Hylton High band director retires after 18 years

He has the distinction of being the band director at Hylton High School during the 17 consecutive years that the band was named an Honor Band.

With the exception of Lake Braddock and Charlottesville high schools, no other school in the entire state of Virginia can claim such an accomplishment.

In order to be ranked as an honor band, a school's marching band as well as the top symphonic band must earn a superior rating from the Virginia Band and Orchestra Directors' Association. This was achieved at Hylton High School since it first vied for the honor in 1992-93 under the direction of Dennis Brown.

After 18 years as Hylton's band director, during which he developed an award-winning band program, in-cluding the last two years as the orchestra director, Brown has decided that it is now time to pass the baton to some-one else.

Brown's 36 years as a band teacher have indeed been a unique experience for him. He first started in Stafford County, where his bands regularly earned excellent and superior ratings. This was followed by three years as assis-tant director of bands at Gar-Field High School here in Prince William County. Then he was founding director of bands at Hylton High School, where he was in charge of the marching and symphonic bands, the color guard and indoor guard. He feels particularly honored to have been part of the vision set forth by Hylton's first princi-pal, Wayne Mallard, and now continued by its current principal, Carolyn Custard, a vision that mainly encompassed a "culture of success."

He leaves the school with mixed emotions and innumerable trophies won including the 2004 Toyota Gator Bowl Sweepstakes Champion.

He recalls the time the marching band was invited to participate in London's Millennium New Year's Day Parade and received a standing ovation when they performed in concert at Westminister Central Methodist Hall.

There was also the time in 1996, he remembers, when the Hylton Band was the only Virginia band marching in the Cherry Blossom Parade and was featured on the Channel 4 news. He feels particularly grateful to the parents and students involved in the band program whose dedication made it all such a memorable and caring experience for him.

As for his post-Hylton plans, he says he is not yet done teaching. He hopes to continue his role as a music clinician, adjudicator and guest conductor throughout the state of Virginia. His involvement with numerous musical groups, as well as his work arranging music for the Baltimore Ravens Marching Band and for several high schools, will keep him busy.