Lake Highlands High School Directors
Aaron Singleton
Director of Bands and Lake Highlands Area Fine Arts Coordinator
Mr. Aaron Singleton is one of the Associate Directors at Lake Highlands High School. As a member of the LH staff, Mr. Singleton conducts the Symphonic Band, teaches mixed woodwind and brass beginner classes at elementary campuses and serves as the primary instructor of marching band fundamentals and physical conditioning. He also assists the Wind Ensemble, Concert Band 1 and 2.
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.
Ms. Claire Pittman is one of the Assistant Directors at Lake Highlands High School. Her music education began in Lake Highlands cluster and she graduated from LHHS in 2010! Her responsibilities include directing the Symphonic Band, assisting with Wind Ensemble and Concert Band, teaching the Wildcat Marching Band, assisting with beginning and junior high band classes, guiding beginner band curriculum, and coordinating the LHHS Band private lesson program.
Before joining the LHHS staff, Ms. Pittman was the Associate Band Director at Killian Middle School in the Hebron HS feeder pattern, where she directed the Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band, assisted with the Honors Band, and taught all of the beginning brass classes. Under her direction, the Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band received consistent “Superior” ratings and success at UIL and local festivals. The Killian Honors Band earned state recognition as the 2018 CC TMEA Honor Band and as a result of that award performed at the TMEA Clinic and Convention in 2019. Additionally, the Killian Honors Band was one of three middle school bands invited to perform at the 2019 Midwest Band and Orchestra Convention in Chicago, Illinois. Before her time at Killian, Ms. Pittman spent two years as an Assistant Band Director at New Braunfels High School and Ninth Grade Center where she led the high school’s marching brass program as well as the ninth-grade bands.
Ms. Pittman was involved with Drum Corps International (DCI) from 2009 to 2022. She spent four summers as a performer, traveling thousands of miles across the United States and performing in nearly 30 shows each summer. Her final two years as a performer were with the Blue Devils, who have not placed lower than 5th place in DCI Finals since 1975. In the summer of 2015, she spent six weeks touring Europe as a Performing Staff Member with the Blue Devils International Corps and got to perform in the Netherlands, Italy, and Switzerland! From 2017-2022, Ms. Pittman served as a brass staff member and was a part of the team that led the Cavaliers to earn third place in brass in 2019.
Ms. Pittman is a member of the Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Music Adjudicators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, and Tau Beta Sigma. She is also an active adjudicator and clinician in the DFW Area. Ms. Pittman lives in Frisco with her fiancé Kyle and their two dogs, Jordie and Chippy.
Mr. Cardenas previously 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. Born and raised in Galveston, Texas, he began playing trumpet in the 5th grade, where his love for music grew.
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 currently serves 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.