Paul Brodt - Head Band Director
Email: paul.brodt@fortbendisd.gov
Phone: 281 634 3848
Mr. Brodt is starting his 24th year as a Band Director in the State of Texas. He taught for 7 years at Hastings High School where he was the Head Band Director and before that taught 7 years as the Band Director at Youngblood Intermediate. He received his Bachelors of Music Education from the University of Central Oklahoma in 2002. Mr. Brodt was the 21-22 Kempner HS Teacher of the Year.
Mr. Brodt is a woodwind specialist. His primary instrument is saxophone. Mr. Brodt was a 3 year member of the Oklahoma All-State Jazz Band and 1st chair in the Oklahoma All-State Wind Ensemble in 1998. He worked as a Jazz Band Musician on a Carnival Cruise Line Ship out of Miami, Florida from 2002-2003. He toured with a jazz band in Tokyo, Nagasaki, and throughout Japan in 2003. He has also performed in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil and Lisbon, Portugal with the Tallowood Jazz Band the Messengers.
Mr. Brodt has been married to his beautiful wife Cynthia for 21 years. They are the proud parents of a 17 year old boy, Isaac and 11 year old daughter, Autumn. He is a competitive bowler in his free time.
Kayla Hinton- Assistant Band Director
Email:
Ms. Hinton is ecstatic to begin her music education career with the Kempner High School Band Program! She is a recent graduate of Texas State University where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Music Studies with Texas Teaching Certification, graduating Summa Cum Laude and with Honors. During her time at Texas State, she studied trumpet under the mentorship of Dr. Keith Winking and Dr. Robert Cannon. She was very active in the university music community, performing in many prestigious ensembles including Wind Symphony, Jazz Ensemble, Salsa Del Rio, and even University Singers. Outside of these ensembles she competed at the 2025 National Trumpet Competition serving as the first trumpet for her quintet in the collegiate small ensemble division and performed at the 2026 TMEA conference with her all-female brass quintet, Valkyrie Brass.
Outside of college, Ms. Hinton marched trumpet at the Bluecoats (2025, 2026) and Carolina Crown (2023) Drum and Bugle Corps. She is also a founding member of Mariachi Chicana, an all-female mariachi group based in Austin TX. Beyond performing, Ms. Hinton had the opportunity to complete her student teaching in NBISD at Memorial Elementary School and Long Creek High School. At the high school level, she worked closely with all three of the LCHS concert bands and conducted two pieces at their spring concert. Ms. Hinton also had the privilege of working as a marching band technician for the Lehman High School and Dripping Springs High School band programs.
Ms. Hinton’s professional affiliations include the Texas Music Educators Association, National Association for Music Education, and Kappa Kappa Psi.
In her free time, Ms. Hinton enjoys playing video games, thrifting, and hanging out with her tailless cat, Bobbi.
Logan Stinson - Director of Percussion
Logan Wayne Stinson is a percussion educator and arranger based in Sherman, Texas. He currently serves as Percussion Director at Sherman High School, where he leads instruction across marching band, concert band, and percussion ensemble programs. Prior to this role, he was Assistant Percussion Director at Sherman High School and completed his student teaching at Wylie High School.
Logan holds a Bachelor of Music Education from Texas A&M University–Commerce (2021). During his time there, he was actively involved in the university’s music community, performing with top ensembles and serving in leadership roles, including President of the Percussion Association and leader of the Panimation steel pan group. During this time, Mr. Stinson was under the instruction of Dr. Brian Zator, Sandi Rennick, Dr. Cory Doran, and Dr. Andrew Lynge.
Logan was also a member of the Santa Clara Vanguard Cadets, contributing to their Open Class Championship, Best Percussion Award, and Rookie of the Year Award in 2017. As an arranger, he has written marching percussion music for Sherman High School since 2023.
In his free time, Logan enjoys playing video games, golfing, and being at home with his wife and three cats.
Ashley Yen - Director of Color Guard
Email: Ashley.Yen@fortbendisd.gov
Ms. Yen is excited to be joining the Kempner High School Band Staff. She has performed with the Oregon Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps as weapon line Captain, Spirit Independent Open Winter Guard, and Invictus World Color Guard. Before teaching at Kempner Ms. Yen was a color guard technician at Fulshear High School.
In her free time she likes spending time with her family and friends.