LASA Raptor Band

Ponder East began teaching general music and beginning band in January 1998 in Wylie, TX and then taught middle school band in Grapevine, TX from August 1998 – June 2001. He then moved to Austin, TX in August 2001 and began teaching private saxophone, clarinet, and flute lessons in the area. From 2003-2010, he taught as the part-time jazz band director at LBJ and LASA High Schools. Then, from 2006-2008, he also taught as the part-time band director at KIPP Austin College Prep. In 2011, he became a full-time band director at LBJ and LASA High Schools. In 2021, he became the associate band director at LASA High School. And in 2022, he became the Director of Bands at LASA High School.

From 2003-2015, he co-founded and co-lead the Austin Jazz Project, a week-long summer jazz improvisation camp. Since 2017, he has been a member of the faculty at the Texas Jazz & Blues Camp.

He has been the TMEA Region 18 Jazz Coordinator since 2011; became the Austin ISD Fine Arts Facilitator for HS Band in 2023; and has been the Performing Arts Department Chair at LASA for many years.

In addition to teaching music, he has pursued a career as a professional musician, playing saxophone with many bands in the area, including recordings on more than 10 albums, and performances at SXSW, ACL, Utopia Music Festival, One World Theater, House of Blues (Dallas and Houston), The Elephant Room, Parker Jazz, Monk’s, and more.

When he’s not teaching or playing music, he loves playing disc golf (Northtown is his home course.)

He and his wife Cristine have two boys, Kydan and River.

Jesus Torres serves as the Associate Band Director at LASA High School. He taught previously at East View High School, Anderson High School, and Lockhart Junior High and High School. Having grown up in Austin, graduated from McCallum HS and UT Austin, he is so happy to return to AISD and to join the LASA family. Aside from his duties at LASA, Mr. Torres serves as the Artistic Director and Conductor of the Cinematic Symphony, an Austin-based ensemble that performs the music of television, film, and video games.

When he’s not in front of an ensemble or behind a trumpet, Mr. Torres enjoys building small projects in his garage, playing disc golf, cooking, and playing board games. Along with his wife Marie, he owns and plays an embarrassing amount of board games. They live in Round Rock with their two cats, Kizzo and Daniel Creamy Tiger.

Grace Allen moved to Austin, Texas in 2018 to pursue her career in the marching arts. It is her greatest joy in life to teach a sport that helps students with overcoming challenges, building self-confidence, and finding a creative outlet unlike any other.

Originally hailing from Chicago, Illinois, Ms. Allen fell in love with Color Guard as a student in the Grenadier Band at Elk Grove High School. After graduating, she marched two seasons with the Pioneer Drum and Bugle Corps of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Her performance career continued on for many years competing in Winter Guard International (WGI). She was a member of Legacy Performing Arts 2018, Black Gold 2019-20, and ORIGINS 2022-23-24. She is a four-time Independent World Class finalist.

In addition to teaching the LASA Color Guard, Ms. Allen is a part-time guard technician at Cedar Park High School. In her free time, she enjoys sewing, costume design, video games, and studying political science and history. She has two lovely cats, Birdie and Betty. After the Marching Band season concludes, she directs LASA’s indoor Winter Guard program, which competes in the Texas Color Guard Circuit (TCGC).

Born and raised in Southern California, Nicolas Uranza is a passionate and driven musician dedicated to shaping young minds and preparing students for success both within and beyond the world of music. He brings experience from a variety of performance and educational settings, ranging from middle school indoor programs to world-class percussion ensembles.

Mr. Uranza has worked with several high school programs in the Austin area. Most notably, he served as the Front Ensemble Instructor for Hendrickson High School from 2023 to 2025 and Manor Senior High School in 2024. His performance experience includes competing with Rhythmic Force during their inaugural years in the WGI World Class division (2022 and 2023), helping the group secure a spot in the WGI World Championship Finals in 2022.

Outside of teaching and performing, Mr. Uranza enjoys rock climbing, indoor bouldering, cooking, and exploring new music across all genres.