.

Ms Smith enjoys playing her trombone with the Cedar Park Winds, playing bagpipes with the Capital City Highlanders, crafting, baking sugary treats (and more importantly eating them), and using too many exclamation points in emails!!! She lives in Leander with her fabulous husband (and LHS Band Director) Mike Swiren.

Starbucks order: Brown sugar oatmilk shaken espresso

Summermoon: Any weird seasonal drink or a Matcha latte with 1/4 moon milk!

Dr. Ryan Patterson is a percussionist and educator based in Austin, Texas. He is currently serving as Adjunct percussion professor at the Austin Community College where he teaches private lessons for

percussionist and other courses. He also teaches Private lessons throughout Leander ISD, 6 th grade percussion classes, and marching band with Leander High school. He also has experience with world music, having served as performer and director of The Pans of Texas steel pan ensemble based on the University of Texas – Austin

campus. He has also performed with the Saakamu Dance Troupe and studied with them and their musicians at the Bernard Woma Dagara Music center and worked with Nani and Emmanuel Agbeli through performances in the states and study at the Dagbe Cultural Institute in Kopeyia Ghana.

Dr. Patterson is an active performer, having held positions with the Fort Smith Symphony, Poinsett Wind Symphony, the Missouri Symphony, Rare Form percussion Trio, Ensemble 228, and The Blue Notes Group. He has also had the opportunity to present at the North American Saxophone Alliance Biennial Conference and the Texas Music Educators Association. His performance experience also extends to a variety of world ensembles including Ewe Drumming and Dancing, Dagara gyil ensembles, Steel pan ensembles, and Mbira ensembles.

As an educator, Dr. Patterson’s experience extends to several different genres and ensembles. Before assuming his current position at ACC, Ryan served as the Visiting Professor of percussion at the University of Arkansas Fort Smith and the teaching assistant for both “The Pans of Texas” Steel Pan Ensemble and the University of Missouri Drumline. He has also served as Percussion Advisor for the Carolina Youth Symphony and has extensive experience in the marching arts teaching both front ensemble and battery for schools throughout South Carolina, Missouri, Texas, and Arkansas. Ryan holds degrees from Furman University (B.M.), The University of Missouri (M.M.), and The University of Texas (D.M.A.)