Directors & Staff

Kyle Harrington, a native of Richmond, Virginia, earned his Bachelor's Degree in Music Education from George Mason University in 2014. He began his career in Fairfax County Public Schools (Fairfax HS and Langley HS) from 2014-2018. In 2019, he transitioned to Loudoun County Public Schools to open the brand new Independence High School, where he has been since. 

Under his leadership, the band program has grown from 65 members in 2019 to 220 members today. In 2023 and 2024, The Independence Marching Band were crowned the Virginia State Champions as well as the VMBC Commonwealth Cup Champions, making them the top of the state of Virginia, regardless of class.

Outside of teaching high school band, he has had the pleasure of teaching Concert Band Camps like the Vienna Band Camp in McLean, VA and the Lightridge Summer Band Camp in Aldie, VA. He is also a member of the marching band staff for the JMU Summer Band Camp. 

Kyle has a wealth of experience within Drum Corps International. As a performer, he spent 4 years with Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps (2009, 2011, 2012, 2013). As a teacher, he has previously been on Brass Staff with Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps and Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps, and is a current member of the Brass Staff at the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps. 

Alongside these teaching endeavors, Kyle was invited to conduct the 2023 Prince William All-County Honor Band and the 2024 VBODA District 2 All-District Concert Band. He also routinely is invited to work with various high school programs at their annual Concert Band Camps. 

Since 2014, he has been a Wind Arranger for high school marching bands throughout the country, including marching bands in Virginia, Florida, Texas, Wisconsin, South Carolina, and Kentucky. He also arranges the music and writes the drill for the 2x State Champion Independence Marching Band! 

Amanda Young is one of the band directors at Independence High School, where she co-directs the Independence High School Marching Band, four concert band ensembles, and two winter guards. She started the Loudoun County Leadership Clinic, now in its 3rd year, to bring mentors in the band leadership community to the students in Loudoun County. 

Before moving to Virginia, she was the band director at West-Oak Middle School and assistant band director at West-Oak High School in Westminster, SC from 2015-2022. She earned her Bachelor of Music Education with a Performance Certificate in Clarinet from the University of South Carolina in 2015 and her Master of Music Education with an emphasis in Conducting from Colorado State University in the summer of 2023.

Amanda has a wealth of knowledge in the marching arts. She was the Visual Caption Head at Saints Indoor Percussion from 2016-2018, the assistant color guard caption head for the Music City Drum Corps from 2016-2019, and on the instructional staff with Etude Winterguard from 2019-2021. Amanda has been on the visual staff as a movement specialist with the Spirit of Atlanta Drum Corp since the 2023 season.

As a performer, Amanda was a member of Etude Winterguard in 2012 and 2013 and a color guard member of Carolina Crown in 2013. She occasionally plays clarinet with local community bands such as the Fairfax Wind Symphony out of Fairfax, VA, and performed with Oconee Winds and Mach 4, a clarinet

quartet based out of Oconee County, SC from 2018-2022.

Lindell Palmer has been involved in the color guard activity for over thirty years as a performer, choreographer, and designer.  In addition to directing the color guard program at Independence, Mr. Palmer also serves as the director of George Mason University Winter Guard, where he led the program to an Open Class WGI Gold Medal in 2019 with a score of 99.00, the fifth highest score in WGI Color Guard history regardless of class.  In addition, since joining the program in 2018, George Mason has been a WGI Open Class finalist (2018, 2019, 2025), WGI World Class Semi-Finalist (2022), and has captured numerous regional wins and local medals.

Mr. Palmer previously directed Stonewall Independent (WGI A Class Silver Medalist 2013 and WGI Open Class Finalist 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014), McLean High School (AIA A2 Gold medalist 2023), and Westfield High School (AIA Regional A Gold Medalist in 2016). 

In addition, Mr. Palmer has served as a color guard adjudicator for several marching band competitions, consults with numerous successful programs in Virginia, and was inducted into the Atlantic Indoor Association Hall of Honor in 2016. Currently, he also serves as a member of the WGI Color Guard Advisory Board.   

Mr. Palmer received his Bachelor of Arts from The College of William and Mary and his Master of Fine Arts from American University. He resides in the mountains of Linden, Virginia and teaches Dual Enrollment English and AP Literature at Independence High School.

Martin Blount began his tenure as Director of Bands at the brand-new Brambleton Middle School for the 2017-2018 school year. Previously, he served as Band Director for two years at Stone Hill Middle School, six years at Gildersleeve Middle School (Newport News), and three years at Woodside High School (Newport News). Bands under his direction receive consistent Superior ratings in assessment and enrollment has increased in every program every year.  Mr. Blount was the 2015 Newport News Public Schools Teacher of the Year (middle school division). 

As a trombonist, Mr. Blount has performed with the Virginia Symphony, Virginia Opera, Fairfax Wind Symphony, and eight seasons with the Virginia Wind Symphony. Performing has taken him to venues such as the Midwest Clinic, the Kimmel Center, and Carnegie Hall. He enjoys guest conducting around the commonwealth, and has done so in localities such as Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Williamsburg, and Fredericksburg. Mr. Blount maintains a schedule as an adjudicator for both marching and concert band assessments as well.

A native of Newport News, Mr. Blount attended The Mannes College of Music (NYC) for a Bachelor’s Degree in Trombone Performance and is a 2017 graduate of Bowling Green State University, where he completed a Master’s Degree in Music Education.

Samantha Charriez is a dedicated music educator and performer from Puerto Rico, currently serving as a music instructor at Brambleton Middle School, where she has been a valued faculty member for eight years. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from George Mason University (2017) and is further advancing her expertise through graduate-level coursework.

Ms. Charriez is an active performer and teacher in Northern Virginia and is also the owner and instructor of a private oboe studio. In 2023, the Brambleton Symphonic Band earned the distinction of performing at the prestigious Virginia Music Educators Association (VMEA) annual conference. Both the Brambleton Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble have consistently earned "Superior" ratings from every judge at all band performance assessments throughout her career.

As the founder and director of the annual LCPS Double Reed Day, Ms. Charriez creates an enriching experience for over 50 double reed students each year, offering specialized instruction from esteemed musicians and access to exclusive vendor opportunities. Her passion for guest conducting has led to multiple invitations, with her fifth  appearance scheduled for 2026.

In addition to her work at Brambleton Middle School, Ms. Charriez has been actively involved with the Independence High School Marching Band since its inception, where she takes great pride in seeing her students' growth and development.

Outside of her musical pursuits, Ms. Charriez enjoys baking and cherishing time with her family, friends, and dog.

Raised in Northern Virginia, Colson Meeks has been an active member of the marching community since his first season of DCA in 2016 with the Hawthorne Caballeros. He then went on to march Carolina Crown 2017-2018 and George Mason University Indoor for their 2018 season. He has provided world class instruction for several high performing groups such as Chantilly High School, South County High School, and George Mason University Indoor. He currently supports and leads the Independence High School Marching Band Front Ensemble. Colson lives in Fairfax, VA, and teaches at Brambleton Middle School. 

Aditya Jain started his marching career as a member of the Freedom High School Marching Band and Indoor Drumline from 2014-2018. While in high school he performed with the Open Class Finalist Raiders Drum and Bugle Corps in 2017. After graduating, Aditya went back to the Raiders in 2019 where he served as the section leader for the drumline, helping lead the corps back into Open Class Finals. Since then, Aditya performed with United Percussion during their 2021 virtual season, Imperial Dynasty in their 2022 World Class debut, the Buschwackers Drum and Bugle Corps (2022), and the George Mason University Indoor Drumline (2023). He's thankful to have learned from educators such as Travis Peterman, Dan Schack, Patrick McHale, Sean McElroy, Mike Windish, Alex Musliner, Mike Keller, and Dan Richardson.

Miss Grace Dykes grew up in Loudoun County and graduated from Potomac Falls High School, where she was actively involved in Wind Ensemble, Marching Band, and Indoor Drumline. She went on to earn a bachelor's degree in Secondary Education with a Social Studies Certification from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania. While at Shippensburg, Miss Dykes was a dedicated member of the university’s marching band, performing in the drumline for two years before serving as Drum Major her junior year and senior year. She played percussion in several concert ensembles, including the Wind Ensemble, Concert Band, Jazz Band, Brass Ensemble, and Percussion Ensemble. During her senior year, she worked as a Front Ensemble Tech for the Carlisle High School Marching Band and Indoor Drumline.

Miss Dykes joined Independence High School in the 2024–2025 school year as a Social Sciences and Global Studies teacher. She also began working with the Independence Marching Band in 2024 as a Front Ensemble Tech.

Zach was born in Saginaw, Michigan, and raised in the Metro-Detroit area. He is currently studying Hotel and Restaurant Management at Eastern Michigan University. Zach spent his summers with the Colts Drum and Bugle Corps (2015), Madison Scouts (2016-2017), and aged out at Carolina Crown in 2018. During the winter seasons, he performed with Redline Percussion (2016-2017), Matrix (2018), and Rhythm X (2019). Zach enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 2021. Upon completing recruit training he joined “The Commandant's Own” United States Marine Drum and Bugle Corps. 

Zach has taught at multiple high schools and with various independent ensembles throughout the Metro-Detroit area since 2015. He was a member of the percussion staff at Shadow Drum and Bugle Corps in 2019 as well as Madison Scouts in 2020. He is currently a percussion staff member at Independence High School.

Andrew Young currently serves as a member of “The Commandant’s Own” United States Marine Drum and Bugle Corps. Founded in 1934, “The Commandant’s Own” is the only active-duty drum and bugle corps in the United States Armed Forces. Its mission is to provide ceremonial music and precision drill in support of the Commandant of the Marine Corps and the Commanding Officer of Marine Barracks Washington, D.C. 

During the summer months, the unit performs in the traditional Evening Parades at Marine Barracks Washington, the oldest post in the Corps, as well as the Sunset Parades at the Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Virginia. In addition to his duties in the National Capital Region, Andrew performs in hundreds of engagements annually, both across the country and internationally. 

Outside of his military career, Andrew is an active freelance musician and educator. Since 2022, he has been a member of the instructional staff at Independence High School, working with the marching band and maintaining a growing private lesson studio. 

 Andrew holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education with a Performance Certificate in Euphonium from the University of South Carolina. He has been active in the Drum Corps International circuit for over a decade, beginning in 2012 as a baritone player with the Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps, where he marched for three seasons. He later served on the brass instructional staff of the Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps from 2016 to 2021, including time as Assistant Brass Caption Head. He currently serves as a brass instructional staff member for the Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps based in Rockford, Illinois. 

 In his spare time, Andrew enjoys various outdoor activities such as hiking, golfing, trail running, and mountain biking. He and his wife Amanda reside in Fairfax, Virginia. 

Originally from Arizona, Ryan Flake currently resides in Fairfax, Virginia. They have been involved with marching arts for most of their life both marching and instructing. This passion started by supporting their older siblings while they were marching in high school and college. Eventually, this led Ryan to join their own high school marching band and indoor colorguard. While continuing their passion for the marching arts, Ryan also pursued an education from George Mason University with a degree in government and international politics with a minor in data analytics. Ryan is a proud alumni of Drum Corps International, performing with The Madison Scouts in 2014/2016 and Carolina Crown in 2017. They have also marched at Stonewall Independent Open in 2015/2016 and George Mason University Winter Guard 2018.  

Ryan is proud to be joining the colorguard staff at Independence High School for the 2025-2026 school year marking their 12th year teaching colorguard. They have worked with a variety of Virginia programs including McLean HS, South County HS, West Potomac HS, Stafford HS, and North Stafford HS. As well, Ryan currently serves as weapon caption head at the George Mason University Winter Guard.

During the day, Ryan works as research project manager mainly focusing on brand insights. Outside of work and teaching, you can find them at their home in Fairfax with their partner Kylie and three cats Lemon, Seline, and Kane.

Brandon Block is a seasoned choreographer and designer with 15 years of experience in the marching arts, both as a performer and a teacher. His journey began with the Colts Drum Corps in Dubuque, Iowa, where he played in the brass line from 1995 to 1997. He then transitioned to colorguard, marching with the prestigious Madison Scouts from 1998 to 1999. In 2000, Brandon achieved significant success as a member of St. Anns Winterguard, earning a WGI World Class Silver Medal.

As a dedicated educator, Brandon has inspired countless performers. He coached Blessed Sacrament Winterguard from 2001 to 2009, helping the team earn a WGI World Class Bronze Medal in 2007. He has also taught at the Madison Scouts in 2002, East Coast Jazz Drum Corps from 2003 to 2006, and the Sensation Performance Ensemble of the Netherlands 2004-2005, fostering talent and creativity in the marching arts community.

Currently residing in Charlottesville and DC, Brandon balances his passion for the arts with his role as the Department Finance and Administrative Manager for American Studies at the University of Virginia. Outside of work, he enjoys immersing himself in jazz music, exploring the outdoors, and maintaining an active lifestyle through workouts and fitness activities.