Shawn McAnear

Shawn McAnear is in his 31st year as a music educator and currently serves as Director of Bands at Bridgeland High School in Cypress, Texas, where he is in his ninth year. A graduate of Klein Forest High School, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Southwest Texas State University and a master’s degree in Educational Administration from Lamar University.

At Bridgeland, Mr. McAnear directs the Wind Symphony and the Bridgeland Marching Band. Under his leadership, the program has earned consistent UIL Sweepstakes Awards, made five appearances at the UIL 6A State Marching Band Contest—twice advancing to the State Finals—and has been a consistent finalist at Bands of America (BOA) Regional and Super Regional competitions. In 2024, the Bridgeland Marching Band was named a BOA Grand Nationals Finalist and is a proud recipient of the Sudler Shield from the John Philip Sousa Foundation.

Before his time at Bridgeland, Mr. McAnear spent 20 years at Cypress Falls High School, serving as both assistant band director and Director of Bands. A skilled percussionist, he led the Cypress Falls Percussion Ensemble to featured performances at PASIC 2004 and the BOA National Percussion Festival. His ensembles have earned six Texas Color Guard Circuit (TCGC) Class Championships, three WGI Regional Class Championships, and a bronze medal at the 2000 WGI World Championships in ‘A’ Class.

Mr. McAnear remains active as an adjudicator, clinician, and program coordinator. He is a member of TMEA, TBA, and is a Conn-Selmer VIP Educator.

He and his wife Melissa, who serves as Director of Business Services for Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, have been married for 31 years. They have two sons: Mason, a Texas A&M engineering graduate, and Braden, a senior architecture student at Oklahoma State University.