I received my Bachelor of Music Education degree from Sam Houston State University in 2005. In the fall of that year I began my teaching career as a traveling assistant orchestra director, traveling between Barbara Bush Middle School and Vivian Field Middle School. In 2006, I moved campuses and began teaching at R. L. Turner High School as the Assistant Orchestra Director. Under my direction at RLT, both the Sub-Non Varsity and Non Varsity groups moved from getting "Good" ratings at UIL Concert and Sight Reading to Excellent and Superior ratings.
This is my first year at Ranchview High School and I could not be more excited to move this group forward and continue the tradition of excellence that has been established.
When I am not teaching, I enjoy reading books and spending time with my wife, Jessica, and daughter, Bethany.
Stephanie Sunder
Stephanie L. Sunder is joining the Fine Arts Department as Assistant Orchestra Director at Ranchview High School and Barbara Bush Middle School. This will be her third year teaching public school. Her main instrument is violin, but plays all of the string instruments.
Ms. Sunder is a proud Pennsylvania native from the beautiful Pocono Mountains of Northeastern Pennsylvania. Prior to her public school teaching career, she taught private strings in both Pennsylvania and Texas. Her youngest violin student was 3 years old and her oldest was 82 at that time. In addition to teaching, she also served as Director of Education/Community Partnerships for three local orchestras along with being the Executive Director of a Youth Orchestra. She has also performed in several orchestras throughout Pennsylvania and Texas, most currently with the Abilene Philharmonic.
Stephanie comes from a long line of Slovak ancestry and is a proud Slovak American. In addition to teaching and performing music, she also enjoys studying Slovak, Russian and Polish languages and traveling to Europe.
Along with her brother, who is also an orchestra director, violinist and composer/arranger, Ms. Sunder has a quartet business that plays throughout the DFW Metroplex at events such as weddings, corporate events and parties. In addition to traditional quartet literature, the quartet has become known for performing pop arrangements like the Beatles, the Monkees, and Electric Light Orchestra to name a few.
In her spare time you will find Ms. Sunder spending time with her family, including her 11 nieces and nephews. She also has a great-niece and a great-nephew. She also enjoys gigging with her brother and musician friends, playing strategy board games, Frisbee, hiking, biking, traveling, swimming, cooking and spending quality play time with her psychotic 20 month old Black Lab Retriever, Sasha.
Class Schedule
1st ... 7:30 AM - 8:15 AM ..... Concert Orchestra (AM)
2nd ... 8:20 AM - 9:10 AM ..... Philharmonic Orchestra
3rd ... 9:15 AM - 10:45 AM .... At Bush Middle School
4th ... 10:50 AM – 12:50 AM ... At Bush Middle School
5th ... 12:55 AM – 1:40 PM ... Symphonic Orchestra
6th ... 1:45 PM – 2:30 PM .... Concert Orchestra (PM)
**3rd and 4th periods are each 90 minutes and have an "A" day and a "B" day