About the Creator

Tyler Vandermeer is in his ninth year as a music educator and is the incoming Director of Bands at Monarch High School in Louisville, CO. For the last five years, Mr. Vandermeer was the Director of Instrumental Music at Columbine High School. Before his appointment at Columbine, he was the Assistant Director of Instrumental Music at Pine Creek High School from 2017-2020. He earned his Bachelors of Music Education from the University of Northern Colorado in 2017.  

In the five years that he taught at Columbine, the program exhibited significant growth and achievement. Under Mr. Vandermeer’s direction, the Columbine Marching Rebels qualified for the CBA State Marching Band Championships every year and finished as semi-finalists in the last two years, earning 9th place in 2024 which was their highest placement since 2006. The Bands, Orchestras and Jazz Band all earned consistent excellent and superior ratings. Both the Chamber Orchestra and Wind ensemble were selected to perform at their respective state festivals (CBA and CO-ASTA) consistently. The Chamber Orchestra also made Columbine history in 2022 by becoming one of the school’s first of two programs to perform at a CMEA convention, alongside the Columbine “Blue” Jazz Choir. In 2022, Mr. Vandermeer was presented with the Phi Beta Mu Kappa Chapter “Outstanding Young Bandmaster” award and in 2024, was the Columbine High School Teacher of the Year. 

Mr. Vandermeer is extremely thankful to be in a growing music community and he looks forward to his new appointment at Monarch High School. In his free time, he enjoys drinking coffee, performing with the Broncos Stampede Drumline, spending quality time with friends, and of course, his three-legged cat, Maizie.