Meet Heather Hyde Wargo of HW Music and Visual Design in Clear Lake and League City

Today we’d like to introduce you to Heather Hyde Wargo.

HW Music and Visual Design is a performing arts and production design studio that specializes in the brass, color guard, movement, and design needs of the Texas band program.

Owner Heather Hyde Wargo began her work with instrumental music and dance education in 2005, while touring as a cast member with performing arts organization Memphis Sound Drum and Bugle Corps. After “aging out” of the Drum Corps International, or DCI, organization with Memphis Sound, Heather began freelance work as a choreographer, production designer, dance and movement teacher, and high brass specialist in the north/central Texas area while finishing a degree in Music Education at liberal arts college McMurry University and touring the US and Europe as a trumpet soloist with the McMurry Wind Ensemble.

After graduating from McMurry, Heather moved to Washington, D.C. and continued her work both as a freelancer and in conjunction with Thomas Edison High School, Smithsonian Museum Magnet School Brent Elementary, and The Capitol Hill Arts Workshop. She also studied performance, winning a position with the Capitol Wind Symphony and performing at the Kennedy Center.

In summer of 2012, Hyde Wargo returned to Texas, this time opting for the culturally and artistically diverse city of Houston. She continued her instrumental, dance, and design work, ultimately deciding to create HW Music and Visual Design as the umbrella organization for her many artistic ventures. Currently her work can be seen most prominently in the Clear Creek High School Band and Color Guard, where she is beginning her second year as the in-house teaching artist and color guard education specialist.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Many performing artists struggle to recover from performance injury and Heather is no exception. As a choreographer who works primarily with six foot metal flag poles, bumps and bruises are a normal part of the job. In the winter of 2015, however, a misplaced flag thrown by a student caused irreparable nerve damage in her left foot. She spent two years teaching in severe pain, in and out of specialists’ offices, before finally undergoing surgery in November of 2016 to remove the entire nerve cluster. After months of rehabilitation following the two years of pain, swelling, and limited mobility she finally regained most of the function in her foot, and considers summer 2017 to be a personal rebirth in terms of her ability to move and teach like she did prior to the 2015 injury.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about HW Music and Visual Design – what should we know?
HW Music and Visual Design is in the business of equipping people for outstanding performances. We work closely with our clients to assess their needs and help them meet their goals.

For private lesson students, that has included helping high school aged musicians win college scholarships and All State Band positions. As a movement clinician and choreography company, we have seen students win cast spots in World Class drum corps and WGI (Winter Guard International) programs as well as compete for college scholarships.

As production designers, we have worked with band directors, artistic directors, and caption supervisors to create exciting and visually stunning performances that wow audiences and impress judges.

HW Music and Visual Design is successful because we listen to what our clients need and have done the work and research to be able to guide them in achieving their goals.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Mentors Michelle Clover and Chris Neal have been instrumental in providing guidance and feedback at crucial points in the business development. Both college professors of Hyde Wargo’s, Michelle and Chris remain active supporters and advisors of all branches of the business.

Ryan Hyde Wargo, Heather’s husband, has also been a huge supporter of the artistic vision of the company while personally living with the behind the scenes elements of running a small business. His support has been critical.

HW Music and Visual Design also has a fantastic network of colleagues, some of whom are former students of Hyde Wargo’s. Most notably is Hailee Jane Reeder, one of Hyde Wargo’s D.C. students and a recent McMurry graduate herself. Hailee, who holds a BFA in studio arts, frequently teams with the studio to bring a second eye and many years of experience to complex projects.

Lastly, Hyde Wargo’s trumpet professor, the late Dr. Mark Wilcox, was the defining influence both on her musicianship and her educational style.

Pricing:

• Private Lessons- $30/half hour

Contact Info:

• Address: 957 NASA Parkway #343
• Website: www.hwmusicandvisual.com
• Email: heather@hwmusicandvisual.com
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/hwmusicandvisualdesignshowcase/

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