DR. DERECK SCOTT: CFBA Music Director & Conductor of City of Fairfax Band
An all-encompassing musician, Dr. Dereck Scott brings high-quality, energetic, and passionate music to the Northern Virginia region either behind the trumpet, the baton, or through composition and arranging.
Dereck is originally from the Pittsburgh region, and is a graduate of Duquesne University, where he studied trumpet with Roger Sherman and conducting with Dr. Robert Cameron. Dereck did his Master’s and Doctoral work at West Virginia University, where he studied conducting with Don Wilcox, Lawrence Christiansen, Kathleen Shannon, David Tang, and Dr. Mitchell Arnold, and studied composition and arranging with Dr. John Beall.
As a performer, Dereck has performed with many organizations both in the Pittsburgh region and Northern Virginia. Dereck was a regular musician with the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra and has also performed with the Maryland Symphony, the McKeesport Symphony, and the Three Rivers Orchestra. Dereck has also played with the Washington Metropolitan Orchestra and was Principal Cornet and Soloist with the Rockville Brass Band from 2017-2022.
Currently, Dereck’s passions lie both with the baton and the pen. Dereck is currently in his final season as the Music Director and Conductor of The Cathedral Brass, and is the conductor of the Cherry Blossom Brass Band. Under his direction, the Cathedral Brass has performed at numerous events, including the National Community Band Festival, the Gettysburg Brass Band Festival, and the Festival of Lights at the Washington DC Temple (LDS). As Music Director of the Cherry Blossom Brass Band, the ensemble had a tremendous inaugural year featuring a 2nd place finish in the 3rd section of the North American Brass Band Association Championships.
As an arranger and composer, Dereck has more than fifty arrangements to his name. Writing for any ensemble size or combination of instruments, Dereck’s music has been performed by student, adult, and semi-professional ensembles. Dereck’s arrangements and compositions have been performed by numerous brass bands in the United States and internationally.
Dereck is the Director of Bands at the Flint Hill School in Oakton, VA where he teaches band from grades 5 – 12.
RICK PARRELL: Associate Conductor, City Band; Leader, Fairfax Swing Band
Rick Parrell is an active performer and teacher of jazz and classical music. After graduating from the Fairfax County school system, he attended George Mason University where he earned his Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Music degrees. Mr. Parrell earned his Master of Music Education degree from North Texas State University. After teaching at NTSU for a year, he returned to the Washington, D.C. area to perform in The U.S. Army Band (“Pershing’s Own”). In addition to his service as principal saxophonist in the Army Band, Mr. Parrell freelances in various jazz groups in the Washington, D.C. area and has performed with such notable jazz artists as Lee Konitz, Gary Foster, and Louis Bellson. He is a member of the Washington Saxophone Quartet, a member of the trumpet section in the City of Fairfax Band, and the director of the Fairfax Swing Band. Since 1982, Mr. Parrell has been on the Applied Music Faculty of George Mason University. Rick Parrell who was honored by the George Mason University Alumni Association by naming him winner of the “Thomas W. Iszard III Distinguished Alumni Award.”
GEOFFREY SEFFENS: Conductor, Main Street Community Band
A native of the City of Fairfax, Jeff Seffens graduated from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music in 1975 and became an instrumental music teacher with Fairfax County Public Schools. After four years teaching band at the elementary level, he transferred to Sidney Lanier Middle School (now Katherine Johnson Middle School), where he spent the next 28 years until his retirement in 2007.
In 1988 he was included in the 13th edition of the International Biographical Center’s Men of Achievement and in 1999 was honored by the Rotary Club of Fairfax as the “Outstanding Teacher of the Year.” In 2005, Mr. Seffens was selected by The City of Fairfax Commission on the Arts to receive the John Mason Arts Achievement Award for outstanding contributions to the arts.
As a trumpeter, Mr. Seffens has played with the City of Fairfax Band, the National Concert Band of America, the GTEV “Alpenveilchen” German Band, and the Tom Cunningham Orchestra. He was also the music director and conductor of the Vienna Community Band from 1975 until 1981. His professional affiliations have included membership in the Music Educators National Conference, the Phi Mu Alpha Professional Music Fraternity, the American School Band Masters Association, and the Association of Concert Bands. Mr. Seffens was also an active member of the City of Fairfax Commission on the Arts from 2008 until the end of 2021.
RICH KLEINFELDT: Concert Host, City of Fairfax Band
Rich Kleinfeldt enjoys a multifaceted carer in music. In addition to serving as a master of ceremonies for the City of Fairfax Band, he is a teacher, international broadcaster, professional musician, and lecturer. He co-hosts two nationally syndicated radio programs: Wolf Trap’s chamber music series, Center Stage from Wolf Trap, and Indianapolis-on-the-Air, featuring the Indianapolis Symhpony Orchestra. Formerly with the Voice of America as a classical music host, Mr. Kleinfeldt is currently heard around the world on the Maestro Channel of the WorldSpace Satellite Radio network. For twelve years he served as saxophone soloist and master of ceremonies with the U.S. Army Band, “Pershing’s Own,” in Washington, DC. Mr. Kleinfeldt is a founding member of the Washington Saxophone Quartet, which records on the Americus label, and is currently an adjunct faculty member at Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria, VA, and at Catholic University in Washington, DC.