STAFF
Cliff Dawson
Director of Bands
Mr. Dawson currently serves as the Director of Bands at Braden River High School. At Braden River, Mr. Dawson's responsibilities include overseeing all areas of the band program including the jazz bands, percussion, beginning band, brass and woodwind classes, and the "Marching Band of Pirates".
Prior to becoming the Director of Bands at Braden River, Mr. Dawson was the Assistant Director of Bands where he coordinated jazz band, beginning band, brass class, symphonic band and was the Assistant Director for the Marching Band of Pirates. Before joining the band faculty at Braden River, Mr. Dawson was a full-time educator at Northeast High School in Pinellas County for eight years. During that time, he successfully led the music department in teaching and directing multiple courses, including Concert, Jazz, Marching Band, Music Technology, Guitar, Percussion, and Orchestra Ensembles. His students and bands and students have consistently earned Superior ratings and additionally has aided many students in achieving All-County and All-State selections.
As the 2026 Manatee County Teacher of the year, Mr. Dawson is a committed mentor and music education professional. He serves as a new teacher mentor within the Florida Bandmasters Association and also as a GROW mentor for new teachers within Manatee County.
Mr. Dawson is a Trombonist and graduate of the University of South Florida and Florida State University. He was also a member of the Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps from 1993-1996, and was a member of the 1997 World Champion Concord Blue Devils.
Director of Colorguard
Brittnie Balcom currently serves as the Colorguard Director at Braden River High School, where she also teaches IND. In her role, she leads the program in training, choreography, equipment work, and collaboration with the Marching Band of Pirates during performances and competitions. Brittnie is passionate about helping students grow as performers, artists, and teammates, fostering both creativity and confidence on and off the field.
Prior to joining Braden River, Brittnie taught preschool for six years and has been involved with the performing arts since 2010, bringing more than a decade of experience in performance, teaching, and choreography to the program. She has worked with numerous bands, guards, and performing arts programs, designing, teaching technique, and providing mentorship to students and staff alike. Brittnie was a member of the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps from 2015–2018 and contributed to the corps’ first World Championship title in 2016, an experience that continues to inspire her approach to performance excellence and teamwork.
Brittnie is dedicated to mentoring students and inspiring a lifelong love of performance. She is a graduate of St. Petersburg College and continues to share her passion for the arts with students across the region.