My Story

Music has been a central part of my life since fifth grade, when I heard my middle school band perform for a recruiting event. The energy in their playing was contagious — I had to be part of it. While learning to play clarinet for the first time was amazing, it was my teachers that really grew my passion for the art of music. I had never really thought of myself as creative or musically talented, but my teachers guided me towards discovering those parts of myself. Their investment and the positive community of musicians around me helped me gain confidence, a sense of purpose, and a feeling of belonging I had never experienced before.

During high school, my band director gave me an opportunity to be a section leader in the marching band. I taught clarinet sectionals and discovered the joy of teaching for the first time. Since then, I have taught private lessons, clinics, and classes for everything from clarinet to drum major technique across the state of Alabama.

My goal is that every student who walks through my studio door experiences the same passion for music that my teachers fostered in me. I aim to unlock the inner artist that resides in every student and give them the confidence to be successful in all walks of life.

Young girl smiling and holding a clarinet, sitting in a chair surrounded by other children, some playing instruments, in a music rehearsal or classroom setting.
A young woman in a marching band uniform playing a clarinet on a football field at night, with others in the background.
Young woman smiling and holding a clarinet outdoors, standing on grass with green trees in the background.

Here are a few pictures of younger me during my musical journey!

Education and Experience

A young woman and a young man in graduation gowns and caps, standing in front of a building with columns, smiling for a photo.

I decided to pursue my passion for music at the University of Alabama (Roll Tide!) and graduated with my BSE in Music Education in 2026. My husband and I now reside in Birmingham, AL.

My love for playing clarinet has extended to the study of other instruments in the woodwind family. In addition to Bb clarinet, I have studied Eb clarinet, saxophone, and flute playing. I also had the privilege to serve as a drum major for the University of Alabama Million Dollar Band for three years.

I have been teaching private lessons in clarinet, saxophone and drum major technique in schools across the state of Alabama since 2021. I have worked as a clarinet instructor for the Community Music School at UA and also as adjunct staff for the Million Dollar Band teaching clarinet playing and marching technique. I also teach woodwind sectionals, drum major clinics, and band camps at schools in the Birmingham area.

During my time at the University of Alabama, I performed in the Wind Ensemble, Huxford Symphony Orchestra, Jazz Ensemble, Treble Chorus, Flute Choir, and the Million Dollar Band. I have performed in the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra and the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra Education Quintet. Now I play gigs across the southeast as a multiple woodwinds specialist. You can frequently find me playing jazz gigs all over Alabama as a member of Dr. Warren Ertle’s Corpse Revivers.

I have had the honor to learn from many incredible lessons teachers over the years, including Sandra Hill, Dr. Brian Viliunas, and Dr. Osiris Molina (clarinet); Dr. Jonathan Noffsinger (saxophone); and Tammi Powell and Mallory Harrison (flute). I also have gained invaluable knowledge about teaching from my band directors Brian Wilson, Chris Neugent, Kevin Welborn, and Dr. Kenneth Ozzello.

Five musicians dressed in black suits are standing together, each holding a clarinet, and smiling in front of a wall with a door and an exit sign.
Jazz band performing on stage at a venue with a red curtain backdrop and a sign that reads 'Jazz at the 25th'. The band members are playing various instruments, including saxophones, and dressed in formal black suits with bow ties.
An older man with short gray hair, dressed in a white shirt, tie, and suspenders, stands next to a young woman in a white marching band uniform, both standing on a ladder at a sporting event with a large crowd in the background.
A man playing a grand piano and a woman playing a saxophone on stage in a performance hall with a pipe organ in the background.
A man and a woman perform music together on stage; the man plays a grand piano while the woman plays a clarinet, both dressed formally, in a wooden hall with a large wooden wall behind them.
Group of young musicians with their bandleader in a concert hall, holding saxophones and trumpets, after a performance.
A pianist and a saxophonist performing on stage in a concert hall.
A woman standing on a ladder outdoors during daytime, wearing a white cap, sunglasses, a sleeveless top, and shorts.