Directors

Paul Heuer | paul.heuer@wylieisd.net | 972-429-3118

Paul Heuer is excited to return to Wylie ISD as director of That Wylie Band.   Paul has most recently been the Director of Bands at Reedy HS in Frisco ISD.  Mr. Heuer has also directed bands for Lovejoy ISD, Wylie ISD as an assistant at WHS and WEHS, and started his teaching career at Birdville HS in Birdville ISD.   Bands under Mr. Heuer’s direction have placed in the finals at the UIL State Marching Contest, the TMEA State Honor Band Competition and the National Wind Band Honors Project. Mr. Heuer has also taught privately in the Spring and Cypress Fairbanks districts in Houston and was adjunct professor of trumpet and horn at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas. He has performed orchestral and chamber music throughout the United States as well as appearing in concert with the Orquesta Sinfónica del Estado de México in Toluca, Mexico. Heuer has also been a member of the Texas Music Festival, Round Top Music Festival, and the Lake Placid International Trumpet Summer Institute as well as a faculty member and soloist at the Yamaha Music sponsored, Grand Valley State University Summer Trumpet Institute.
 
Paul received his undergraduate training at The University of Houston where his teachers included James Austin, Noe Marmolejo, and Allen Barnhill. While at U of H, Paul performed solo trumpet on the Grammy nominated “Planets” compact disc recording of the Moores School Wind Ensemble under conductor Eddie Green.
 
Mr. Heuer continued his education at Southern Methodist University where he received a Master’s degree in Trumpet Performance under Dallas Symphony member Tom Booth and a Master’s degree in instrumental conducting under Dr. Paul Phillips. While at SMU, Paul was the conductor of the Meadows Brass Ensemble as well as the Meadows Trumpet Ensemble. The Meadows Trumpet Ensemble placed third in the National Trumpet Competition in 2003 under Heuer’s tutelage and baton. Later that year, the trumpet ensemble was referred to as “stunning” by the International Trumpet Guild Journal for their concert performance at the International Trumpet Guild Conference.
 
 
Mr. Heuer currently resides in Plano with his wife Megan, an oboist and librarian at SMU, and their seven-year-old daughter Greta.    

Mark Schroeder | mark.schroeder@wylieisd.net | 972-429-3100 ext. 7906

Mark Schroeder is the Associate Director of Bands at Wylie High School. He started working at Wylie High School in the fall of 2014. Mr. Schroeder’s responsibilities include directing the Wind Symphony, Wind Ensemble, assisting the Symphonic Winds and Symphonic Band, assisting the TWB Marching Band, assisting Jazz Band, and assisting at McMillan JH/Davis IS & Cooper JH/Draper IS.

Mr. Schroeder attended Texas A&M University-Commerce where he performed as principal horn and pianist in the Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band. After completing his student teaching at Duncanville High School and graduating from Texas A&M University-Commerce, Mr. Schroeder helped open Kennemer Middle School in Duncanville ISD. Mr. Schroeder was an assistant middle school director at Kennemer for 3 years and the head director at Kennemer for 6 years from 2005-2014.

Mr. Schroeder holds a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Texas A&M University-Commerce and a Master’s of Music from Southern Methodist University. His professional affiliations include Texas Music Educators Association, Phi Beta Mu, Texas Music Adjudicators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, and American School Band Directors Association.

Mr. Schroeder lives in Rockwall, TX with his wife Sarah, daughter Abigail, and son Matthew.

Steve Lisko | stephen.lisko@wylieisd.net | 972-429-3100 ext. 7904

Steve Lisko joined the staff of That Wylie Band in 2015. Mr. Lisko currently teaches the Symphonic Winds Band, Jazz Band, and assists with all other band classes. Mr. Lisko previously taught at McKinney Boyd High School and J.J. Pearce High School as an assistant band director.

His bands at Pearce won numerous acknowledgments in past years, including superior ratings at UIL Contest and a “Gold Medal” award at the New York Wind Band Festival. His bands at McKinney Boyd were consistently awarded superior ratings at UIL Concert and Sight Reading contest as well as Best in Class awards at numerous other performance festivals. He attended the University of Houston Moores School of Music, where he graduated magna cum laude. While at the Moores School of Music, Mr. Lisko studied saxophone with Dr. Karen Wylie and performed in the Wind Ensemble directed by Tom Bennett.  He was also in the Spirit of Houston Cougar Marching Band under the direction of David Bertman.

Mr. Lisko is married to Mrs. Tiffany Lisko, who teaches band at Dowell Middle School. His professional affiliations include the Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, Texas Music Adjudicators Association and Kappa Kappa Psi national honorary fraternity for college band members. 

Rod Kosterman | kenneth.kosterman@wylieisd.net | 972-429-3100 ext. 7905

Mr. Rod Kosterman will begin the 2025 school year as the Percussion Director at Wylie High School, following nine years of service as the Percussion Director at Rockwall-Heath High School.

Mr. Kosterman graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Percussion Performance from UNT and was awarded Outstanding Undergraduate in Percussion for the graduating class of 2010. He then graduated magna cum laude with his Master’s in Percussion Performance from Indiana University in 2012. While at IU, he received the School of Music’s Artistic Excellence Scholarship in 2011-12 and served as the percussion department Graduate Assistant in 2012-13.

Mr. Kosterman’s composition for marimba and cello, in nebulous suspension held, won third prize in the 2010 PAS Composition Contest and is now published by Mostly Marimba. Song for Monica, a vibraphone solo, is available through Tapspace publications. He has also served in various roles on the front ensemble staff at Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps, Blue Knights Percussion Ensemble, and Vigilantes Indoor Percussion.

Mr. Kosterman enjoys spending time with his cat, Spooky, studying Spanish on Duolingo, and being with his niece, Elizabeth, the newest member of his family!

Jeromy Bailey | jeromy.bailey@wylieisd.net | 972-429-3100 

Jeromy Bailey is a career percussionist from the DFW area. Most of his time has be spent touring around the country supporting artists of all styles.

Mr. Bailey studied at The University of Texas at Arlington under Dr. Michael Varner. He has also studied with Jim Yakas, Stockton Helbing, Tim Genis, Adonis Rose, and Mike Drake.

Mr. Bailey started teaching in 2012 in Castleberry ISD. Throughout the years, he has taught in many different districts around the metroplex. In 2017, he moved to California to take on the music business. After an incredible few years on the West Coast, Mr. Bailey moved back home to start his family. The last few years, Mr. Bailey has been working to build a lesson and success culture in Carrollton/Farmers Branch ISD.

Mr. Bailey is a part of the Vic Firth Education Team, the Sabian Education Network, and a former member of the Percussive Arts Society Drumset Committee.

When Mr. Bailey isn’t teaching, or drumming, you can find him hanging out with his wife and 3 year old. He also has two dogs named Rosie and Lily.

Walter Jackson | walter.jackson@wylieisd.net | 972-429-3100

Jackson EDITEDWalter Jackson joined the Wylie Band and Color Guard staff in January of 2014. He worked alongside Amnee Elkhalid, then director, as a technician for the Wylie High School color guard and winter guard before taking over as Color Guard Director in 2015, and has worked with various award-winning marching band and winter guard programs in districts around the Dallas-Fort Worth and Denton areas and the country.

Mr. Jackson has performed with World Class organizations such as the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps (2012-2014), the Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle corps (2015-2016), and Black Gold Performing Arts (2014-2018), and since has continued to consult, choreograph, and work with various teams around the country alongside his work at Wylie. His primary focus, however, has always been on building the Wylie Color Guard program and creating a culture of dedication, excellence, and camaraderie among his students.

Since taking over, the color guard program has become a regionally and nationally competitive team, growing to become a perennial Finalist in WGI Regionals and placing in the top 30 Semi-Finalists at back-to-back WGI World Championships in 2023 and 2024 out of over 120+ teams. The color guard program has also grown to accommodate both a Junior Varsity and Middle School program, each an award-winning program in their own right, with several trophies and Championship medals to their names.

Mr. Jackson currently lives in Wylie, Tx, with his husband Jason and their two dogs, Dexter and Jack.

Jason Alexander Jackson | jason.jackson@wylieisd.net | 972-429-3000 ext. 7530

Jason Alexander Jackson has been serving in the capacity of Assistant Colorguard Director at Wylie High since 2019 and as Director of the Wylie Junior Guard program since 2020.

Mr. Jackson has been involved in the colorguard activity since 2006 and has performed with various world class teams such as The Knights Independent World (Orlando, FL), the Boston Crusaders Drum & Bugle Corps (Boston, MA), Northeast Independent World (St. Augustine FL), Carolina Crown Drum & Bugle Corps (Fort Mill, SC), Braddock Independent World (Miami, FL), and Santa Clara Vanguard International (Santa Clara, CA). He has consulted, designed, and choreographed at many schools and Independent programs, including Park Vista HS (Lake Worth, FL), West Broward HS (Pembroke Pines, FL), Somerset Academy (Pembroke Pines, FL), Boston Crusaders Drum & Bugle Corps, and the Santa Clara Vanguard Drum & Bugle Corps, earning several circuit medals, top 5 regional finalist placements, as well as the 2022 WGI Scholastic A Class World Champion and the 2023 WGI Scholastic Open Class World Champion titles. 

Since joining in 2019, Mr. Jackson is primarily focused on his work at Wylie, helping to establish the Wylie Junior Guard as a competitive force in our local winter guard circuit, and is committed to advancing the talents and confidence of his students from 7th grade through their High School graduation.

Mr. Jackson graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas in 2023 with a Bachelors of Arts in History and has a strong passion for the marching arts, bringing to the table years of experience, skill, and expertise. Mr. Jackson resides in Wylie, Tx, with his husband Walter and their two dogs, Dexter and Jack.