WISD band program to see staff changes in fall

The Whitesboro band program is seeing some big changes this year. First, Austin Nestler has been promoted to Director of Bands. The position became open in March after former director Jesse Speer announced his resignation after just one year at WISD.

Nestler has been working for Whitesboro since 2018, his first full-time position after graduating from the University of North Texas with a degree in music education.

Born in Michigan but raised in McKinney, Nestler attended North Texas schools his whole life. He played the saxophone in the McKinney High School band, and that’s when his love for music and his passion for serving others led him to pursue a career in music education.

He was hired at Whitesboro immediately after graduation, and seven years later has worked his way up through the ranks to his new position.

“I’m really looking forward to building relationships with these kids in a different capacity,” Nestler said. “I’ve known nearly all of these kids for awhile now, and it’s going to be fun to have this new experience with them.”

In the coming school year, Nestler aims to shift the band program to a mindset that creates positivity and celebrates the success of its students.

“While it’s easy to look at the big picture of contest scores and placements, we want to be sure that the student experience on the day-to-day level is enjoyable,” Nestler said.

It’s not uncommon during times of leadership change that enrollment numbers can dip, but band membership numbers for the coming school year are right on par with past years. The high school marching band is anticipating about 125 kids total in the 2025-2026 school year.

“I’m really optimistic and excited about the coming year,” Nestler said. “It’s a big challenge and the demand is high, whether from the community and external expectations or my own, but I’m ready to lace up my bootstraps and get down to work. My main goal is to make sure the kids have a great experience while maintaining high standards.”

In addition to moving Nestler into the Director of Bands role, Whitesboro ISD has also added Brittany McCue to join Connor Thompson as Assistant Band Director. 

A graduate of Whitesboro High School, McCue began attending school here in fifth grade. A trombone player in the middle school and high school bands, it wasn’t until her senior year that she decided she wanted to pursue a career as a band director.

She attended A&M Commerce and earned her music education degree, then served as a student teacher in Little Elm for a semester working with students at both the middle school and high school levels. 

Her first full-time assistant band director position was in Cleburne before taking her most recent position at a middle school in Garland. While she wasn’t necessarily looking for a new job, when she learned about the opening at Whitesboro, she was intrigued.

“I have a good mentorship with (former Whitesboro Band Director) Charles Gardner,” McCue said. “He recommended I look into the position. I took the interview, thinking worst-case scenario I’d gain some more interview experience. But it went really well.”

McCue lives in McKinney but will commute to Whitesboro each day. Her family still lives in town, so she has a place to stay when there is late-night work to be done. In a way, coming back to Whitesboro feels a bit like coming home.

“The program has always been really special to me,” McCue said. “During my college years, I used to come back here and help the band with tech and assistant directing. This position is somewhere I want to settle in and really make it my own.”

McCue understands that kids can feel uneasy with change. However, with the recent news of Nestler moving into the Director of Bands position, the students are looking forward to the coming year.

“Mr. Nestler’s first year of teaching at Whitesboro was my senior year in high school, so we’ve known each other awhile,” McCue said. “It’s going to be a learning year for both of us, but it’s working out really well. The kids are excited, and we’re already bouncing ideas off each other.”

McCue said she knows how great the WISD band program is and is looking forward to seeing how successful it can be. She’s eager to work with the younger generation to build a solid foundation for their future and is glad that her journey has come full circle.

“I’m really excited to be back where I learned what I know,” McCue said. “As a student in the Whitesboro band program, I was surrounded by great people and mentors who really shaped the person I’ve become. I’m excited to be that for someone else.”

This year’s high school marching band show package will be “Luna,” telling the story of a character who resembles and embodies the moon. Performed in several phases (of the moon), the performance will include color guard features and an impressive field design that will transport audience members to an other-worldly place. 

The program will include songs like “The New Moon in the Old Moon’s Arms” by Michael Kamen, “Rapture” by Brian Balmages and “Dark Side of the Moon” by Pink Floyd. New, custom uniforms will feature hat wraps and a space-themed purple layout with stars and sparkles, as well as a one-sleeve top whose other sleeve is a sequined arm band that is sure to catch the eye as it reflects the stadium lights.

Marching band members will meet at the end of July to prepare for the coming year with a leadership retreat mid-July (working on mindset and teaching strategies as well as learning from clinicians) and a three-day percussion camp and color guard camp. 

Be sure to cheer on the Whitesboro marching band as they compete at Bands of America in Prosper and the Sept. 27 Chris Lovejoy Marching Invitational as well as regional, area and state competitions. The public can see them perform every Friday night at home football games beginning in August. Like them on Facebook to keep up with their journey to continued success.