WHY US?

NOTES BEHiND the Scenes

WHY US?

"Notes" are suggestions that directors/choreographers/teachers give performers to help them achieve their best performance. Our goal is to offer you "notes" (aka resources + programs) that will help you achieve your goals - and we are "behind the scenes" for you whenever you need!

If you are curious about our background feel free to read on and explore!

BRANDON BECKER attended Roosevelt School of the Arts [alumni includes Audra McDonald, Heidi Blickenstaff, Christopher Gorham] and spent his high school years acting, singing, and dancing his way through the halls. After working professionally as a dancer, singer, actor (see specific credits below) and transitioning to education he was the Musical Theatre Department Chair and eventually the Theatre Chair at Appomattox Regional Governor's School for the Arts & Technology (ARGS). He then joined the faculty at Denver School of the Arts for almost a decade and eventually became co-director of the Theatre Department. During this period his students were accepted to well respected theatre/musical theatre programs like Juilliard, NYU, NCSA, etc. and many are still working professionally around the world from London to Broadway to L.A.

After working for three years teaching, directing, vocal directing, and choreographing in and around Chicago IL, he moved to Jacksonville with his wife, two teenagers and assorted animals. Recently he was the theatre/dance/singing teacher at Sebastian Middle School in St Johns County and then decided to transition to starting Notes Behind the Scenes to help students and teachers alike experience what arts education can offer through unique and engaging programs.

Mr Becker holds a professional teaching license with the Florida Department of Education in Drama and Dance.

He was instrumental in growing the educational summer programs for Aspen Theatre in the Park (now Theatre Aspen) and School of the Performing Arts in the Richmond Community (SPARC). As the founder/coordinator of Denver School of the Arts' Summer Programs Mr Becker saw it transform from 1 camp with 15 students to 20+ camps with over 100 students and 5 professional faculty in a few years time. Over two decades in three states he has helped students bring to life over 50 original plays/musicals and is thrilled to continue doing so now in St Johns County, FL!

SINGING

BRANDON BECKER has sung professionally around the nation for many years with The Broadway Players, Aspen Theatre in the Park, and Swift Creek Mill Theatre, amongst others and taught voice both privately and in academic settings. His students have been accepted into musical theatre programs such as CAP21, Elon University, Shenandoah Conservatory, and James Madison University and are also currently performing around the nation in regional theaters, National Tours and on Broadway. At ARGS he had an award winning show choir and taught students in both the Vocal and Musical Theatre majors. He has also been Vocal Director for several musicals and sound engineer for multiple educational films.

THEATRE

BRANDON BECKER is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University (MFA - Theatre Pedagogy) and performed professionally around the nation for many years and has taught theatre to students from middle school to college for over two decades. He has taught master classes/workshops and presented at theatre conferences on a variety of topics and has been honored to be a judge for ITF/Thespian Festivals over the past ten years.

His improv groups in VA and CO have won multiple awards at competitions ranging from local festivals to the International Thespian Festival (1st and 3rd place teams - 2014).

He has directed numerous shows both professionally and in educational settings including In The Heights (2018 Bobby G Award Outstanding Musical & Outstanding Direction) and Three Sisters (2014 International Thespian Festival MainStage).

His students have gone on to well respected acting programs such as Juilliard, NYU, AMDA, LAMDA, Guthrie, North Carolina School of the Arts and are currently performing and touring in productions around the nation and internationally.

DANCE

BRANDON BECKER earned his BFA in Ballet Performance with a Teaching Certificate from the University of Utah. He was a founding member of Aspen/Santa Fe Ballet and also danced with the Richmond Ballet, in addition to guesting around the nation. He has worked with, and danced in, pieces by internationally acclaimed choreographers such as Val Canaparoli, Desmond Richardson, and Septime Weber.

As a teacher he has taught students of all ages in ballet, jazz, tap, musical theatre, and ballroom at dance studios, public and private schools, and professional companies.

His choreography for show choirs, ballet companies, musicals, plays, and operas have appeared on stages throughout the nation and won numerous awards.

His MFA thesis was entitled "The 4C Method: A System for Theatre and Musical Theatre Choreography".

PLAYWRITING

As a playwright his work has been performed nationally and internationally and his original prequel Before Wonderland earned accolades at the 2013 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. His original One Act entries have earned multiple Superior ratings at the Colorado Thespian Festival and Florida District 1 Thespian Festival.

Please access Branches Dramatic Publishing for more information.