Earl Oxford School music teacher Erin Dodds is back in her band room helping hundreds of young students find their rhythm after receiving a major alumni award from Brandon University last month.

Now in her 12th year at the school, Dodds leads a bustling music program that serves nearly half of Brandon’s middle school band students.

As the east side band director, she teaches about 170 Grade 7 students and 115 Grade 8 students across multiple schools, leading concert bands and wind ensembles that have grown larger than ever since the pandemic.

“The band program is bigger than it has been since COVID, which is incredible,” Dodds told the Sun. “We’ve got such a great group of students this year — motivated, talented and full of energy.”

Dodds said she has been reminded of why she chose te

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