Amanda Klingenberg

Amanda Klingenberg is excited to join the team at Mason where she will be team-teaching the 7th and 8th grade concert bands and jazz bands, with a woodwind emphasis. She will also help instruct the woodwind section of the William Mason High School Marching Band. 

Before coming to Mason, Amanda was active as a band director for Leander Independent School District in Central Texas. Amanda helped open and build the band program at Danielson Middle School and served as one of the directors at Canyon Ridge Middle School, who in 2017 received the Sudler Cup from the John Philip Sousa Foundation.  Amanda’s bands were consistent Sweepstakes award winners at UIL Concert and Sightreading Evaluations, receiving all “superior” ratings. In addition to team-teaching the concert bands, she instructed homogeneous woodwind and brass beginner classes, and team-taught beginner percussion.

Prior to being a director in Leander ISD, Amanda taught private lessons for six years on staff with Vandegrift High School, Canyon Ridge Middle School, and Four Points Middle School, where she maintained a studio of 80 students and instructed region and all-state master classes. Amanda is a founding member of the Austin Saxophone Ensemble (ASE), composed of professional players in the Austin area, and served on the Board of Directors. She is also a co-founder and former conductor of ASE Youth, for middle and high school saxophone students.  

In addition to Danielson and Canyon Ridge Middle Schools, she has served as Head Director at Tippit Middle School in Georgetown ISD (TX) and as the Director of Bands at Central Middle School in Carrollton, GA where she also assisted with the Central-Carroll High School Marching Band.

A native of Georgia, Amanda attended The University of Texas at Austin, where she earned her Master of Music in Saxophone Performance. She studied with renowned classical saxophonist, Harvey Pittel, and performed with the UT Wind Ensemble under the direction of Jerry Junkin, Jazz Ensemble, and New Music Ensemble. Before her move from the southeast, she received her Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Alabama, where she studied classical and jazz from Grammy award-winning saxophonist, Mace Hibbard.  Amanda worked as a graduate assistant for University Bands and performed with Chamber Winds, Jazz Ensemble 1, and was a section leader and marching tech with the Marching Southerners. 

Amanda enjoys exploring the area parks and searching for the best street tacos with her husband, Brian, two sons (Hatcher and Ellison), and her mom, Penny (aka Mimi).