Directors & Staff

Directors and Staff

Patrick McCarty, Director of Bands

Mr. McCarty joined BVN as Associate Director in the fall of 2022 and was appointed BVN Director of Bands beginning in 2024. Prior to arriving to Blue Valley North, Mr. McCarty served as the Director of Bands at Olathe North High School. While at Olathe North, Mr. McCarty conducted the Wind Ensemble and directed the award-winning Screamin’ Eagle Marching Band. He also co-directed the Concert Band, Basketball Pep Band, Percussion Ensembles, and assisted with the Symphonic Band and Jazz Bands. During his time, the ensembles received numerous high rating awards and honors and finalist placements, including the school’s first ever marching band appearance in a Bands of America Super Regional in St. Louis in 2018, and a first-place finish at the Ozark Mountain Marching Festival (Reed’s Springs, MO) in 2021. Mr. McCarty was also involved with teaching AP Music Theory, assisting with musicals, and the full orchestra winds and percussion.

Prior to going to Olathe, Patrick served as Director of Bands at Bellevue East High School in Bellevue, NE from 2014-2017. During his time at Bellevue East, Mr. McCarty directed and oversaw a very active band program, which included the award-winning marching band, concert band, symphonic band, and wind ensemble. The band program also boasted a thriving jazz program, basketball pep band, colorguard and winterguard program, and many other performance and educational opportunities for students. Under Mr. McCarty’s leadership, the band program grew substantially in musical quality, received superior ratings, and the Wind Ensemble was selected to perform the capstone concert at the Nebraska State Bandmasters Association 2017 Convention.

Mr. McCarty has also served as the Director of Athletic Bands and Instrumental Studies at Avila University in Kansas City, MO, from 2011 to 2014. There he directed the athletic bands and musical pit orchestra, taught music appreciation, music education courses, and private studio lessons. Prior to Avila University, Patrick was the Assistant Director of Bands at Lawrence High School from 2005-2010, where he conducted the LHS Concert Band, assisted with other ensembles, guided the percussion program, instructed beginning band classes, and helped assist the award winning LHS Marching Lions in several very successful years. He was also the permanent percussion instructor at Lawrence High School from 2003-2014.

A native of Lawrence, KS and Emporia, KS, Mr. McCarty has been an active participant in all mediums of instrumental music, including concert band, marching band, pep band, jazz band, orchestra, and percussion. Patrick is a graduate of The University of Kansas, where he earned his Bachelors of Music Education and Masters of Music Education and was a very active member of the KU Band Department. He enjoyed his membership in the KU Marching Jayhawks, KU Wind Ensemble, and back-to-back NCAA Final Four appearances with the KU Basketball Band in 2002 and 2003. Patrick was also a member of the Colts Drum & Bugle Corps in the summer of 1999.

Mr. McCarty has been a band and percussion clinician and adjudicator throughout Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Illinois for several years. He has served as a staff member of Dojo Percussion Independent WGI Indoor Drumline from Omaha, NE since from 2013-2017. He has also become well-known throughout the Midwest for his marching band and pep band arrangements, which have been performed by various high school and college bands around the country, including the Arizona State Sun Devil Athletic Bands and University of Kansas Athletic Bands.

Ryan Staines, Assistant Director of Bands

Ryan Staines joined the Blue Valley North Bands team as the Assistant Director of Bands, beginning in the 2025-26 school year. He assists with the team of directors at Blue Valley North High School, Overland Trail Middle School, and Leawood Middle School.

A native of St. Louis, MO, Mr. Staines spent seven years serving as the Assistant Director of Bands for the Windsor C-1 School District in Imperial, MO. While working with the band students at Windsor Middle School and Windsor High School, he led the 6th Grade Beginning Band, 7th Grade Junior Band, and 8th Grade Cadet Band classes, as well as the High School Symphonic Band. Mr. Staines was also the assistant for the Golden Brigade Marching Band and was the founder and director of Windsor’s WGI Winds group, Windsor Indoor.

During his time at Windsor, the Golden Brigade was a finalist at marching band festivals across the state of Missouri and has made appearances at the Bands of America Super Regionals in St. Louis and Indianapolis. The Windsor Indoor Winds program competed on the Winter Guard International circuit and was a two-time Central States Performance Association Winds division champion. The Windsor High School Wind Ensemble earned the honor of performing at the Missouri Music Educators Association Conference in January 2024, with the Windsor Middle School Cadet Band following suit in January 2025.

Prior to his time at Windsor, Mr. Staines worked with the Lafayette High School Lancer Regiment, the Fort Zumwalt South Bulldog Brigade, and the Lewis Central Titan Marching Band. He also spent time working with the students of Rockwood Valley Middle School, Crestview Middle School and Wildwood Middle School during his student teaching experience.

Mr. Staines holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music and a Master of Arts Degree in Education from Truman State University. During his time at Truman, he was a member of the trumpet studios of Dr. Gregory Jones and Dr. Eric Dickson - performing in a variety of ensembles including the Wind Symphony, Brass Choir, and Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Staines also performed with the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps, marching in the trumpet section during the 2013 and 2015 Drum Corps International seasons, as well as the 2022 Bluecoats Alumni Corps.

Martin Mendez-Higuera Percussion Director

BIO COMING SOON!

Peyton Heimburger, Percussion Instructor

Peyton Heimburger joined the Blue Valley North Band staff in the Spring 2024 as an assistant percussion instructor. Ms. Heimburger is currently a student at University of Missouri - Kansas City, where she is pursuing her Bachelor of Music Education with an expected Graduation in May 2026.

Ms. Heimburger's music career began well before she discovered her love for percussion, when she studied piano for 7 years. She then found that she enjoyed percussion and has been a percussionist for over 10 years. Prior to college, she studied with Shane Williams and Chris Treloar, and currently studies with Sandbox Percussion and David Yoon at UMKC.

In high school, Ms. Heimburger participated in the marching percussion section and performed solos that received Gold Ratings at the Missouri State Solo and Ensemble Festival from 2018-2022. From 2016-2022, she was selected as the principal percussionist in the Saint Charles County Youth Orchestra and won a concerto competition and performed the Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra with the Orchestra in 2019.

At UMKC, Ms. Heimburger performs regularly with the Conservatory Wind Ensemble, Conservatory Wind Symphony, and Conservatory Orchestra. She also participates in percussion chamber ensembles that premiere new works every year. Outside of music, she loves to spend time with her dog, read, and cook.

Tony Valera, Percussion Instructor

BIO COMING SOON!

Sarah Babkin, Colorguard Director

Sarah Babkin has been a Color Guard Instructor at Blue Valley North since 2022. Originally from Georgia, she has been involved in Color Guard since 2011. She started color guard when she was in middle school and had a passion for getting young students find fun, connection, and confidence with color guard as well. As a part of the Rockdale Future HeRoS, a district-wide middle school competitive color guard team in Conyers, GA, she learned the impact of district-wide collaboration and found a love for performing flag, rifle and dance. In high school, she marched in award winning programs at Rockdale County High School and North Oconee High School. During college, she took a break from marching to enjoy the student section at the University of Georgia and began coaching high school guard instead. However, after some time, she found herself missing performing and joined an all-age drum corps Atlanta CV for the 2021 season. She loved choreographing and coaching at Mary Persons High School and Apalachee High School so much, that upon moving to Kansas, getting connected with a band program was one of the first things she did. She is grateful to have joined the Blue Valley North Marching Mustang Band Staff and be a part of the Mustang family.

Mrs. Babkin holds a bachelor's and master's degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Georgia and taught elementary school for five years before making the switch to teach middle school. She currently teaches at Oxford Middle School in the Blue Valley School District. Outside of school and color guard, Mrs. Babkin enjoys spending time with her husband and two dogs.

Jay Maughmer, Colorguard Instructor

BIO COMING SOON!

Kim Balsinger, Leawood Middle School

Kim Balsinger join the Leawood Middle School band staff in the Fall of 2024. Prior to this role, she was a middle school band director in the Shawnee Mission School District for 18 years. In that time, Mrs. Balsinger established a culture that allowed students to feel welcome and supported. Her students identify the band room as a safe place to learn, take risks, make mistakes, and grow, because she focuses on building relationships with students and creating an environment of belonging.

During her career, Mrs. Balsinger has been honored to receive a building nomination for Kansas Teacher of the Year in 2018-2019, a nomination for KMEA East Central District middle level band director of the year in 2019, and the Shawnee Mission School District All Star Award for the 2020-2021 school year.

Mrs. Balsinger earned both her Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Music Education degrees from the University of Kansas. Her thesis was based on research involving students’ study of instrumental music and the relationship to standardized test scores. While in college, she marched with the Division 1 DCI group called Southward, which was based in Lexington, Kentucky.

Mrs. Balsinger has adjudicated solo and ensemble festivals as well as honor group auditions throughout the Kansas City area. She also teaches a private clarinet and saxophone studio. She lives with her husband, Dan, who is an audio engineer. Her professional affiliations include Kansas Music Educators Association, Music Educators National Conference, Sigma Alpha Iota Music Fraternity for Women, and Kansas Bandmasters Association.

Joel Wagoner, Overland Trail Middle School

Joel Wagoner has held the Director of Bands position at Overland Trail Middle School since 2022. As the director, he oversees all bands grade 6-8 as well as the OTMS Jazz Bands. In that time, the Falcon Band program has seen growth and increased energy.

Mr. Wagoner was born and raised in McPherson, KS where he participated band AND sports. He holds a bachelor and masters degree in Music Education from The University of Kansas. Mr. Wagoner taught band and choir in Kingman, KS for two years and then spent two years as the Director of Bands in McPherson, KS. Following his time in central Kansas, he was the Assistant Director of Bands at Blue Valley North where he directed the jazz program, the Symphonic Band, and assisted in all other aspects of the program. During his time in the Kansas City area, Mr. Wagoner has received the NEKMEA Young Director of the Year award as well as the OTMS Teacher of the Year award.

Mr. Wagoner’s wife is also a band director and teaches in the Park Hill school district. They enjoy spending time as a family with their two daughters and dog.

Madison Hines-Schmoll, Adjunct Assistant Director

Madison Hines Schmoll joined the BVN Band Staff in the Fall of 2024. She assists with the Marching Mustangs and BVN Concert Ensembles, as well as brass classes at OTMS and LMS. She is an alumna of Blue Valley North (2016), and claims roots in Overland Park after growing up across the Southeast. After graduating high school, she attended Kansas State University where she majored in Music Education and minored in Spanish. During her time at K-State, Mrs. Hines Schmoll was an active trumpet performer in all areas of instrumental music, including concert ensembles, marching band, jazz band, orchestra, and brass quintet. She also served as an Assistant Drum Major (2018) and Head Drum Major (2019) for the K-State Pride of Wildcat Land Marching Band. At the end of her undergraduate career, she was selected as the 2019 Presser Scholar, which recognizes outstanding undergraduate music majors.

After graduating from K-State in 2020, Mrs. Hines Schmoll started her teaching career as an Assistant Director of Bands in the Andover School District in Andover, Kansas. In 2022, she became the Head Director of Bands. During her four year tenure in Andover, Mrs. Hines Schmoll taught 5th -12th Band at Andover High School, Andover Middle School, Cottonwood Elementary, Wheatland Elementary, and Robert Martin Elementary Schools. She was honored as a 2022 Horizon Award Winner and 2-time Jester Award Winner for Outstanding Pit Orchestra Direction in 2023 and 2024.

As an educator, Mrs. Hines Schmoll strongly believes in the power of community and connection found in band – she strives to offer every student the opportunity to discover their role as a musician and individual in the band world and beyond. Mrs. Hines Schmoll has started her first year as a Graduate Teaching Assistant and is pursuing a Masters and PhD in Music Education at the University of Kansas. Outside of school, she stays active as a trumpet performer and enjoys being outdoors, reading, and crafting. She is married to her high school band sweetheart, Steven, who is a mechanical engineer for Textron Aviation. They have two cats - Pepper and Percy - who provide many funny stories to enhance Mrs. Hines Schmoll’s teaching!