STAFF

DIRECTOR OF BANDS - Barry Spanier

MA Arts Administration/Producing - New York University

BM Music Education - University of Southern California

Barry Spanier has directed and produced music for two Olympic Ceremonies and a World Exposition, plus numerous festivals and concerts. Establishing new musical ensembles and programs has highlighted his career. For World Expo 88, he designed and directed a marching band program in an environment that previously had no such tradition. For the Sydney Olympics he directed 2,000 young musicians from 23 nations, the largest marching band in history. As leader of the New York University Orchestra Mr. Spanier built it from a 19-piece string group to an 85-piece symphony.  

Mr. Spanier was Associate conductor of the USC Trojan Bands, Venue Band Coordinator for the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics, and Founder and Executive Producer of the Gallatin Arts Festival in New York. As a trumpet player and percussionist he performed with artists Don Ellis, Lalo Schiffrin and Maynard Ferguson, amongst others. He has served as music director for dozens of musical theatre productions and recording sessions in commercial and academic settings.

Assistant Director of Bands - Andrew Szypula

MM Percussion Performance - Temple University

BM Percussion Performance - West Chester University of PA

BM Music Education - West Chester University OF PA

Andrew Szypula is a percussionist, designer, and educator from Philadelphia. After graduating with dual Bachelor’s Degrees in Music Education and Percussion Performance from West Chester University of Pennsylvania, he obtained a Master of Music degree in Percussion Performance from Temple University where he studied with orchestral percussion legends Alan Abel and Christopher Deviney.

Andrew’s extensive experience in the marching arts includes performing with the Raiders Drum and Bugle Corps, the West Chester University Marching Band, and 2009 DCI Silver Medalist Carolina Crown. In 2013, Andrew joined the cast of Blue Devils Entertainment, providing high-energy and cutting-edge marching percussion shows for clients such as the New York Knicks, New York Giants, San Fransisco 49ers, BTS, Nike, Under Armour, The NBA All Star Game, and Super Bowl XLVIII. Andrew was a performing member leader and arranger during his time in New York.

Andrew is a regular performer with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra and can be found on drums and percussion around many New Orleans live music venues. He can be heard on the 2020 LP, Outta Ya Mind from The New Orleans Johnnys and singles from Simple Sound Retreat and The Songwriter Collective. In the studio, Andrew has recorded with artists including George Porter, Jr., Khris Royal, Caren Green, Jon Cleary, and Jay Weigel. He has performed across the United States with Blue Devils Performing Arts, Windish Music and Productions, and Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps.

Marching arts design and instructional credits include Tulane University, Temple University, Medellín Gran Banda, Blue Devils Performing Arts, World Expo 2020 Dubai, Academy Performing Arts, Jersey Surf World Class Drum and Bugle Corps, St Martin Independent Indoor Percussion, and Old Bridge High School. Most recently, Andrew was signed to Extreme Music as a composer on the record Bang to Rights, a high-energy collection of Drumline tracks designed for film and television.

Andrew is a Beetle Percussion Artist, a member of the Vic Firth Education Team, and an active member of the Percussive Arts Society. 

Assistant Director of Bands - Dylan ParRilla-Koester

Master of music education, Wind Band Conducting - University of Colorado Boulder

BFA Trumpet Performance - Tulane University

Dylan Parrilla-Koester serves as Assistant Director Bands at Tulane University where he instructs and conducts the athletic and concert bands including the Tulane University Marching Band and Tulane Concert Band. He is a doctoral candidate in Music Education at Teachers College, Columbia University where he is pursuing research in the areas of college athletic bands, higher music education policy and admissions, and community engagement. He teaches instrumental conducting at Columbia’s Morningside Heights campus during summer sessions. He is an active clinician, conductor and adjudicator of scholastic ensembles, having worked with middle and high school ensembles from across the United States.

Prior to Tulane he served as Director of Instrumental Music at Herbert Hoover High School in Glendale, CA where directed the 5-time California state champion Hoover Tornado Marching Band, concert band, string orchestra, winter line, and jazz band. His ensembles have achieved straight superior ratings at festival performance. Dylan has also worked on the faculty of St. Thomas University in Miami, FL. Dylan was a Graduate Instructor at the University of Colorado Boulder where he conducted the wind bands and assisted with the athletic bands. Dylan’s drill designs and music arrangements have been performed by high schools and universities across the country including the University of Colorado, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and Tulane University. Ensembles under his direction have performed at high profile events and national TV productions such as American Idol Season 21 and the 2023 Goodyear Cotton Bowl.

Dylan has presented at state music education conferences including the Colorado State Music Educators Association conference in Colorado Springs, CO. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in trumpet performance with Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa Honors from Tulane University, a Master of Music Education with an emphasis in wind band conducting from the University of Colorado Boulder, and he is completing doctoral work in music education under the guidance of Patrick Schmidt at Teachers College Columbia University. His conducting teachers include Donald McKinney, Matthew Dockendorf, Matthew Roeder, and Maxim Samarov. Dylan is an alumnus and the Tulane chapter sponsor of Kappa Kappa Psi, and he holds professional memberships in the College Band Directors National Association, the College Music Society, Phi Beta Kappa, and the National Association for Music Education.

Program Coordinator - Anna Wildes

BM Music Education - University of Tennessee at Martin

Anna Wildes is a music educator and arts advocate originally from Munford, Tennessee. She graduated from The University of Tennessee at Martin (UTM) with her Bachelor of Music in Music Education. During her time at UTM, Anna participated in many ensembles, her favorites of which being the Aviators Marching Band and Basketball Pep Band. She has also served as a summer flute tech for many bands across West and Middle Tennessee during her career.

After her graduation, Anna branched away from music and worked in the commercial business setting. Here, she expanded on her customer service and administrative skills. Anna is excited to bring together her passion for music and administrative duties here with Tulane Bands.

Shockwave Dance Team Coach - Annie Stansbury

BS Psychology and Sociology - Tulane University

Annie Cuccia Stansbury, a native of Houma, Louisiana and third generation Tulanian, has almost 30 years of experience in dance as a performer and choreographer. She competed locally and nationally growing up, and was on the dance team at her alma mater, Vandebilt Catholic High School. While on the team, she was named a UDA All-American dancer, danced at the Capital One Bowl, and invited to dance in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.

Annie furthered her education and dance career at Tulane University, where she was on the Shockwave dance team for all four years, serving as co-captain her sophomore year and captain her junior and senior year. During that time, she had the honor of performing with Beyonce at the Superbowl halftime show, meeting Shaquille O'Neal and many other basketball greats while performing at the celebrity all-star game, dancing on Fox and Friends, being interviewed on the local news about the opening of Yulman Stadium, performing on a tv talk show, and many other memorable events. After receiving a double bachelor's degree in psychology and sociology from Tulane University, Annie went on to earn her Master of Science in Pharmacology degree from the Tulane University Medical School.

Annie continued teaching, dancing, and choreographing after college at a dancing school in Metairie, Louisiana for several years while also choreographing competition dances for local high school dance teams. At the same time, she was the assistant coach for the Shockwave dance team.

Currently, Annie is honored to be the head coach of Shockwave and a local high school dance team, while also being a high school teacher. Roll Wave!!

Brass Band Instructor - Andy Bower

BM Music Education - West Chester University of PA

 Andy Bower is a music educator, arranger, and producer based in New Orleans, Louisiana.  He is currently the Production Coordinator for Statewide Engagement at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA), and is active as a performer, recording artist, and arranger throughout the gulf south and his home state of Pennsylvania.  With over a decade of teaching experience, dozens of associated performing groups, and several recording and producing credits, Andy is a diverse presence in both the music education field and the music industry.

Andy has been a guest clinician and lecturer at Keystone College, Louisiana State University, and Loyola University of New Orleans.  He has also been invited to present at both the National Association for Music Education Convention and the international Midwest Clinic.  Andy was a quarter-finalist for the 2018 Grammy Music Educator Award and is an active member of the National Association for Music Educators, Louisiana Music Educators Association, and the Jazz Education Network.

Front ensemble coordinator - Tyler Hawk

BS Psychology and Music - Tulane University

MM Education - University of Mississippi

Tyler Hawk is a music educator and percussionist from Charlotte, North Carolina. He earned a Bachelor’s of Science with a double major in Psychology and Music from Tulane University, then went on to get a Master’s of Music with a focus in Music Education from the University of Mississippi. Tyler has previously worked as a percussion technician for schools in Tennessee and Mississippi. 

During his time at Tulane, Tyler participated in the Tulane University Marching Band, the Soundwave pep band, the Green Wave Brass Band, and the Tulane Orchestra. He continued to participate in ensembles at the University of Mississippi by participating in the Pride of the South marching band, the UM Wind Ensemble, and the Collegians Jazz Band. He also served as a musician and conductor for the UM Percussion Ensemble and the UM Orchestra. 

Color Guard Director - Rosalind Kidwell

BS Linguistics, Computer Science - Tulane University

Rosalind Kidwell is eager to reunite with the Tulane Bands program as their color guard director after her heavy involvement with the program during her time as an undergraduate at Tulane University. Rosalind graduated magna cum laude from Tulane in 2020 with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Linguistics, participating in the marching band for all 8 semesters. After two years as a member of the color guard, she became guard captain her junior year, and as a senior, she served as drum major for the 2019-2020 season. Rosalind was also president and treasurer of Kappa Kappa Psi’s Rho chapter at Tulane. Her other marching experience includes a season with the Oregon Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps, the Wyoming All State Marching Band, and EXSIGHT Winter Guard. Rosalind currently works as an install manager in the financial technology industry, so is excited to have the opportunity to work in a creative space, developing great performers in the Tulane Color Guard.