Kristen Eck earned her degree in Music Education from University of Houston, and began her professional career as a freelance trumpeter, while teaching private lessons and marching band at several competitive Houston area band programs including Clear Creek, North Shore, Pearland, Clements, and The Woodlands. She has since served as an elementary music teacher in Spring, TX and then continued as an assistant band director at Morton Ranch High School in Katy, TX. While at Morton Ranch, she led the jazz history & improv class, the MRHS Jazz Band, the marching visual program, and her ensembles consistently received superior ratings in both UIL marching and concert band contests.
Kristen taught on the brass instructional team at the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps from 2016-2022, specializing in mellophone, and served in an additional brass caption coordination role from 2021-2022. She then taught with the incredible brass teams at Blue Devils A and Mandarins Drum and Bugle Corps 2023-2024. Kristen is humbled and honored to continue serving the brass team at The Mandarins in her new role as Assistant Brass Caption Head, and continue building on the legacy so many have sustained for decades.
Outside of music, Kristen lives in Dayton, OH with her husband Joe, dachshunds Lily and Henry, and serves as Student Success Coordinator at University of Cincinnati. She enjoys all things music, yoga, food, travel, and helping people.