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 [email protected]