Director

Mr. Scott Niehoff is currently the Director of Bands at South County Middle School in Lorton, VA and is in his 25th year of teaching (8th year at SCMS). Before coming to SCMS, he was Band Director at Edgar Allan Poe Middle School in Annandale, Virginia for 16 years and on the Instructional Staff of the Annandale High School Marching Atoms for 18 years, 6 of them being the Assistant Director.

The SCMS Band Department offers Concert Band Green (1st Period), Concert Band Blue (2nd Period), Intermediate Percussion Ensemble (7th Period), Advanced Percussion Ensemble (5th Period), Symphonic Band (6th Period), and the “Mustang Jazz” Jazz Band (3rd Period).

In addition to his job as band director, throughout his career, he has also been a Safety Patrol Sponsor, student mentor, part of the Leadership Councils, MYP Project Supervisor, and has been a private percussion and piano instructor.  Mr. Niehoff has also been a Cooperating Teacher (having student teachers from James Madison University and George Mason University) three times.  He has served on the South County Middle School Portrait of a Graduate Cohort, Digital Tools Cohort, the Faculty-Staff Advisory Council (as well as Chair), Social Committees, Coordinator of the Mysterious Mustang Events, and multiple Staff Interview panels.  

A product of Trinity Lutheran School in Newport News and Fairfax County Public Schools (where he attended Forestdale ES, Saratoga ES, Francis Scott Key MS, and Robert E. Lee HS), Mr. Niehoff knew he wanted to pursue music as a career. He has been plying piano since 2nd grade, singing in Choirs since Kindergarten, and playing Percussion in Band since 5th grade. 

After student teaching at Annandale High School in the Fall of 2000, Mr. Niehoff graduated college in December 2000 from Shenandoah Conservatory of Music (Winchester, VA) where he received his Bachelor of Music in Music Education Degree. While there, he double majored in Instrumental Music Education and Choral Education with emphasis in Percussion (Marimba and Timpani) and double minored in piano and voice. In 1999, he also earned and received his Church Music Certification. 

Throughout his music career, Mr. Niehoff has performed with the Loudoun Symphony Orchestra, Fairfax Wind Symphony, and the Washington Chorus (with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center). He has been an adjudicator for numerous festivals and events around the region, hosted the annual District Ten Solo and Ensemble Festival three times, and is a member of the National Association for Music Education, Virginia Band and Orchestra Association, the Fairfax County Band Directors Association, and the Fairfax Arts Coalition for Education. He has also served as a guest clinician/conductor for several schools around the region.  For the last 7 years, Mr. Niehoff has served as the Assessment Chair of the annual State of Virginia Middle School Band Assessment for District 10 of the Virginia Music Educators Association.

Until September 2017, Mr. Niehoff held the position of Associate Worship Leader at Pender United Methodist Church in Fairfax and was the keyboardist and background vocalist for the "Sean Niehoff Band", whose debut album was released in October 2012.  He currently worships and is an active learner, discerner, Small Group Leader, Bible Study Leader, Praise Team Vocalist and Guitarist, and a member of the Dream Team at Summit Church in Springfield. 

In his free time, he loves to travel with his lovely wife and precious sons, Austin (7), Logan (5), & Caden (2), spend time with friends and family, take pictures, practice percussion, piano, and guitar, compose Christian worship songs, and listen to Jazz music. He is in avid fan of Star Trek, Star Wars, and anything Science Fiction. He is a fan of the St. Louis Cardinals, Washington Nationals, Texas Longhorns, and the Savannah Bananas. 

Being a son of an Air Force Lieutenant Colonel (ret.) and living the Military Life as a kid, Mr. Niehoff truly admires - and is so appreciative of - the veterans of this great country.

"My priorities in my life are God, Family and Friends, Music, and living the best life I can while trying to make as much of a positive difference in my kids' lives as I am able. My students are such an important part of my life. I love music and I love kids. What better way to combine my passions than do what I do?"

Mr. Niehoff's Favorites:

• Food: Lemon Garlic Chicken Salad; Grilled Hot Dogs; Banana or Apple Pancakes, Baked Spaghetti, Beef and Broccoli and Kung Pao Chicken (not spicy)

• Sit-Down Restaurant: Great American Restaurants (Mike's American Grill, Ozzie's, Silverado, Artie's, Jackson's, etc.); Maggie McFly's (Springfield Town Center), Cracker Barrel, Maggiano's

• Fast food restaurant: Chick-Fil-A; Chipotle; Cookout; District Taco

• Places to Shop: Home Depot/Lowes, Amazon, Target, Costco, Tosche Station (Hunstman Square) 

• Drink Places: Caribou Coffee and Tropical Smoothie

• Movie: Apollo 13, Back to the Future, Karate Kid, Anything Star Wars or Star Trek

• Animated Movie: Lion King, Cars, Coco

• TV Show: Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Next Generation; Star Trek: Deep Space 9; Home Improvement; Growing Pains; Silver Spoons, The Cosby Show, Cheers (Yes, I am an 80s kid!); Star Wars Rebels; Star Wars - The Clone Wars; Star Wars - The Bad Batch, The Mandalorian, Kenobi, and Ahsoka. 

• Hobby: Yard Work, Building things, Photography, and Collecting Star Wars and Star Trek Action Figures and Ships

• Locations to Travel: Orlando, FL; Hilton Head Island, South Carolina; Bahamas; Southern California - really, anywhere with a beach. 

• Theme Park: Universal Studios; Busch Gardens; Disney World 

• Disney Character: Mickey Mouse; Squirt, Simba

• Holiday: Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving

• Color: Navy Blue and Forest Green

• Season: Summer (for Vacation) and Autumn (for the temperatures and Fall colors)

• Sport: Baseball

• Sports Teams: St. Louis Cardinals; Washington Nationals; Texas Longhorns, and Savannah Bananas

• Music: Jazz; Christian Music; Romantic Music (Mozart)

• Singer: Michael Buble, Tauren Wells, Steven Curtis Chapman

• Pet: Dogs

• Superhero: Superman (DC Comics)

• Treat: Snickers Candy Bars

• Game Show: Wheel of Fortune

• Book: The Bible