Katherine Rivera
Head Band Director
Katherine Rivera is the Head Band Director at Coppell Middle School West and is entering her tenth year of teaching. She was formerly an Associate Band Director at Coppell Middle School East for three years. Prior to East, Mrs. Rivera was the Associate Band Director at Smithfield Middle School in Birdville ISD.
Mrs. Rivera directs the Honor Winds, assists with the Concert and Symphonic Band, and teaches beginning brass, including trumpet, French horn, trombone, tuba and euphonium.
Throughout her career, the band programs she has served have placed a record number of students in the All-District, All-Region, and All-City Band processes. The bands under her direction have consistently earned unanimous superior ratings at UIL Concert & Sight-Reading Evaluation, resulting in Sweepstakes Awards. Under Mrs. Rivera’s direction, ensembles have been recognized as a winner by The Citation of Excellence in 2020 and 2024 and The National Wind Band Honor in 2025.
Mrs. Rivera earned her Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Texas Tech University (#Wreck ’Em!).
She is an active member of the Texas Music Educators Association and the Texas Bandmasters Association. Outside of the band hall, Mrs. Rivera enjoys spending time with her husband, who is a band director in Lewisville ISD and their one-year-old daughter, April!
Melanie Cheney Huddleston
Associate Band Director
Mrs. Huddleston is excited to join the West Band family! She is originally from Georgia, and obtained her Bachelor’s in Music Education from Georgia State University. She began her career teaching middle school band in the metro-Atlanta area. After getting married in 2024, Mrs. Huddleston and her husband relocated to Dallas for their careers. She just recently spent two years as an Assistant Band Director at Richardson High School. Mrs. Huddleston is primarily a flute player and has experience with multiple years as a section leader and drum major.
She enjoys teaching all grade levels of band with the common goal of creating a lifelong love of music. In her free time, you can find Mrs. Huddleston trying new coffee shops around Dallas, in a yoga or pilates class, and walking her miniature dachshund puppy, Sadie.
Randall Nguyen
Percussion Director
Mr. Nguyen has served the Coppell ISD Percussion program since 2018 and is in his fourth year as the Percussion Director.
While at Coppell, the Varsity marching band has been to UIL State Marching Band Contests and have been finalists in the Bands of America circuit. The percussion program at Coppell has been consistent medalists in multiple drumline contests in the North Texas area.
Mr. Nguyen currently holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas. He holds professional affiliations with Texas Music Educators Association, Percussive Arts Society, and Kappa Kappa Psi.
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