Brett Dodson is a musician based in Arlington, Virginia who enjoys work as an educator, performer, and conductor. He maintains a trumpet studio of 35 members from schools in Fairfax and Loudoun Counties. Mr. Dodson has performed with the Brass Band of Northern Virginia, Capital Wind Symphony, Fairfax Wind Symphony, and the Disneyland All-American College Band. He assists schools throughout the region in the capacity of sectional coach, ensemble clinician, and guest conductor.

In 2019, Mr. Dodson joined the City of Fairfax Band Association as music director for their educational division, Northern Virginia Youth Winds. He served previously as director for school programs in Texas and Virginia. His ensembles have twice been featured in performance at the Virginia Music Educators Association State Conference, and his Kilmer Middle School Band was one of only three programs in the nation selected as a Program of Excellence by the National Band Association in the year awarded.

Mr. Dodson holds degrees from James Madison University and Bowling Green State University. He has studied conducting at intensives with Nicholas Hersh of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and Peter Ettrup Larsen of the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland.

Dakota Kaylor is an active percussionist and educator in the Northern Virginia area. He has performed with the Fairfax Symphony, Arlington Philharmonic, McLean Symphony Orchestra, Piedmont Symphony Orchestra, Ars Nova Chamber Orchestra, and the Great Noise Ensemble. In addition, he has performed in venues such as the Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater and Reach, Olney Theater, Atlas Performing Arts Center, Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, Riverside Center for the Performing Arts, and Creative Cauldron. Dakota has performed twice at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention, 2017 Virginia Music Educators Association. For 3 years, Dakota was a staff accompanist with the George Mason University School of Dance, where he worked with various faculty members and guest artists in daily Modern Dance classes. He is a section percussionist with the Maryland Winds, a professional concert band in the Baltimore/DC area.

This is Dakota’s third year as the Assistant Director of the Vienna Jammers Percussion Ensemble. The Jammers recent performances include the 2019 Percussive Arts Society International Convention and the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. Dakota has taught concert and marching percussion at multiple high schools in Fairfax County. From 2016-2019, he was an assistant instructor at the George Mason Summer Percussion Camp. He gives weekly private percussion lessons to 15-20 grade school students. In 2018, he was invited to the Young Alumni Networking Dinner at his alma mater Indiana University of Pennsylvania as a special guest.

Staff & Support

Community Support
Fairfax, Loudoun, Arlington, Alexandria, Manassas Park, and Clarke County Public Schools
George Mason University School of Music
Music & Arts: Kerry Nelson, Representative
Reston Shirt and Graphic Company, Inc.

City of Fairfax Band

Main Street Community Band

City of Fairfax Band Association and its Board of Directors
Libby Fike, CFBA President
Dereck Scott, Music Director, CFB
Rick Parrell, Associate Conductor, CFB
Geoffrey Seffens, Conductor, MSCB
Dr. Jean-Pierre Auffret, Chairman of the Board
Janice Nette, Managing Director
Sharon Triska, Librarian
Mindy Leatch, Accountant

Contact Us

Northern Virginia Youth Winds
City of Fairfax Band Association
P.O. Box 1306
Fairfax, VA 22038-1306
571-336-CFBA (2322)
info-nvyw@fairfaxband.org

Northern Virginia Youth Winds represents the Educational Division of the City of Fairfax Band Association, a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. Donations made to the association are tax deductible as provided by the United States federal tax code.