Educational Team  

Mark Teal - Director of Bands

Mr. Teal's responsibilities include the direction of the Wind Symphony and Marching Band, assistance with the Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Bands, and support of band students across the Memorial feeder pattern. He previously served as Director of Bands at Duncanville High School.

Mr. Teal graduated from University of North Texas with a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education. While at UNT, he performed with the Wind Symphony, Classical Percussion Ensemble, Pop Ensemble, Steel Band, and the world-champion UNT Indoor Drumline. In 2000, he was also named the College Marimba World Champion.

Mr. Teal previously spent four years with the renowned Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps and has contributed to several elite drum corps programs as a percussion staff member, including Carolina Crown, Phantom Regiment, and Santa Clara Vanguard. Since 2016, Mr. Teal has served as a judge for Drum Corps International (DCI) and was honored with an invitation to serve on the World Championship Judge Panel in 2024.

Mr. Teal’s teaching career includes two years at Clark High School in Plano ISD and a remarkable 20-year tenure at Duncanville ISD. During his time there, he served as Percussion Director, Assistant Director at Reed Middle School, and Director of all five concert bands at Duncanville High School.

Mr. Teal is an active clinician and presenter, having shared his expertise at the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) Convention, the Texas Bandmasters Association (TBA), and the Western Band Conference. He is a proud member of Phi Mu Alpha and holds professional affiliations with both TMEA and TBA.

As an educational artist, Mr. Teal represents Innovative Percussion and Dynasty Band Instruments, further enhancing his ability to inspire and educate students.

At the heart of Mr. Teal’s teaching philosophy is a deep belief that every child can succeed in a supportive environment that fosters confidence, encourages positive risk-taking, and holds students accountable for their growth. His goal is for students to develop not only as musicians but also as individuals, gaining valuable life skills that extend far beyond music.

Ben Ayers - Associate Director of Bands

Mr. Ayers' responsibilities include the direction of the Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band.

Mr. Ayers graduated from The University of North Texas with a degree in Music Education. Prior to graduation, he performed with the UNT Wind Ensemble and Brass Band under the direction of Dr. Nicholas Williams. He was also an integral member of the UNT Green Brigade and UNT Basketball Band. During his time with the Green Brigade, he was a marching technician and Student Assistant to the Director. Mr. Ayers has worked with several outstanding band programs, including the Coppell High School marching band, Rock Hill High School marching band, and Azle High School indoor winds. He is an active member of Texas Music Educator’s Association (TMEA), National Association for Music Education (NAfME), Texas Bandmaster’s Association (TBA), Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and The National Eagle Scout Association.

Mr. Ayers also has a background in drum corps, marching both Trumpet and Mellophone. During his time in DCI, he marched with the Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps in 2015, The Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps in 2017, and the Blue Devils Drum Corps in 2018 and 2019, winning the DCI World Championship. 

Mr. Ayers lives in Denton, Texas with his dogs, Artemis and Athena. He loves watching the Stars, Rangers, Mavericks, Cowboys, and especially all the UNT teams. He’s an avid fisherman and will take any chance to go on a hike and find a hidden waterfall.

Jacob Carter - Percussion Director

Mr. Carter joined Memorial in 2022 after teaching three years in the Carrollton Creekview High School cluster, and three years in the Reedy cluster.
Mr. Carter holds a Master's degree in Percussion Performance from the University of Arkansas and was under the instruction of Chalon Ragsdale. He received his undergraduate degree in Musical Arts at the University of Oklahoma and was under the direction of Dr. Lance Drege.
He brings a great wealth of teaching experience, including teaching undergraduate music majors at the University of Arkansas, the percussion section of the Razorback Marching Band, the Front ensemble at Genesis Drum and Bugle Corps, and Resistance Indoor Percussion. He has also performed in numerous renowned performance groups, including The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps, Colts Drum and Bugle Corps, Gateway Indoor, Symphony of Northwest Arkansas, and the Arkansas Philharmonic.
Mr. Carter lives in Garland with his Fiance Jami Brown, and two dogs, Nico and Hera. 

Tanner Bittinger - Percussion Assistant Director

Mr. Bittinger is incredibly excited to join Memorial in 2025 after completing his Master’s in Music Performance at Sam Houston State University (SHSU) under the direction of Dr. John Lane. His Bachelor's degree is from Kent State University under the direction of Dr. Matthew Holm. While at SHSU, he assisted teaching the Bearkat Marching Band Drumline, University Percussion Ensemble, Steel Band 3, applied lessons, and performances with the Sam Houston Percussion Group, Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, and Concert Bands.

Mr. Bittinger also has several noteworthy performances, including performances at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention Chamber Ensemble Competition, Sandy Feldstein Percussion Festival, Ohio Music Education Association Convention, and a marimba concerto performance with the Sam Houston Symphony Orchestra.

Mr. Bittinger previously lived in Pennsylvania and Ohio. He has taught several organizations in recent years, including Huntsville ISD, Waller ISD, Revere HS, Seattle Cascades Drum and Bugle corps, and Southwind Drum and Bugle Corps. He also provides admin assistance to Matrix Performing Arts when visiting home. He has received performing experiences with Phantom Regiment, Matrix Open, and Matrix World ensembles, all of which are highly respected in their circuits.

Emily Myers - Color Guard Director

Ms. Myers is from North Texas and has been a part of many successful groups across the North Texas Color Guard Association (NTCA).

Ms. Myers previously worked at Marcus High School where she enjoyed choreographing, teaching, and providing lessons to color guard students throughout Lewisville ISD. 

She has performed with Mirage Performance Ensemble, The Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps, and has competed in world-class finals in both WGI World Championships and DCI World Championships.

Ms. Myers can’t wait to continue the hard work of the Warrior Color Guard and to teach all the performers alongside the excellent educators at Memorial High School!