Bryan Viking Band - Directors and Staff

Laura Grems is in her eighth year at Bryan High School, and her third year as the Director of Bands. She served as an Associate Director at Bryan High School from 2017 through 2022 and is honored to serve as the current Director of Bands of this prestigious program. Ms.Grems serves as the primary director of the Wind Symphony, “The Pride of Bryan” Marching Band, and the Percussion Ensemble. She also assists in the instruction of the Symphonic Band and Concert Band. She also assists at Stephen F. Austin Middle School and Jane Long Intermediate School with their band programs.

Ms. Grems is the co-founder and executive director of the non-profit organization, Brazos Valley Independent Percussion. This ensemble is a bronze medalist in the TCGC Open Class State Championships, and a two time Gold medalist in the TCGC A Class State Championships. BVI has competed in both the TCG and WGI Circuits of Indoor Percussion.

Ms. Grems grew up in Vienna, Virginia where she participated in her high school band and orchestra, youth orchestra, and All-State Ensembles. Ms. Grems is a 3 time All-State Percussionist, earning first chair her senior year of high school. She later moved to Ann Arbor where she graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education, with University Honors distinction. At Michigan, Ms. Grems was an avid performer within the percussion studio and esteemed University of Michigan Symphony Band, and is on several album recordings. She was also a member of the renowned University of Michigan Percussion Ensemble as well as an orchestra pit member of the Gilbert and Sullivan Society. She also served as the Vice President for the University of Michigan’s collegiate board for the National Association for Music Education for two years.

In her free time, Ms. Grems enjoys cooking, baking, watching Formula 1 racing, cheering on her Michigan football team, and traveling and spending time with her husband and their two cats, Ava and Cado.

Zachary Spicker is in his third year with the Bryan Viking Band, serving as one of the Associate Directors. He is the primary director for the Symphonic Band, and assists with the Wind Symphony, Concert Band and the "Pride of Bryan" marching band. Mr. Spicker also assists the band programs at Stephen F. Austin Middle School, and teaches beginner woowdwind classes at Jane Long Intermediate School.

Mr. Spicker is a proud Bryan Viking Band Alumni who played in the band all four years at Bryan High School and served as Drum Major for his Junior and Senior years of high school.

In 2021, Mr. Spicker joined the world renowned Brazos Breeze Flute Choir, under the artistic direction of Ms. Penny Zent. They have performed locally and nationally, notably, at the Nation Flute Association Conference in San Antonio in the summer of 2024.

Mr. Spicker studied music education at Blinn College and earned an Associate of Arts degree in 2016, where he studied with Flute Professor Marie McElroy and was a member of the Blinn Wind Symphony, Woodwind Choir, Buccaneer Marching Band, and the well know Blinn College Flute Choir. He served as the Drum Major for the Buccaneer Marching Band for one year.
In 2020, Mr. Spicker graduated from Texas A&M University Corpus Christi with his Bachelors of Music Education, where he studied flute with Dr. Diana Sipes. At Corpus Christi, Mr. Spicker was a member of the Wind Ensemble and Texas A&M University Corpus Christi Flute Choir.He also served as the Student Conductor for the Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band for two years while studying conducting privately with Dr. Brian Shelton. Mr. Spicker is also a member of the Band Service Fraternity Kappa Kappa Psi.

Mr. Spicker is from Bryan, Texas where he has lived most of his life. He is also a very proud dad to his daughter Cheyenne Spicker. He enjoys spending time with his daughter watching lots of Disney movies. In his free time, Mr. Spicker likes to fish, go to the beach, enjoy nature, and build his collections of Funko Pops, Toy Story, and Hess Trucks.

Clayton Mills is in his first year as an Assistant Director and is excited to join the team at Bryan High School. He is the primary director for the Concert Band, and assists with the Wind Symphony, Symphonic Band and the "Pride of Bryan" marching band. Mr. Mills also assists the band programs at Stephen F. Austin Middle School, and teaches beginner brass classes at Jane Long Intermediate School.

Before joining the Bryan Viking Band team, Mr. Mills was the Associate Band Director at Stephen F. Austin Middle School in Bryan ISD. While there, he directed the Symphonic Band, assisted with the Wind Ensemble and Concert Band, and taught beginning classes at Jane Long. He also started the SFA Bronco Jazz Club, which received many awards in its innagural year.

Mr. Mills earned his degree from Baylor University and student taught in Temple ISD. While at Temple High School, Mr. Mills was the director of the Temple High School Cadet Band and assisted with all other concert and jazz ensembles. Additionally, he assisted in teaching beginner classes and the Concert Band at Lamar Middle School. While at Baylor, Mr. Mills was involved in a multitude of ensembles and groups on campus. He was an Undergraduate Staff Assistant and a Summer Intern with the Baylor University Golden Wave Band and a member of the Baylor Courtside Players. He performed at the international Midwest Clinic with the Baylor Wind Ensemble. Along with these performance opportunities, Mr. Mills spent a summer at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Twin Lakes, Michigan, as a Camp Counselor and Band Assistant.

Mr. Mills is a huge sports fan. He enjoys supporting his hometown teams (Dallas) and his Baylor Bears. He also makes it his life goal to attend a baseball game at every Major League stadium. He also enjoys playing golf and pickleball, spending time with his family and friends, and taking his Australian Shepherd “Pebbles” on walks around the neighborhood.