Standing at the front of the band hall, Westwood Head Band Director Brittany Dacy conducts the ensemble as the sound of instruments fills the room. From the podium, she guides students through the music while also helping them grow as musicians, teammates, and leaders; these are a regular part of Ms. Dacy’s day in the band hall. Earlier this year, her work was recognized nationally after being selected for the Yamaha “40 Under 40” Music Educators list, a national recognition program that highlights music educators who exemplify courage, action, creativity, and growth. 

“It means a lot [to be nominated], I didn’t know it was happening, and it’s really special because of who it came from,” Ms. Dacy said. “It came from our own community, and to me, it’s a huge stamp of ‘Hey, we really like what you’re doing, we appreciate you, we like what the band is doing.’”

Ms. Dacy was also a student at Westwood herself, graduating in 2004. Even at a young age, she demonstrated leadership. When she attended Canyon Vista, Ms. Dacy would help with beginning band camp. Not long after, she started giving mini private lessons, and as the years went on, she gradually taught more and more. At Westwood, she eventually became a section leader.

“I knew I wanted to be a band director. My parents were really against it [even though] they loved music,” Ms. Dacy said. “My mom was almost a concert pianist, but she wanted me to make money. I had to keep talking to them about it, and then they let me do music in college.”

For her Bachelor’s degree in Music Education, she attended the University of Texas at Austin in 2009. After she finished her degree, she applied for graduate school while student teaching and as an acting principal chair of a symphony. 

“I was doing a lot, I’m a Westwood kid through and through,” Ms. Dacy said. “I feel like Westwood kids are raised to try everything and to explore everything that they could be successful at. Westwood kids work hard and they’re used to having to work hard. [I learned to] pick my challenges; I learned that it’s okay not to be the best. I [also] learned that I really enjoy the challenge of teaching students who are involved in a lot. I think with Westwood, with the diversity of interests and the diversity of cultures, I learned that there’s more perspectives than mine.” 

After working at Rouse High School for several years, she came back home to the Westwood Band as the Assistant Band Director in the fall of 2015.

“Part of the challenge of being at Rouse was that we were building a band program from nothing,” Ms. Dacy said. “There’s only band and choir, not orchestra, [and] the band has a lot of pressure to be successful. [At Westwood] you can be a lot more efficient because a lot of the students are interested. It’s built into our culture for private lessons to happen and for kids to want to try and practice, but we had to teach our kids at Rouse to do that.” 

Over time, she became more and more involved with the program. In 2018, Ms. Dacy was named the Associate Director of Bands, and when the current head band director, Thomas Turpin, moved to Westlake High School in 2024, she stepped into the role of head band director.

“This program means the world to me,” Ms. Dacy said. “It’s because of the kids, [the] administration that we have, and [the] community.”

The nomination highlights ideas Ms. Dacy introduced to Westwood, including expanding the IB music program, starting the band’s March-A-Thon music tradition, and giving students more opportunities to succeed. 

“It’s about finding as many opportunities for kids to be invested in music as possible,” Ms. Dacy said.

While the nomination highlights her work as a teacher, Ms. Dacy says “The most rewarding part of the job is the students. Every summer, she invests weeks of her time to support her student leaders and brainstorm ways to help them succeed. 

“Whenever I’m having a bad day, I have to remember to just get out of my office and stop doing all of the head director logistical things and just be around the kids. [That’s] my favorite part,” Ms. Dacy said. “When I got to work with high schoolers, I loved learning about how they’re becoming [adults]. I love learning about interests that they have and what they’re excited about. It reminds you that they also have stuff going on, and it’s just fun to watch kids succeed and watch them get excited about it.”

Even though some people see her just as head band director, she juggles many other roles behind the scenes. Ms. Dacy is a cheerleader for all of her students, sometimes serving as an advocate and even a tutor. 

“The general public don’t realize how much we do. “There’s times where I’m an unofficial therapist for people,” Ms. Dacy said. “I’ve done so many different things, but I also think people don’t understand how much we put into it ourselves, to be able to give the kids a good experience, and how personal it becomes.”

Looking ahead, Ms. Dacy hopes to make band a place where every student feels welcome and supported. One of Ms. Dacy’s main goals is to talk to as many students in the program as possible. On a normal day, she talks to over 100 people in order to keep the band running smoothly.

“[In a day], I talk to close to 200 [students] or more,” Ms. Dacy said. “If you include emails, I would say [I talk to] over 100 [adults].”

“I want kids to love music, and I want kids that are really high achieving in music and kids who just want to be in this band program to feel like they have a place,” Ms. Dacy said. “I want them to feel like they want to stay engaged with music moving forward, whether it be playing their instrument, listening to music, or going to concerts. I want that to be something that’s a part of their life. I want them to feel like they are better people because of what they’re doing and are able to be better advocates for themselves.”

For Ms. Dacy, the most important lesson she wants students to learn from band may not even be musical at all, but rather growing as people and learning how to support one another.

“It’s really important to have a good culture,” Ms. Dacy said. “Being in the band hall and watching kids feel safe is really important because I didn’t always feel that. We may not have won something, but the future’s in a good place and the kids really do enjoy this. Band is the most diverse organization on campus, it is also the strongest culture on campus. I also think that because we have to work with so many different people, I want people to understand that it’s okay to not agree with the people around you, but to still exist with them and to figure out a way forward.”

Looking into the future, Ms. Dacy hopes to earn high musical achievements, to expand the band program, and find more opportunities for students to succeed, all while continuing the upward trajectory of the band through “Pride, Passion, Family.”