Lake Highlands High School Directors
Aaron Singleton
Director of Bands and Lake Highlands Area Fine Arts Coordinator
Mr. Aaron Singleton serves as the Director of Bands and Lake Highlands Area Fine Arts Coordinator. As a member of the LH staff, Mr. Singleton conducts the Wind Ensemble, serves as the primary instructor of marching band, directs the LH Jazz Bands, and oversees the management of the Lake Highlands Band Program.
A 2012 graduate of L.V. Berkner High School, Mr. Singleton returned home to Richardson ISD in 2016 after completing his undergraduate degree in Music Education from Oklahoma State University. While at OSU, Mr. Singleton studied saxophone performance and pedagogy under the tutelage of Dr. Jeffrey Loeffert. Over the Summer months, Mr. Singleton is a regular leadership clinician at high schools throughout Texas as well as university band & leadership camps. Mr. Singleton owes much of his knowledge of leadership pedagogy to the several teaching opportunities provided by his mentor and former band director Frank Troyka.
As a saxophonist, Mr. Singleton has been invited to perform in Italy at the 2014 & 2015 Cortona Sessions for New Music, and in France at the 2015 World Sax Congress in Strasbourg. In his free time Mr. Singleton enjoys traveling the world, supporting the Chelsea Football Club, practicing various fitness activities, and cooking.
Mr. Cardenas is one of the Assistant Band Directors at Lake Highlands High School. His responsibilities include directing the Symphonic Band, assisting with the Wind Ensemble and Concert Band, designing and teaching choreography for the Wildcat Marching Band, teaching beginner trumpets at Forest Meadow Middle School, and coordinating the LHHS Band private lesson program.
Prior to joining the LHHS Band staff, Mr. Cardenas served as the Associate Director of Bands at MacArthur High School in Irving, Texas, where he led the marching fundamentals program of the marching band, directed the Symphonic Band and Concert Band, directed the MacArthur Jazz Band, conducted the school Musical Pit Orchestra, and worked closely with their two feeder middle school band programs.
Mr. Cardenas graduated with honors from the University of North Texas with a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education in 2020. While at UNT, he was a member of the Green Brigade Marching Band, where he spent his final season with the band on staff as a field instructor. He also performed as a solo cornet member with the UNT Brass Band under the direction of David Childs and Dr. Raquel Samayoa as well lead trumpet in the UNT Basketball Pep Band.
Mr. Cardenas has heavy background with the marching arts in all levels of the activity. He marched as a trumpet player for Genesis Drum and Bugle Corps in 2015 & 2016, the Madison Scouts in 2017, the Cadets in 2018, and finished his marching career with Carolina Crown in 2019, earning the Jim Ott Award for Best Brass Performance. Mr. Cardenas has also served on staff with Genesis Drum and Bugle Corps as a visual educator. He has also worked with the Hebron High School Marching Band as a field instructor for their 2018 & 2019 seasons, assisting in their 2019 trip to the Bands of America Grand Nationals Competition where the band received the bronze medal, 1st in music, and an invitation to the highly coveted Rose Bowl Parade.
Mr. Cardenas maintains professional affiliations with the Texas Music Educators Association and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. Outside of work, he enjoys traveling with his wife Stephanie (a first grade teacher), supporting THE Dallas Cowboys, running, and arranging marching band shows.
Abby Rieger is honored to begin their second year of teaching at Lake Highlands High School! Teacher Rieger recently served as Assistant Director of Bands at Princeton High School. During this time, they led marching visual instruction, directed the Honor Band and Concert Band, directed the Jazz Band, and assisted with the other two bands. Tr. Rieger graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of North Texas with a Bachelors of Music Education in 2024 after completing student teaching in Aubrey ISD. Prior to student teaching, Tr. Rieger taught as a marching band technician at Wakeland High School, as well as at Rock Hill High School.
Tr. Rieger is involved in the Drum Corps International community, and served as a conductor at the Bluecoats (2023) and as a drum major for the Santa Clara Vanguard (2020-2022). Currently, they 're Drum Major Instructor and Membership Coordinator at the Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps. During college, they performed with the UNT Wind Ensemble and Concert Band on flute. Before attending UNT, Rieger served as a 3-year drum major for the Hebron High School Band and performed with the Hebron Wind Symphony. Abby Rieger currently holds professional affiliations with Kappa Kappa Psi and Texas Music Educators Association. In their free time, they enjoy long distance running, calligraphy, and reading.