Behind the Baton

Behind the Baton with Brandon Lesando

Brandon J. Lesando is the Director of Bands at Blue Valley Southwest High School in Overland Park, Kansas, Chair of East Central Kansas Music Educators Association HS honor bands, and the President-Elect of the the Kansas Bandmasters Association. While at Blue Valley Southwest, Lesando has presented clinics on program and project management, brass pedagogy, band travel and planning, and ensemble sound concepts, and has commissioned three new works for the wind band medium. Under his direction, the Blue Valley Southwest Band program has flourished into performing on regional and national stages as a 2-time Bands of America Regional Finalist medaling in class AA and earning a caption award in music, 2 large ensemble and 4 chamber ensemble appearances at the annual Kansas Music Educators Association In-Service Workshop and a 2-time featured stage performer at Music for All concert band festivals.
Lesando is a graduate of the University of North Florida where he studied horn and euphonium and earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree, Cum Laude. He is currently pursuing his Master of Music Education degree from the University of Colorado – Boulder and was named Outstanding Young Music Educator of the Year in 2018 for the East Central District of the Kansas Music Educators Association.Originally from Pennsylvania, Lesando enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 2004. His assignments included serving as a submarine nuclear weapons technician onboard the USS Rhode Island (SSBN 740 GOLD) and as a Navy Formal Schools instructor for incoming students and fleet sailors at the Trident Training Facility in Kings Bay, GA. In 2011, Lesando was Honorably Discharged from active duty as a Missile Technician, 1st Class (Submarines) with awards for achievement, volunteer service, and good conduct.
 
Connect with Brandon Lesando
Email
blesando@bluevalleyk12.org
 
 

Behind the Baton with Dr. Melody Causby & Dr. Catheryn Shaw Foster of the Rural Band Director Alliance

Dr. Melody Causby is Assistant Professor of Music Education at the University of Southern Mississippi. Prior to coming to The University of Southern Mississippi, Causby was on the faculty at Elon University in Elon, North Carolina for three years, first as the Assistant Director of Bands, then as the Interim Director of Bands. During her eleven years of public school teaching, the programs she ran grew in size and quality, and she served her district and state band organizations in several leadership capacities.
Dr. Catheryn Shaw Foster currently serves as Assistant Professor of Practice of Music Education at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. Her responsibilities include working with graduate students in the Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction program. She taught public school in Georgia, serving as the Director of Bands at Lowndes Middle School in Valdosta and the Assistant Director of Bands at Perry High School in Perry. During this time, Foster was an active member of Districts VIII and XI, serving as the District Chair, as well as the Honor Band Coordinator for District VIII.
The Rural Band Director Alliance is a newly formed national organization for rural band directors. Teaching band in a rural area comes with different challenges and rewards that are often only understood by other rural band directors. The purpose of this group is to provide a supportive and uplifting community for band directors in rural areas. This group is intended to be a safe place for rural band directors to share their struggles, experiences, and advice.
 
Connect with Melody & Catheryn
EmailMelody.Causby@usm.edu
csfoster@vt.edu
 
Rural Band Director Alliance
https://www.facebook.com/groups/207618192221782/
 
 

Behind the Baton with Dr. Bill Thomas

Dr. Bill Thomas is the Director of Bands at Shawnee Mission West High School and the Performing Arts Coordinator for the Shawnee Mission Public Schools.
Connect with Bill
Email:
billthomas@smsd.org
 

Behind the Baton with Brandi & Clayton Kaus

Brandi & Clayton Kaus teach 6-8 band and choir at Augusta Middle School in Augusta, KS. Brandi and Clayton have a combined 43 years in education.
 
Connect with Brandi & Clayton
Email:
bkaus@usd402.com
ckaus@usd402.com
 

Behind the Baton with Chris Harris

Chris Harris is the Director of Bands at Owasso High School in Owasso, Oklahoma. With 31 years in education and 19 of those in the Owasso program, Chris has had multiple bands invited to perform at the Oklahoma Music Educators Association Convention and his groups have earned 25 Sweepstakes Awards from the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association Music Contests. 
 
Connect with Chris Harris
Email: chris.harris@owassops.org
Website: https://www.owassobands.com/
 
 

Behind the Baton with Kristi Vetter

Kristi Vetter is the Director of Bands at Beloit Junior/Senior High School in Beloit, KS and has been in music education for 30 years. Kristi is the recipient of teaching awards from the Kansas Music Educators Association and the Kansas State Department of Education. 
 
Connect with Kristi Vetter
Email: kvetter@usd273.org

Behind the Baton with Kyle Hopkins

Kyle Hopkins is the Director of Bands and Associate Professor of Music at McPherson College in McPherson, KS. Kyle has been in education for 24 years and has taught beginning band through college.
 
Connect with Kyle Hopkins
Email: hopkinsk@mcpherson.edu
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kyle.hopkins.1804
 

Behind the Baton with Victoria Griffitt

Victoria Griffitt is the Director of Bands at Derby North Middle School in Derby, KS. Victoria has been in education for 20 years and has taught beginning band through high school.
 
Connect with Victoria Griffitt
Email: vgriffitt@usd260.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/victoria.griffitt