Ryan Johnstone

Ryan Johnstone is in his 20th year as a music educator and currently serves as the Director of Bands at Rouse High School in Leander, Texas, a position he has held since 2020. Previously, he was an associate director at Rouse for four years. At Rouse, Mr. Johnstone conducts the Honor Band and serves as the music coordinator for the marching band. All concert ensembles under his direction at Rouse have earned straight superior ratings at UIL Concert and Sightreading Evaluations throughout his career. The Rouse Honor Band was invited to perform at The Midwest Clinic in 2024 and was awarded 4th place in the Class 5A TMEA Honor Band Competition in 2023. The Rouse Marching Band has been a BOA Austin Champion and was a finalist at the 2023 BOA San Antonio Super Regional, placing 6th overall, and winning the 3A Championship. Additionally, the Rouse Marching Band was awarded the silver medal in the Class 5A UIL State Marching Band Championships in 2021 and 2023. Prior to his positions at Rouse, Mr. Johnstone served as head band director at Canyon Vista and Aledo Middle Schools. His bands at Canyon Vista and Aledo Middle consistently won superior awards at UIL and invitational festivals. Top groups at each school also advanced to the Texas Music Educator Association’s State Honor Band Competition three times under his direction.

Additionally, the Aledo Middle School Honor Winds were invited performers at the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in December 2013. Mr. Johnstone was the recipient of the “Texas Young Bandmaster of the Year” award, which he was awarded in 2012. In addition to his teaching at Rouse High School, Mr. Johnstone is an active guest clinician and music education consultant for other public school music programs. He has also been a guest conductor/teacher for the Baylor University and TCU Summer Music Camps and has served on the brass staff for the Crossmen Drum Corps based in San Antonio, Texas. As an adjudicator, he has served at events throughout Texas (UIL/TMEA), as well as in Utah and Canada, in both the marching and concert realms. He has presented clinics and served on panel discussions at the Midwest Clinic, Texas Music Educators Association Convention, and the Texas Bandmasters Convention. Mr. Johnstone is a graduate of the Curtis Institute and Yale University. He is a resident of Liberty Hill, Texas, where he lives with his wife Rachel and their two dogs, Rosie and Sophie. Rachel is also a music educator and serves as a director at Wiley Middle School in Leander ISD, part of the Rouse cluster, which has also performed at The Midwest Clinic.