Staff Bios
Brandon Day - Director of Bands
Brandon Day is currently in his 4th year as Director of Bands at Burleson High School. His duties include leading the Spirit of Elks Marching Band, the BHS Wind Ensemble, as well as assisting with Symphonic Winds, Hughes and STEAM/GDDS Middle School Band classes.
Brandon went to the University of North Texas and graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education. While at North Texas, Brandon was a member of the Brass Band, Concert Band, the "Funky Fresh" Basketball Pep Band, and the UNT Green Brigade. While in his last year with the Green Brigade, he was on the marching tech staff.
Mr. Day’s most recent position was Associate Director of Bands at Azle High School, where he taught for 5 years. While at Azle, his ensembles consistently received sweepstakes at UIL Marching and Concert & Sightreading. Mr. Day is an advocate of the WGI activity. He taught an Independent A Winds group for 2 years and also created the Azle HS Indoor Winds group. In their first year of competition, Azle Winds won the 2018 WGI Scholastic Open World Championship in Dayton, Ohio. In 2019, the group went back to Dayton in World Class, earning 6th place in WGI Finals. They were also back to back NTCA Winds Champions (2018-Open Class and 2019-World Class). Mr. Day is currently on the executive board for NTCA, serving as the Winds Member at Large.
Day has been involved with drum corps since 2006. He performed with Memphis Sound Drum & Bugle Corps in 2006 and the 2007 Div 3 Championship season. He also marched with the Crossmen Drum & Bugle Corps in 2010. After performing, Mr. Day has taught on the brass staff of The Guardians, The Troopers, and the World Class Finalist Crossmen Drum & Bugle Corps.
Mr. Day currently resides in Burleson with his wife, Brittany, their kids Norah and Parker, as well as their 12 year old Min Pin, Matilda
Tyler Gerton - Associate Band Director
Tyler Gerton is currently in his 4th year at Burleson High School and is the Associate Band Director. His duties include directing Symphonic Winds and Chamber winds as well as assisting with the Spirit of the Elks Marching Band, BHS Wind Ensemble, Hughes and STEAM/GDDS Middle School Band classes.
Mr. Gerton grew up in McKinney and graduated from the University of North Texas with a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education and Lamar University with a Master's Degree in Educational Administration. The summer after graduating High School he toured across England and France with the Dr. Brian West Percussion Ensemble and went on to spend the following four summers performing with Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps (2013 – 2016), aging out as a 3-time section leader and 2 year Percussion Captain. Mr. Gerton also performed with Vigilantes Indoor Percussion in 2016 when the ensemble was named the Winter Guard International Open Class Champion at the WGI World Championships. While at North Texas, he performed with many different ensembles and held the title of Principal Percussionist of an orchestra for a year.
As an educator, Mr. Gerton was on staff with the Azle Marching Green Pride for 2 seasons, then went on to student teach at Keller Central High School and Hillwood Middle School. After aging out he immediately began teaching drum corps, and has been on staff at Guardians Drum and Bugle Corps (2017) and Genesis Drum and Bugle Corps (2018, 2019, 2020). Mr. Gerton served as the Percussion Director for Paris ISD in northeast Texas for two years before moving to Burleson. In 2021 and 2022 he led the Burleson High School Concert Winds to the band's first and second UIL Sweepstakes in program history.
Mr. Gerton currently resides in Burleson with his fiancé Travis and their two dogs Sasha and Sirius Lee.
Alex Wells - Assistant Band Director
Alex Wells is excited to start as the new Assistant Band Director at Burleson High School. His duties include teaching AP Music Theory, Chamber Winds and Hughes Middle School Beginner Double Reeds. Mr. Wells also assists with the Spirit of the Elks Marching Band, BHS Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Winds, Hughes and STEAM/GDDS Middle School Band classes.
Alex is a graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington where he earned his Bachelor's Degree in Music Education. While at UTA, Mr. Wells was a member of the Symphonic Winds, Symphony Orchestra, UTA Bassoon Ensemble, various chamber ensembles, the “Mavbrass” basketball pep band, and the Maverick Marching Band. While attending the University of Texas at Arlington, he spent his summers marching with the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps (2017) and the Boston Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps (2018-2019), aging out as the Tuba section leader.
This will be Mr. Wells’ third year of being an educator. He is joining us after spending his first two years at Northbrook Elementary School in Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD where he was the Fine Arts teacher. He started his teaching career on the Boswell High School Band of Gold instructional staff, where he taught for 2 seasons.
Mr. Wells currently lives in Fort Worth with his fiancé, Maci. He can usually be found hiking, looking for a new coffee shop, or watching a documentary with their four cats, Celeste, Toby, Azizi, and Percy.
Jack Baker - Percussion Director
Mr. Baker is currently the Director of Percussion at Burleson High School. Previously, he taught at Azle High School where he served as the Percussion Director for 5 years. During his tenure at Azle, the ensemble was a consistent medalist in WGI and NTCA circuit at the World Class level. He also was able to consistently have over 75% of the percussion studio advance to the UIL State Solo and Ensemble where 3 of his students received the outstanding performer award in a 2 year span, an award that is only given to the top 1% of soloist in the state of Texas.
Before working at Azle, Mr. Baker served as an assistant band director at Duiett Middle School where the ensemble placed 7th in the 2C Honor Band. Mr. Baker has instructed numerous groups across the state of Texas such as Austin Bowie High School in Austin, Ronald Reagan High School in San Antonio, and Claudia Taylor Johnson High School in San Antonio where he served as a student teacher.
Mr. Baker holds a bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Texas State University and was in ensembles such as the PASIC Drumline, Percussion Ensemble, Symphonic Winds, Wind Ensemble, Orchestra, and the Bobcat Band Drumline. While at Texas State Mr. Baker marched three years in the Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps Drumline and was section leader his last year there. Mr. Baker is an active member of TMEA, TBA, and is endorsed by Innovative Percussion and Evans Drumheads.
Orien Sims - Color Guard Director
Orien Sims is excited to get started as the Color Guard director at Burleson High School and Hughes Middle School! He will oversee all aspects of both Guard programs.
Orien Grew up in Gurdon, Arkansas. He graduated in 2017 and immediately went into teaching, serving as the Visual Coordinator/Color Guard Director for the Gurdon High School Marching Band. While Mr. Sims was at Gurdon the band won 4 State Champion titles. Orien has also taught at various schools in Arkansas such as Bryant High School, (Fall 2019, Winter 2020), Plesant Grove High School (Winter 2022) and Arkadelphia High School (Prresent).
Orien’s performance career began his Junior year of high school. Once he graduated he went on to perform at Henderson State University for one season. From there he went to perform with the 2018 and 2021 version of the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps as well as the 2020 version of Black Gold Open.
Orien is in the process of moving to Dallas Texas. In his free time, you can usually find him somewhere watching reality tv or in a coffee shop, listening to podcast!
Stephanie Bonebrake - Hughes MS Director of Bands
Stephanie.Bonebrake@bisdmail.net
Stephanie Bonebrake is currently the Director of Bands at Hughes Middle School. Her duties include leading the HMS Honor Band, assisting the Symphonic Band, and teaching beginner classes for: flute, clarinet, double reeds, and trumpet.
Mrs. Bonebrake graduated with a Bachelor Degree in Music Education and a Master of Education in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, both from the University of Texas at Arlington. While at UTA, Mrs. Bonebrake was a member of the Wind Ensemble, woodwind quintet, Mavs Marching Band Colorguard, and Tau Beta Sigma Honorary Music Sorority.
Mrs. Bonebrake comes to Burleson ISD from Coble Middle School in Mansfield ISD where her ensembles consistently received sweepstakes ratings at UIL Concert & Sightreading contests. Previous to Coble, she was director at Cross Timbers Intermediate in Mansfield, and Hillwood MS/Parkwood Hill IS in Keller ISD.
Mrs. Bonebrake has also been affiliated with the pageantry arts beyond college as the director of several competitive units including Fossil Ridge, Summit and Timberview High Schools, and now serves as NTCA Circuit Administrator and WGI Contest Administrator.
Currently she resides in Mansfield, Texas with her husband Brad and daughter Reagan. Her professional affiliations include Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) and the Texas Bandmasters Association (TBA).
Rebekah Rosenboom - Hughes MS Assistant Band Director
Rebekah.Rosenboom@bisdmail.net
Rebekah Rosenboom is the current Assistant Band Director at Hughes Middle School. Her duties include leading the Symphonic Band, assisting with the Honor Band, and teaching the beginner brass classes: trumpet, horn, trombone, euphonium, and tuba.
Mrs. Rosenboom received her Bachelor of Music Education from Texas Tech University. During her time at Tech, she was a member of the award winning Texas Tech Trombone Choir, Symphonic Band, Court Jesters basketball band, and Goin’ Band from Raiderland.
Mrs. Rosenboom started her career in Lorena ISD before moving to Houston. In Houston, she taught for 9 years in Klein ISD and then decided to make the change to move back to the DFW to be closer to family. Most recently she was the Band Director at Loflin Middle School in Joshua ISD where her students were able to experience success despite the challenges of the last few years.
In her free time, Mrs. Rosenboom enjoys working out with Camp Gladiator, hiking, building legos, playing her bass trombone, and being a huge Star Wars and Harry Potter nerd.
Joseph McPherson - STEAM/GDDS MS Band Director
Joseph McPherson is proud to be entering his third year serving as a STEAM/REALM Band Director. Prior to teaching in Burleson, Mr. Mac was the assistant director in Mason ISD in central Texas.
Mr. Mac grew up in Glen Rose, Texas and graduated from Texas Tech University with a Bachelor's Degree in music education. During his time at Texas Tech, Mac was the principal trombonist for the Texas Tech Symphony Orchestra as well as the Symphonic Wind Ensemble. He was lead trombone for the top jazz big band with whom he was awarded an outstanding soloist award at the Crescent City Jazz festival in New Orleans. He also participated in the Court Jesters basketball/volleyball band and was a section leader for the award winning Goin’ Band from Raiderland. While in Lubbock, Mr. Mac was on staff at Youth Orchestras of Lubbock and was honored to be chosen for the inaugural staff of the Lubbock Youth Wind Ensemble. He was also on staff at Texas Tech Band and Orchestra Camp for several years.
During his time in Mason, Mr. Mac taught 5th-12th grade band. He started two jazz ensembles, various community outreach programs, and a thriving student leadership program. While there, Mason bands increased almost 25% in size and ratings improved across the board.
In the summer of 2019, Joseph moved North to marry the love of his life. He currently resides in Fort Worth and spends his free time playing and watching basketball, playing xbox, and hiking with his wife Sarah and dog Luke.
Jason Viola - STEAM/GDDS MS Band Director
Jason Viola is excited to begin his third year as a Band Director for the STEAM/REALM bands. His duties include co-directing the Honors and Symphonic bands with Mr. McPherson. Mr. Viola also teaches the beginner double reeds, clarinet, trumpet, and french horn classes held at STEAM Middle School.
Mr. Viola received his Bachelor of Music from the University of Texas at Arlington. During his time at UTA, he performed in the Symphonic Band, Symphonic Winds, Wind Symphony, Trumpet Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Orchestra, and Maverick Marching Band. During his final year at UTA, Mr. Viola served as a member of the undergraduate marching staff in the fall and performed with the Wind Symphony at TMEA in the spring.
Mr. Viola found his first position as a long-term substitute at Plano East Senior High, and took on the duties of an Associate Director of Bands. During his time at PESH, he led the Concert and Varsity bands, and assisted with the Wind Symphony and Symphonic Band. He took the combined Concert and Varsity bands to UIL where they received sweepstakes, assisted in hosting the Solo & Ensemble contest at PESH, and assisted in organizing the band trip to New York.
Mr. Viola currently resides near Downtown Fort Worth with his husky, Max, and his cat, Yoda. During his spare time he likes to watch shows, documentaries, and play video games.