Ryan Meisel is in his 16th year of teaching in the Wisconsin public schools but his first year as Associate Band Director at Arrowhead High School.  He will be directing the Concert Band, Symphonic North, 3 O'Clock Jazz Band, teaching Music Foundations and will be sharing responsibilities in directing the Jazz Ensemble. Prior to Arrowhead, Mr. Meisel spent 12 years as a k-8 music teacher at Erin School in Hartford teaching general music k-4, 5th grade beginning band, and 6-8th grade middle school band.  He also spent the last three years as Director of Bands at New Berlin Eisenhower where he oversaw the 7th-8th grade middle school concert band, High School Symphonic Band, Jazz ensemble and combo, Marching and Pep bands and taught AP Music Theory.  Mr. Meisel has worked at every level to develop musicianship, support the traditional and vision of the school’s music program and instill a love of music and performing in his students.  

Mr. Meisel is actually an alumni of Arrowhead class of 1997!  He was awarded the Louis Armstrong Jazz award and In 2003 Mr. Meisel earned his Bachelors of Music education from the University of Wisconsin Madison and his Master’s of Jazz Studies from Northern Illinois University in 2007.  In 2016 Mr. Meisel was awarded the Herb Kohl Fellowship for his work bringing his school and community together through different performance and outreach opportunities for his students.  In addition to teaching, Mr. Meisel plays saxophone professionally in many local jazz ensembles.  Mr. Meisel composes and arranges music for his own group The Ryan Meisel Quartet (with drummer Mr. Polancich) and performs locally in Milwaukee and Madison.  Mr. Meisel also performs in three other ensembles lead by Mr. Polancich!  A avante-garde drum/sax duo Montauk Project, an interpretive ensemble with live dance Montauk Project: Piu Mosse, and Sincerely, Linus which performs a combination of compositions from by Mr. Meisel and Mr. Polancich.

In addition to his jazz performances, Mr. Meisel has a passion for World Music, especially the indegenous music of the first peoples of the Americas.  Mr. Meisel performs a solo show Spiritual Currents: World Music Exploration,  incorporating the Native American five and six hole flutes, Indian Bansuri Flute, Lithuanian Birbyne and Skuduciai Pipes, Panamanian Pan Pipes, Scottish Tin Whistles as well as other woodwinds and saxophones.  Mr. Meisel also is a drum circle facilitator often doing clinics at state parks, libraries, cultural centers, farmers markets and art fairs.  Occasionally Mr. Meisel will use these drum circles to provide opportunities for students to explore leadership, teamwork, healthy mindfulness and creativity in a different way.  

Mr. Meisel is excited to be at Arrowhead and contribute his talents and creativity to the already outstanding tradition of excellence that is the Arrowhead Instrumental Music program.