Matt Ehlers is the Director of Percussion for Dripping Springs High School and Middle Schools. As Percussion Director, Ehlers coordinates all of the high school and middle school percussion curriculum (6th-12th grade). Prior to his appointment at Dripping Springs he served as Director of Percussion at A.N. McCallum High School and Lamar Middle School Fine Arts Academies in Austin, Texas from 2006 to 2021. Originally from Seward, Nebraska, he graduated Cum Laude with a degree in Music Education from the University of North Texas. The Advanced Steel Band at McCallum had the honor of performing at the 2006 Percussive Arts Society International Convention, the 2007 Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, the 2012 P.A.S.I.C., and the 2012 Midwest Clinic. McCallum’s percussion ensemble was also selected as a winner of the 2015 Black Swamp Percussion Ensemble Showcase, winners of the 2015 Percussive Arts Society International Percussion Ensemble contest, and were selected to perform at the 2019 Midwest Clinic. In 2013, with the help of a Creative Classroom grant, Ehlers founded the thirty-piece Brazilian Samba School, known as the “Samba Knights,” at McCallum High School and created a community partnership with the Austin Samba School. Ehlers also appeared as a guest soloist in 2015 with the Lamar Middle School Jazz Factory at the Midwest Clinic and in 2017 with the Lamar Middle School Wind Ensemble at the Midwest Clinic. At Dripping Springs Ehlers helped the band advance to the UIL 5A State Marching Contest Finals in 2021 and qualify for the UIL 6A State Marching Contest in 2022 and 2023. The marching percussion section was also named class champion in the 2021 South Texas Classic Drumline Invitational and were invited to present a clinic at the Texas Bandmasters Convention in 2023. The Dripping Springs Percussion Ensemble placed 2nd in the 2023 Black Swamp Percussion Ensemble Showcase. Ehlers also presented a clinic alongside Moses Simon from Roma High School at the 2023 Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic titled, “Extreme Band Makeover: Percussion Edition.” His compositions and arrangements for both steel band and percussion ensemble can be found at C. Alan Publications, Boxfish Music Publishing, and Row-Loff Productions. Matt and his wife Katie live in Dripping Springs with their daughter Lily and dog Carter. They enjoy a good BBQ, listening to records, and attempting various renovations on their home.