Jason Lewis
Director of Bands
Jason Lewis is the Director of Bands at Plano Senior High School. He oversees all aspects of the band program at Plano, and is the principal conductor of the Wind Ensemble and Jazz Ensemble and serves as Co-Conductor of the Symphony Orchestra. He received his Bachelor of Music in Horn Performance from The University of Texas and his Master of Music in Horn Performance from Southern Methodist University.
Prior to coming to Plano Senior High School, Mr. Lewis was the Director of Bands at Clark High School. He has also served as Associate Director of Bands at PSHS and Vines High School. Before joining the Central Cluster band staff, he was Assistant Band Director at Rosemont Middle School in Fort Worth. Under Mr. Lewis’s direction, his bands have received sweepstakes awards at UIL competitions and top honors at music festivals. Before becoming a band director, Mr. Lewis taught private horn for 10 years in the Richardson and Plano ISDs and also served as a member of the adjunct faculty at Midwestern State University and Texas Woman’s University.
As a professional musician, Mr. Lewis is a member of the Wichita Falls Symphony Orchestra. He has performed in the area with the Dallas Winds, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Plano Symphony Orchestra, and Irving Symphony Orchestra in addition to playing at churches and with other professional groups. His professional affiliations include Texas Music Educators’ Association and the DFW chapter of the American Federation of Musicians. He resides in Plano with his wife Megan and their daughters, Addison and Annabelle.
Michael A. Hernandez
Associate Director of Bands
Percussion Coordinator
Michael A. Hernandez is the Associate Director of Bands and Percussion Coordinator for the Plano Senior High School Cluster in Plano, Texas, and formerly, a founder and Operations Executive for the north Texas based percussion-publishing company, Drop6 Media, Inc.
An alumnus of the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas, Michael served as adjunct percussion faculty at Baylor University with the Golden Wave Band from 1999-2003, and in 2016 completed 24 years in music education with 21 of those years association with Plano Senior High School.
As a professional musician, he has performed with the Dallas Winds, the Allen Symphony, and the Richardson Symphony in addition to freelance work in the North Texas Metroplex. Michael was a member of the Desperadoes Steel Drum Band and the Serenaders Traditional Steel Drum Band in Trinidad and Tobago and is presently a member of the DFW-based Panhandlers Steel Drum Band. His marching percussion experiences include the Sky Ryders Drum and Bugle Corps, the Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps and the University of North Texas Drumline. Hernandez is the author of "Beats-A Drum Method," co-author of the exercise book series: "Listen In" and composer/arranger of several percussion ensembles published through Drop6 Media, Inc.
As the Plano Senior High School Associate Director of Bands, Michael conducts the Plano Symphonic Band (Non-Varsity) and the Plano Concert 2 Band (Sub Non-Varsity B). Hernandez also served as the director of the inaugural Plano Jazz Ensemble 2 in 2016. Michael's Wind Bands have been touted as being "some of the most musical performing groups in Texas."
Hernandez has coordinated the Plano Percussion Program from 1992-1999 and 2003-present. With Plano, Michael has developed a recognized, multi-faceted percussion program. The versatility of the percussion program includes concert and orchestral percussion, the Plano Middle School Drumline, the PanCats Steel Drum Band, PanRagga Pan 'Round the Neck Band, Off-Season Drum Lab, Afro-Cuban studies and ensemble, Samba Band, Tabla Ensemble, Toolkit Sonnet Drumset Ensemble, and since 2000, the very unique Plano Percussion Parent Ensemble. In addition to teaching responsibilities, Michael helped start the Plano Drumline Competition (PdlC) in 1992 and has developed the PdlC since into the longest running and one of the most respected events of its kind in the state of Texas.
Michael is well respected in the percussion idiom and in demand as a percussion instructor, drumline show designer, arranger, adjudicator and has served as percussion consultant with award winning band programs in the North Texas area, including Lake Highlands, North Mesquite, Trinity, Colleyville Heritage, and the University of Texas at Arlington. He serves as coordinator of the nationally acclaimed University of North Texas Marching Percussion Camp and formally hosted the Leigh Howard Stevens High School Summer Marimba Seminar in Plano, Tx.
He credits his music pedagogy to his many influential teachers and mentors including Dr. Robert Schietroma, Dr. Daryl Ramsey, Dr. Robert Winslow, Maestro Ansel Brusilow, Mr. Scott Mason, Dr. Jack Delaney, Mr. Marty Hurley, Dr. John Wooton, Mr. Mark Wessels, Mr. Jeff Grogan, Mr. Al Corley, Mr. James Hannah, Mr. Jeremy Kondrat, and Mrs. Kimberly Hernandez.
Hernandez' professional affiliations include American Federation of Musicians, Percussive Arts Society, The National Band Association, and Texas Music Educators Association. He is a charter member of the Malletech Master Educator Group. In addition, Michael maintains an active schedule as a freelance graphic artist with his company, DrYouSophisticatedCool (DYSC). www.dryougrfx.com
He resides in Plano, Texas with his wife, Kimberly (Robinson MS Band Director, Plano, Tx) and their son, Anthony.
Jacob Diewald
Associate Director of Bands
Jazz Coordinator
Jacob Diewald is a performer and educator based out of Dallas, Texas who serves as the Associate Director of Bands at Plano Senior High School. At PSHS, Mr. Diewald teaches the Plano Jazz Ensemble, the Plano Jazz Collective, Concert Band 1, and assists with all performing ensembles and functions of the program. Mr. Diewald is a proud graduate of Texas Tech University graduating Magna Cum Laude, and receiving a Bachelor Degree in Music Education with a Jazz Studies Certificate.
At Texas Tech, Mr. Diewald studied trumpet under the tutelage of Dr. Andrew Stetson, conducting with Dr. Sarah McKoin and Dr. Eric Allen, and Jazz Studies with Dr. Benjamin Haugland and Steven Jones. As a performer, Jacob has performed with both TTU Jazz Bands and Jazz Combos, all Concert Bands including the Symphonic Wind Ensembles' 2018 Midwest performance, a multitude of Chamber ensembles, and The Goin Band where he was a section leader for three years. As a member of the trumpet studio, Mr. Diewald was a part of Trumpet Ensembles that were competitive at the live rounds of the National Trumpet Competition, and presented at the International Trumpet Guild Convention. In 2019, he was chosen to perform as a Quarter-Finalist in the Solo Division at the National Trumpet Competition. Along with maintaining his private studio and teaching at several local programs, Mr. Diewald served as the President of the Alpha Omicron Chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi. During his tenure, there was growth in the chapter along with establishing the “TTU Swing Dance Jazz Band” and the charitable event “A Night of Swing.”
During the summers, Mr. Diewald serves on the Brass Staff at The Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps where he has been since the 2019 season. Prior to his appointment at Phantom, he marched trumpet with The Santa Clara Vanguard in the 2016 and 2018 seasons. Along with that, he has served on the staff at the Texas Tech Band and Orchestra Camp. On his off time from school, Mr. Diewald performs with the Dallas Based Brass Band, Baba Yaga Orkestar, and is a freelance musician around the DFW area.
Gerardo Chavero
Colorguard Director
Central Cluster Colorguard Coordinator
Mr. Chavero joined the Plano Sr. HS Staff in 2017 as Colorguard Director. Mr. Chavero has served in the same capacity at Clark HS since 2011. During his time at Clark, the colorguard program received the “Outstanding Colorguard” award for 10 consecutive years at the Plano East Marching Invitational Contest.
Mr. Chavero has had the opportunity to perform and compete in the Drum Corps International World Class division with both The Troopers Drum & Bugle Corps and The Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps. Within his first year of marching DCI, Mr. Chavero had the chance to perform in the top 12 finals performance with the Troopers Drum & Bugle Corps in 2009. He later performed once again in the DCI Finals performance with The Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps, DCI’s 7-time World Champions, in 2011 and 2012 earning himself a bronze medal. Mr. Chavero has also had the opportunity to compete in Winterguard International with both Mansfield High School in 2009 and Ars Nova World from 2010-2013.
Aside from colorguard, Mr. Chavero stays active within the dance community. He is currently a member of The Next Generation Dance Company located in Mesquite, TX where he has had the opportunity to work with many talented dancers in the industry such as Courtney Galiano and Mark Kanemura as well as perform in music videos and his first commercial with Nike.
