Conductors & Guest Artists

T.J. Peterman

Director of Bands

T.J. Peterman currently serves as the Director of Bands at Cypress Woods High School in Cypress, Texas. Mr. Peterman began his career at Cypress Woods seven years ago when he joined the staff in the Fall of 2017. His responsibilities include directing the Marching Band, Wind Ensemble, Concert Winds, assisting with the Symphonic Winds and Symphonic Band, and coordinating with the middle school band programs in the Cypress Woods Band cluster. During his time at Cypress Woods, the band has consistently received awards in both marching and concert band events at the regional, area, and state levels.

  • Most recently, the Cypress Woods Marching Band and NOVA placed 10th at the 2020 UIL State Marching Band Contest. In 2021, the band was named the silver-medalist at the BOA North Houston Regional and was the Lone Star Preview - Grand Champion. Since 2021, the band has been a consistent UIL State Marching Band Contest Participant and BOA Regional Finalist. In 2022, the Symphonic Winds was named a winner of the Citation of Excellence under his direction. Mr. Peterman has also served on the University Interscholastic League - Prescribed Music List Committee, and has presented at the Texas Bandmasters Association and ClarinetWorks in recent years. 

    Mr. Peterman holds a B.M. in Music Studies and Certificate in Performance from the University of Texas at Austin, as well as a M.M. in Music Education from Texas State University. While at the University of Texas at Austin, he performed in the Wind Ensemble under the direction of Jerry Junkin, as well as the Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Gerhardt Zimmermann. His primary clarinet instructors include Paula Corley and Steve Cohen. 

    His professional affiliations include Texas Music Educators Association and Texas Bandmasters Association. His mentors include: Dana Pradervand-Sedatole, Kevin Sedatole, Larry Matysiak, Keith Lancaster, Al and Paula Corley, Tom Harrington, Jodie Rhodes, Kerry Taylor, Richard and Cheryl Floyd, and John Denis.

Gabrielle Crouch

Assistant Director of Bands

Gabrielle Crouch is in her second year of teaching as an Assistant Director of the Cypress Woods High School Band. Her responsibilities include directing the Symphonic Winds and assisting with the Marching Band, Concert Winds, Symphonic Band, and Wind Ensemble. Additionally, she serves as a co-sponsor for the Tri-M Music Honor Society, a program of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) that focuses on creating future leaders in music education and music advocacy.

  • Ms. Crouch graduated from Sam Houston State University with a Bachelor of Music Education and a minor in Psychology. While at SHSU, she studied clarinet under Dr. Patricia Card and was a member of the Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Bearkat Marching Band, and Belles Voix Treble Choir. Ms. Crouch served as the Drum Major for the Bearkat Marching Band for two years and held positions in both the Beta Theta chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota and the Alpha Omicron chapter of Tau Beta Sigma.

    Prior to joining the Cypress Woods staff, Ms. Crouch served as a Marching Technician with College Park High School and taught private clarinet lessons in Conroe ISD. She completed her student teaching in Cypress-Fairbanks ISD at Labay Middle School and Cypress Woods High School under the mentorship of Mary Santarelli and Tom Harrington.

Cinjin Casillas

Director of Percussion

Cinjin Casillas is in his twelfth year with the Cypress Woods Band. Mr. Casillas is a graduate of Texas Christian University where he received his Bachelor's Degree in Music Education. Mr. Casillas is also a former member of the Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps. He has studied with percussionists Dr. Brian West, Dr. Richard Gipson, Dr. Dave Hall, and Paul Rennick.

Mr. Casillas was a member of the TCU Percussion Orchestra, a group that has won five total PASIC "Call for Tapes" competitions, the most prestigious award given to the top college percussion ensembles in the country. He was also a member of the TCU Drumline, winners of the 2012 PASIC Marching Festival. He has performed in Carnegie Hall with the TCU Wind Symphony, and at the Fiesta Bowl, Rose Bowl, and Super Bowl with the TCU Marching Band.

  • Mr. Casillas has enjoyed great success at Cypress Woods High School. Under his leadership, the percussion section has secured many best in class and caption awards at Band, Drumline, and Percussion Ensemble contests. Mr. Casillas has coached many Cypress Woods percussion students to high placements in the All-State process. Many of his students have also won music scholarships to prestigious universities. In addition to his normal duties, Mr. Casillas is a frequent clinician for percussion programs in the Houston area. His responsibilities include: Assisting with Marching Band, Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Winds, Concert Winds, and overseeing the Grades 6-12 Percussion Program. 

Samuel Belcher

Assistant Director of Bands

Mr. Belcher is in his first year of teaching, and currently serves as an Assistant Band Director at Cypress Woods High School. His responsibilities include conducting the Symphonic Band, assisting the Marching Band as the choreographer and running the visual program for the organization, and coordinating private lessons.

Mr. Belcher holds a B.M. in Music Education from the University of Houston in December of 2023. While at UH, Mr. Belcher performed with multiple ensembles, including the Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Winds, Large Trumpet Ensemble, Spirit of Houston Marching Band, and Cougar Brass. Along with that, Mr. Belcher was a member of the Kappa Kappa Psi Band Service Fraternity, where he served as President of the organization for two years.

  • Outside of UH, Mr. Belcher was involved in many programs across the Houston area. He was a marching technician at Friendswood High School, The Woodlands High School, and at Cypress Woods High School. He was also involved in DCI as a performer with the Santa Clara Vanguard from 2020-2022.

    In his last semester at UH, Mr. Belcher student taught at Willow Wood Junior High in Tomball ISD with Mr. Jim Shaw, and at The Woodlands High School in Conroe ISD with Mr. Carter Frederick. He spent the Spring semester of 2024 at Strack Intermediate in Klein ISD, where he taught all of the beginner brass classes and helped co-teach the Non-Varsity Band for UIL.

Khalil Sanders

Director of NOVA and Winter Guard

Khalil Sanders is currently in his second year at Cypress Woods High School. He has continued to grow and establish a culture of teamwork, excellence, and artistry within the color guard program since joining in 2023. He started his color guard teaching career at Putnam City West High School in Oklahoma City, OK. While at Putnam City West, he learned what it means to push himself and students to be the best they can be, winning the Outstanding Color Guard award in Ada, Oklahoma. He continued teaching the collaborative Putnam City North West Original Winter Guard, being named Independent Regional A Champions at the 2023 WGI Dallas Regional and getting the Regional A bronze medal at WGPO State Championships that same year.

  • Mr. Sanders has been involved in many performing arts throughout his life including music, theater, and color guard. Starting his color guard career in 2014, he performed with the Conroe Tiger Band and Conroe High School Theatre all throughout high school. He decided to pursue his passion for color guard and march with Crossmen Drum & Bugle Corps in 2017. Afterwards he continued his drum corps career with Phantom Regiment 2018 and received the Drum Corps International World Championships silver medal with the Bluecoats in 2019. Mr. Sanders aged out with the Bluecoats in 2021. Mr. Sanders also marched with Cypress Independent Winter Guard in 2018 winning a gold medal at TCGC Championships and becoming a world class finalist at WGI World Championships in Dayton, Ohio. He fell in love with Cypress Independent and the friendships he created and continued to grow, learn, and excel as a performer with the group in 2019.

Tom Harrington

Retired Director of Bands Cypress Woods H.S.

Tom Harrington recently retired as the band director at Cypress Woods High School in the Cypress Fairbanks ISD following a 33 year career teaching band. Prior to Cypress Woods, he taught at Twin Creeks, Dean, and Spillane Middle Schools. Mr. Harrington graduated from Westfield High School in the Spring ISD where he was in bands directed by Richard Crain and Philip Geiger. He earned his Music Education degree from The University of Houston and played trumpet in the Wind Ensemble directed by Eddie Green. He currently enjoys working as a consultant to several middle and high school band programs in the Houston area as well as a contest judge for both concert and marching bands throughout Texas.

  • In 2017 he became the band director at Cypress Woods where the Wind Ensemble was named a 2022 TMEA 6A Honor Band State Finalist and was recognized as a National Winner in the 2021 National Wind Band Honors Competition. During his six years at Cypress Woods 40 students earned a chair in one of the TMEA 6A All-State Ensembles and over 100 students earned the TMEA Area distinction. While at Dean Middle School he was named Teacher of the Year in 2003 then again at Spillane Middle School in 2011. In 2012 he was named to the Cypress Fairbanks ISD Wall of Fame. 

    Mr. Harrington has been a member of both The Texas Bandmasters Association and The Texas Music Educators Association since 1986. Additionally, he has been a member of the Alpha Chapter of Phi Beta Mu since 2005 and served as the chapter president from 2022 to 2024. In 2006 he was named as a member of the Texas Bandmasters Association Board of Directors and was the association president for the school year 2011-2012. He has also served the profession as a TMEA Region and Area Band Division chairman.

Kevin Sedatole

Director of Bands
Michigan State University

Kevin Sedatole serves as Director of Bands and Professor of Music at the Michigan State University College of Music. At MSU, Professor Sedatole serves as administrator of the entire band program totaling over 700 students that includes the Wind Symphony, Symphony Band, Concert Band, Chamber Winds, Campus Bands, Spartan Marching Band and Spartan Brass. He also guides the graduate wind-conducting program in addition to conducting the MSU Wind Symphony.

  • Prior to joining MSU, he was director of bands and associate professor of conducting at Baylor University. Previous to his appointment at Baylor he served as associate director of bands at the University of Texas and director of the Longhorn Band, and as associate director of bands at the University of Michigan and Stephen F. Austin State University.

    Sedatole has conducted performances for the College Band Directors National Association, American Bandmasters Association, Texas Music Educators Association, Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association, and the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles, as well as performances in Carnegie Hall. He has conducted across the United States and Europe. Most recently the MSU Wind Symphony, under the direction of Professor Sedatole, has given featured performances at the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic held in Chicago, Ill. and at the national conventions of the College Band Directors’ National Association held in Austin, Texas and Kansas City, Missouri. Performances conducted by Professor Sedatole have won accolades from prominent composers including Robert Beaser, John Corigliano, Michael Colgrass, Donald Grantham, David Maslanka, Ricardo Lorenz, Michael Daugherty, John Mackey, Jonathan Newman, Carter Pann, Joel Puckett, Dan Welcher as well as many others. Professor Sedatole also serves on the summer faculty of the Interlochen Music Camp, Board of Directors for the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic and as the president of the CBDNA North Central division. His international engagements include residencies at the Senzoku Gakuen College of Music, Tokyo, Japan and the Mid Europe Festival, Schladming, Austria.

Dana Pradervand-Sedatole

Associate Director of Bands
University of Houston

Dana Pradervand-Sedatole is currently in her 37th year of teaching, serves as the Past President for the Texas Music Educators Association and has recently completed her tenure as the Associate Director of Bands at the University of Houston. Prior to coming to the University of Houston, Ms. Pradervand-Sedatole was the Director of Bands at Oak Ridge High School in Conroe, TX. During her six-year tenure, the band received numerous awards including 2nd Runner-Up in the TMEA 6A Honor Band Competition, UIL State Marching Contest qualifier and a 3 time National Wind Band Honoree.

  • Dana began her teaching career as the Assistant Band Director at Monterey High School in Lubbock, Texas and later became the Director of Bands at Evans Junior High. She moved to San Antonio, Texas in 1992 to become the Director of Bands at Wood Middle School. While at Wood MS, her Wind Ensemble was a TMEA Honor Band Finalist twice.

    In 2001, she was named the Director of Bands at Judson High School in Converse, Texas. During her tenure at Judson the band enjoyed many successes including being named an Area Honor Band Finalist, performing at the Bands of America National Concert Band Festival and performing at the National Youth Concert in Carnegie Hall. Ms. Pradervand-Sedatole is a graduate of Texas Tech University and a student of Mr. James Sudduth.

    After completing her degrees, Ms. Pradervand-Sedatole began study with Mr. Eddie Green. Dana is an active clinician and adjudicator throughout the United States and is currently the conductor of the Michigan State University Spartan Youth Wind Symphony.

    She maintains professional affiliations with the American Bandmasters Association,Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Fraternity, Phi Beta Mu International Bandmasters Fraternity, Texas Music Adjudicators Association and serves on the Board of Trustees for The Foundation for Music Education. Ms. Sedatole has recently been invited to join the Yamaha Master Educator Collective.

Shirley Holstien

Guest Soloist

Shirley Stonecipher Holstien is a retired band director from CFISD serving 34 years. 

She enjoys teaching a large clarinet studio, master classes, clinics and adjudicating in the Houston area.

Many of her students continue to earn positions in the Region, Area, and All-State ensembles, and participate and perform at various Solo, Ensemble, and Concerto competitions. 

She is very thankful for her clarinet family, and feels fortunate to work with so many young clarinet students in CFISD. She is also very grateful to the band staff at both Cypress Woods and Cy-Fair High schools for allowing her to be part of their private lesson program. 

Mark Edenfield

Guest Soloist

Mark Edenfield began teaching in the Greater Houston Area in 1985 and served in the Spring, Cypress-Fairbanks, Aldine, and Katy Independent School districts.  Bands under his direction have been TMEA Honor Band Finalists, UIL State Marching Band Finalists, Bands of America Regional and Class Champions, and consistent recipients of the UIL Sweepstakes Award.  

A strong proponent of chamber music as an invaluable teaching vehicle, Mr. Edenfield became the founding director of the Cypress-Fairbanks ISD Honor Clarinet Choir in the spring of 2017.   In its short history, the Choir has performed at The Midwest Clinic, TMEA, and the Music For All National Festival.  

  • Mr. Edenfield holds a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Houston,  and a Master of Music in organ performance from Indiana University.  He has been blessed to benefit from the tutelage of Eddie Green, Richard Crain, Philip Geiger, Tom Bennett, and Denis Kidwell in music education; profound musical influence in his choral and organ experience has come from Marilyn Keiser and Robert Brewer.  Recently retired from full-time teaching, Mr. Edenfield maintains a busy schedule as a clinician and consultant throughout Texas, and he enjoys singing professionally with the The Mercury Singers as part of Houston’s renowned Mercury Chamber Orchestra.  Professional affiliations include TMEA, TBA, Phi Beta Mu International Bandmasters Fraternity, The American Guild of Organists, and The Association of Anglican Musicians.