Brandon Kelley
Brandon Kelley is an active presenter and performer. In October he gave a masterclass at the University of the North Texas (UNT) Saxophone Alumni Day exploring how vocal-tract movement awareness, body-mapping, and mindful behavior can mitigate the maladaptive effects that mental tension and mis-mappings can have upon achieving large intervallic leaps and high-tone production. In 2021, he presented a masterclass at UNT, and for the North American Saxophone Alliance Conference, summarizing research conclusions on effective practice behaviors.
Recently he has performed at exclusive clubs throughout the country including: Willard Intercontinental Hotel in Washington, D.C., Sleepy Hollow Country Club, Lost Tree Club in North Palm Beach, Florida, and the West Quail Club in Naples, Florida. In October 2022 he performed a customized smooth jazz cocktail hour in Ithaca, NY to rave reviews by management and the groom. In October 2021 he was the principal alto saxophonist with the McKinney Philharmonic and in 2017 the tenor saxophonist with the Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra.
As a faculty member at Dallas College since 2018, he has performed in classical and jazz faculty recitals using alto and tenor saxophones. In May of 2019, he was a First Place Winner in the American Protégé Concerto Competition, culminating with a performance at Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall. Again in 2019, he won a Gold Medal in the 4th Manhattan International Music Competition and the Pi Kappa Lambda Graduate Student Scholarship at UNT.
As a music educator, he prepares students for public performances, evaluates juries, teaches woodwind techniques, collaborates with fellow instructors, recruits student talent, and coaches chamber groups. His related field at UNT was educational administration, which he maintains interest in.
Before attending UNT he was a music teacher in Rochester, NY, specializing in the instruction of beginning bands and young jazz ensembles. While teaching he performed frequently with entertainment groups, jazz orchestras, and pit bands as a saxophonist and woodwind doubler. Between 2008 and 2012 he traveled the world performing for Holland America and Cunard cruise lines.
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Principles of leadership guide the way I interact and communicate expectations, seeking to understand before being understood. People will often remember how you made them feel more than what you said or did. Students feel better when they make tangible incremental progress by consistently conquering bite-sized issues. This motivation to keep reaching short-term goals creates anticipatory effort. Structured lesson planning and teaching effective practice-behavior patterns make this all possible. It becomes transformative. Assessing ourselves through any means necessary gives us an objective lens through which to see the reality of our impact. If we treat people as they ought to be, as if their potential exists in the present moment, we help them become what they are capable of.
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I always feel like I'm in professional and personal development.
I would like to see professional development sessions include the actionable-tangible use of real resources, plans, pdfs, instruments, sheet music, and software. Planning time is limited. To simply teach a "concept" such as those discussed in my philosophy is not adequate for PD. For example, if the district wants its music teachers to teach ukulele then have the software and/or curriculum ready with all resources so that the teachers may simply learn to use it live in-person at the PD. Then for the latter portions of the PD, the teachers can mock teach a lesson using pre-scripted language and the software. Other teachers would provide feedback. The philosophical-concept oriented PD does not contain enough present-moment actionable steps. This causes teachers to think into the future. Future casting causes anxiety. Living in the past causes depression. Taking action in the present moment release a calm. This will help teachers become confident.
