Mason Summer Band Camp

Dr. William L. Lake, Jr. is the newly appointed Director of Concert Bands at the Reva and Sid Dewberry Family School of Music at George Mason University for the upcoming academic year. In this role, he will conduct the George Mason University Wind Symphony and Symphonic Band. He will also teach conducting and wind literature classes.

Before his tenure at George Mason University, Dr. William L. Lake, Jr., served as Associate Director of Bands and Assistant Professor of Music Education at the Crane School of Music (SUNY-Potsdam), where he was co-conductor of the Northern Symphonic Winds, principal conductor of the Crane Concert Band, and guest conductor of the Crane Wind Ensemble. In addition to these responsibilities, Dr. Lake taught undergraduate conducting, Secondary Wind Practices, Wind Literature, and the preservice Practicum in Beginning Instruments Course.

Dr. Lake earned his Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Instrumental Conducting from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro under the mentorship of Drs. John R. Locke and Kevin Geraldi. As a graduate student, he was the principal conductor of The University of North Carolina University Band and guest conductor of the Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Casella Sinfonietta Chamber Ensemble, and Symphony Orchestra.

Dr. Lake is the recipient of two master’s degrees, the first from Boston University in Music Education (2011) and the second from the University of Maryland, College Park in Wind Conducting (2014) under the mentorship of Dr. Michael Votta, Jr. In May 2006, Dr. Lake received the Bachelor of Music Liberal Arts -Jazz Studies Piano Performance Degree from the University of Maryland, College Park as a student of Jon Ozment and Christopher Vadala.

Dr. Lake maintains an active performance and clinic schedule as a guest conductor and lecturer throughout the country. He was a finalist for the 2017-2018 Ernst Bacon Memorial Award for the Performance of American Music and the Band Conducting Division of the American Prize. Recently, Dr. Lake served as a collaborating author for two books, Teaching Instrumental Music: Perspectives and Pedagogies for the 21st Century (Oxford University Press) and Music Education on the Verge: Stories of Pandemic Teaching and Transformative Change (Lexington Books), both to be published in 2022.

As a passionate advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion, Dr. Lake is the co-founder of I See You: Affirming Representation in Music. In this capacity, Dr. Lake has presented over twenty seminars across the United States on inclusive practices in music education and performance. With co-founder Dr. LaToya A. Webb, Dr. Lake has been invited to present on diversity, equity, and inclusion concepts and practices at the 2021 Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic, the 2021 Virginia Music Educators Association Professional Development Conference, the 2022 Texas Music Educators Association Conference, the 2021 National Association for Music Education National Conference and the 2022 National Association for Music Education Music Leaders Forum.

Dr. Lake is a member of the College Band Directors National Association, Kappa Kappa Psi, National Honorary Band Fraternity, Inc., Pi Kappa Lambda, and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. He is also honored with membership in Tau Beta Sigma National Honorary Band Fraternity, Inc., and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.

Degrees:

• DMA, Instrumental Conducting – The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
• MM, Wind Conducting – University of Maryland, College Park
• MM, Education – Boston University
• BM, Jazz Studies Piano Performance – University of Maryland, College Park

Dr. LaToya A. Webb serves as Wind Ensemble Conductor at Wilfred Laurier University. She teaches courses in instrumental conducting and wind band literature.  Prior to this position, Dr. Webb served as Assistant Director of the Longhorn Band and Assistant Professor of Practice in Conducting and an instructor of wind conducting at Auburn and Grambling State universities.

As a passionate advocate for improving educational opportunities through diversity, equity, and inclusion, Dr. Webb is the Special Projects Manager for United Sound, Inc. She also maintains the William P. Foster Project website and serves on the Southwestern Division Committee. Dr. Webb is Co-founder of I See You: Affirming Representation in Music, an organization aimed to affirm Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) in all fields of music.

Dr. Webb’s professional affiliations include the College Music Society, National Association for Music Education, Texas Music Educators Association, the College Band Directors National Association, Women Band Directors International, Tau Beta Sigma, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Samantha Clarke, conductor and flutist, is a Long Island native of East Rockaway, New York. She is pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree in conducting at George Mason University. Currently a doctoral candidate, Samantha is writing her dissertation and plans to graduate in May 2023.

Samantha is extremely grateful for the opportunity to study conducting with Dr. William Lake, Jr. and to have gotten to work with and guest conduct the Mason Symphonic Band and Wind Symphony throughout this academic year. Throughout her coursework at Mason, Samantha held the role of Doctoral Assistant Conductor to the Symphonic Band and Wind Symphony as well as Graduate Teaching Assistant in the Dewberry Family School of Music. She studied conducting with Prof. Mark Camphouse and Prof. Anthony Maiello, and flute in the studio of Prof. Julianna Nickel.

Samantha is a member of the staff of Mason Community Arts Academy, where she coordinates instrumental music education outreach in local schools through their Instruments in the Attic donation program.

Samantha has taught music and band at the elementary, middle and high school levels on Long Island. Additionally, she served as Associate Conductor of the Long Island University (LIU) Post Wind Symphony from 2017 to 2019. Samantha holds both a master’s degree in conducting and a bachelor’s degree in music education from LIU Post. While pursuing her master’s degree, she served as the Graduate Assistant Conductor to the Wind Ensemble, Wind Symphony, String Ensemble and Orchestra, studying conducting under Dr. James McRoy. Samantha was also very fortunate to have studied flute with Karla Moe for 10 years. 

As an avid performer both as a soloist and chamber musician, Samantha has been a flutist and woodwind teacher for the Songe d’été en musique School and Festival in Quebec, Canada since 2012. She has also performed abroad in Puerto Rico with the LIU Post Wind Symphony and in Australia at the Sydney Opera House as principal flutist of the Long Island Symphonic Winds.

Samantha’s performance honors include participation in the Long Island Flute Club Competition twice, placing first in 2012 and third in 2011. Additionally, she was featured as a soloist with the LIU Post Wind Ensemble at Tilles Center in April 2014 as a winner of the LIU Post Concerto Competition.

As an author, Samantha completed a Music Education Research Study for her master’s thesis in 2017 titled: “A Comparative Study of Best Teaching Practices Across Three High School Performance Ensembles: Band, Chorus and Orchestra.” More recently, she published an article in the Summer 2020 National Band Association (NBA) Journal, a book review in the 2019 College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA) Fall Report and has a contract with GIA Publications (Chicago) for a book detailing the life and teachings of Anthony Maiello.

You can visit her website at samanthakclarke.com

Kathleen Mulcahy was appointed as Director of Woodwinds and Assistant Professor of Clarinet at George Mason University in August 2018, after serving as Adjunct Professor of Clarinet since in 2012. She performs frequently with the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra and the National Symphony. Dr. Mulcahy has held tenured positions with the Annapolis Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, Grant Park Orchestra, and ProMusica Chamber Orchestra. She is currently principal clarinetist with the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra.

An active chamber musician and recitalist, Dr. Mulcahy performs regularly on the Faculty Artist Series at George Mason University and has been a featured soloist with the Mason Wind Symphony and Symphonic Band. She has performed on chamber series in venues such as the Kennedy Center, the National Gallery of Art, the German Embassy, and the National Cathedral. In July 2017, she performed the world premiere of Howard Buss’ Divertissements for Clarinet and Percussion at the International Clarinet Association’s Clarinetfest in Orlando, FL, and presented a recital at the 2019 ICA Clarinetfest in Knoxville, TN. Dr. Mulcahy is also an RYT 200 certified yoga instructor, and has created several workshops focused on yoga for the performing artist. She has presented recitals and masterclasses at colleges all over the country, including Lamar University, High Point University, Penn State, and the Eastman School of Music.

In the summer, Dr. Mulcahy serves as Coordinator of Summer Music Intensives for the Mason Community Arts Academy, and is also the co-director of the Mason Summer Clarinet Academy. She can also be seen with the Wolf Trap Orchestra in the pit for Wolf Trap Opera productions, or on stage at the Filene Center accompanying a wide variety of acts.

Previously, Dr. Mulcahy served as a clarinet instructor at the State University of New York at Fredonia. She holds the DMA and BM degrees from The Ohio State University and the MM degree and Performer’s Certificate from the Eastman School of Music. Her principal teachers have included James Pyne, Peter Hadcock, and Kenneth Grant. Kathleen Mulcahy is a Buffet Group USA performing artist and a member of the Health and Wellness Committee for the International Clarinet Association.

Term Assistant Professor of Music

• Director of Woodwinds
• Clarinet

Degrees

• B.M., Ohio State University
• M.M. and Performer’s Certificate, Eastman School of Music
• D.M.A., Ohio State University

Gregory Freeman is an active trombonist and educator in the Washington, DC area who also doubles on euphonium. A native of Alexandria, Virginia, Gregory grew up immersed in the vibrant music scene in metropolitan Washington and studied trombone with Scott Shelsta of Pershing’s Own U.S. Army Band. Gregory received his Bachelor of Music Education from George Mason University where he studied trombone with Dr. Paul Schultz, and conducting with Anthony Maiello. He earned a Master of Music in Trombone Performance from Northwestern University where his teachers included Michael Mulcahy, Charles Vernon, Scott Kinmont, Gail Williams, and Jay Friedman. He also was fortunate to study conducting with Dr. Mallory Thompson.

Gregory has enjoyed a varied performing career and has played for audiences all over the United States and abroad. He has performed with the Fairfax Symphony, Washington Symphony, Capital Wind Symphony, and is a member of the Dominion Brass in Northern Virginia. Gregory is currently the trombonist with the Monumental Brass Quintet based in Washington, DC, and can be heard on several recordings including “Sacred Circle” with Monumental Brass and “Ite Missa Est” with the Dominion Brass. He has performed with the Rodney Marsalis Philadelphia Big Brass on both trombone and euphonium throughout the United States and China. Two of his most memorable musical experiences include performing for a national television broadcast
at the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing, China, and playing the antiphonal music of Giovanni Gabrieli inside St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice, Italy.

While a student at George Mason University, Gregory performed as a member of the Disney Collegiate All-Star Band, and had the opportunity to perform for thousands of people and work with some of the top studio and jazz musicians including Alex Iles, Jiggs Whigham, and Wayne Bergeron to name a few. Gregory also appeared as soloist with the George Mason University Symphony Orchestra.

Gregory is very active as a music educator. He is sought-after as a low brass clinician in Northern Virginia, and works with a number of schools coaching trombone, euphonium, and tuba sections in some of the top band programs in Fairfax County, Virginia. He maintains a large private studio, and has also taught in Howard County, Maryland and at the Levine School of Music in Washington, DC. For over 15 years Gregory has served as Director of the Robinson Trombone Choir at Robinson Secondary School in Fairfax County. Under his direction the group has appeared twice at the American Trombone Workshop, and also had the privilege of participating in the Towson University Trombone Ensemble Workshop Day in 2014, hosted by Dr. Natalie Mannix, as well as the George Mason University Trombone Day in 2020 and 2021 hosted by Dr. Alan Carr. As a member of the Monumental Brass Quintet, Gregory has been the trombone instructor for their annual Summer Brass Institute for several years, and has been honored to work with countless brass students as well as fantastic guest artists including Scott Hartman, Martin Hackleman, Carol Jantsch, and Chris Gekker to name a few. Recently, Gregory presented a solo recital and masterclass at Marywood University in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Gregory lives in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife, son, and daughter. When he is not busy with musical activities, he enjoys traveling, visiting national parks, and hiking/climbing mountains.

Elliott Godinez is a first-generation American who advocates for equal accessibility in music. An inner-city Chicago native, his musical expressions have been described as creative, emotionally charged, and thought provoking. He has released multiple recordings and musical arrangements for high school front ensembles, and several collaborations with various composers.

In addition to his extensive freelance teaching in Central Illinois and the greater Chicagoland area, Mr. Godinez has served as Music Director of the New Holland-Middletown ESD #88, Assistant Band Director at University High School (Normal, IL), Battery Caption Head for Bloomington High School (IL), and most recently as a Percussion Graduate Assistant at Illinois State University.

Mr. Godinez earned a Master of Music in 2021, and a Bachelor of Music Education in 2017, both from Illinois State University. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts at George Mason University.

William Hernandez is a DMV native who strives to make music accessible to all. As a first-generation American, his mission is to make Latinx representation the motivation for his career. In addition to having a background in Education, William is also a freelance musician with credits in musical pit orchestras, international movie score recording, and chamber groups throughout Delaware and Pennsylvania.

William holds a Bachelor’s in Instrumental Music Education from the University of Delaware and is currently a Master of Music in performance at the University of Maryland, College Park. His teachers include Amanda Collins, Dr. John David Smith, Dr. Lauren Hunt, Larry Williams, and Gregory Miller.

Christopher Jewell is the Assistant Principal Bassoonist of the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra.  An active performer in the Washington, DC area, Mr. Jewell also regularly performs with the Eclipse Chamber Orchestra, Post Classical Ensemble, Wolf Trap Opera Company, and the Chesapeake Chamber Orchestra.  He has previously served as Principal Bassoonist of the Missouri Chamber Orchestra and has performed with the National Symphony Orchestra, Richmond Symphony, New World Symphony, and Aspen Festival and Chamber Orchestras.  Mr. Jewell has appeared as a soloist with the American Youth Symphonic Orchestra as well as with ensembles at the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago and at the Missouri Music Educators Association Convention.

As a clinician and adjudicator, he has served as a judge for the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Woodwinds Competition and has presented masterclasses for the DC Youth Orchestra and at schools throughout the Washington, DC metropolitan area.  He has additionally taught masterclasses at James Madison University and the University of Missouri, and was honored to coach students at the Simon Bolivar Youth Symphony in Caracas, Venezuela, under Gustavo Dudamel.  Mr. Jewell coaches woodwinds for the Maryland Classic Youth Orchestras and at Bishop Ireton High School and has led sectionals at American University and Georgetown University.  He also maintains a vibrant private studio in Northern Virginia.

An avid chamber musician, he has performed at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Georgetown University’s Friday Music Series, and the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage, and has been featured on WETA’s Front Row Washington.  He has also performed with ensembles at the International Double Reed Society and Texas Music Educators Association Conventions. Mr. Jewell earned a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia where he studied with Barbara Wood and Edward Dolbashian.  He continued his studies at the Manhattan School of Music with Patricia Rogers, Principal Bassoonist of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.

Adjunct Applied Faculty

• Bassoon

Degrees

• B.M., Music, University of Missouri-Columbia
• Graduate Studies, Music, Manhattan School of Music

Dennis Edelbrock has performed with The United States Army Band and the Army Brass Quintet since 1975. Since that time, he has also written music used frequently at official state ceremonies at the White House, NBC’s “Christmas in Washington”, country music’s televised show “Nashville Now”, as well as music used in the opening ceremonies for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games and Special Olympics. He is also the founder of The National Trumpet Competition and adjunct professor of trumpet at George Mason University and keeps an active performing schedule in the Washington, DC area. As an adjunct professor at GMU, he was awarded the prestigious “Excellence in Teaching Award” in 1996, one of only two faculty members to be recognized that year.

He has given masterclasses all over the world including the Moscow and St. Petersburg Conservatories.

The Army Brass Quintet entertains at the White House and has toured in thirty-eight states as well as twelve foreign countries. The Quintet has also recorded extensively and has performed on National Public Radio, The British Broadcasting Corporation, NBC’s “Today Show” and Fox television, The Prairie Home Companion, among others. The ensemble has been repeatedly chosen as the first to perform honors for newly inaugurated Presidents and also chosen for Capitol Rotunda State Funeral services for Presidents Reagan and Ford during national telecasts at the capitol. The Quintet has performed in a “live” Russian National TV broadcast in conjunction with the Russian National Orchestra.

The National Trumpet Competition, hosted at GMU, is the largest in the world and has provided performing opportunities for over 11,000 students since its inception in 1992. In exhibition concerts, it has featured such artists as Canadian Brass, Grammy Award winners Arturo Sandoval and Chris Botti as well as Doc Severinsen, Maynard Ferguson, Alan Vizzutti, Adolph Herseth, Tim Morrison, Jamey Aebersole Mnozil Brass, Philip Smith among many others. Its website hosts online masterclasses by some of the world’s greatest artists. NTC is supported, in part, by all the major trumpet manufacturers and has a budget of $80,000 per year.

In recent years, Edelbrock has performed with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, the Bolshoi and Kirov ballets, the New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theater, the Royal Spanish Ballet, the Kennedy Center Orchestra with whom he performed the world’s first web-cast as soloist in Handel’s “Messiah”, the Washington Opera, and the National Symphony Orchestra with whom he has recorded.

Performances with Classical Brass, of which he is a founding member, have been featured on local live radio broadcasts on NPR and broadcasts from The National Gallery. The Quintet does two national television broadcasts from the National Cathedral on Christmas and Easter mornings. Additionally, the group has commercially released compact discs including “Honor to Our Soldiers” (American Heritage Society) featuring performances on original civil ward instruments, “Christmas at the Cathedral” (Nonesuch) which has recently been nationally released, and “Music from America’s Golden Age” with the Columbian Brass Band.

Edelbrock has appeared numerous times as a soloist with the Kennedy Center’s Washington Chamber Symphony on NPR. He is an original member of the Washington Bach Consort which holds the honor of being the only American ensemble invited to perform at the Bach Tri-Centennial in a Leipzig Gewandhaus performance which was broadcast on East German State Television.

He has performed on screen as a soloist in the video version of “Contact” (Sony Pictures), “Wag the Dog” (Miramax) and was featured on the filmscore of Tri-Star’s motion picture, “Gardens of Stone”. Edelbrock has also been a frequent performer on the “Discovery Channel” sound tracks.

A native of Iowa City, Iowa, he is a graduate of the University of Iowa. He completed advanced studies at the Catholic University earning both a Master of Music Performance and Doctor of Music Arts degrees. He devotes as much time as possible to volunteer work with local youth groups and resides in Arlington, VA with his wife Laura, a pianist and choral director, and fifteen-year-old daughter Emma.

Adjunct Applied Faculty

• Trumpet

Degrees

• B.M.E., University of Iowa
• M.M., Catholic University of America
• D.M.A., Catholic University of America

Dr. Christopher Troiano was born to a musical family and began playing the euphonium in the third grade. His exposure to early American brass bands began at a young age when he would frequently hear his father, Bill Troiano, play tuba with the Old Bethpage Village Brass Band on Long Island. When Dr. Troiano was in middle school, he had his “first paid gig” playing bass drum in that very brass band under the direction of Dr. Kirby Jolly. He would later have the opportunity to perform with the Old Bethpage Village Brass Band on baritone horn alongside his father and brother.

Dr. Troiano is received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from George Mason University, where he studied with Dr. Mark Jenkins, current principal euphonium in the “President’s Own” United States Marine Band. Dr. Troiano earned his MM in Euphonium Performance at George Mason University and BM in Music Education and Euphonium Performance from the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas. While at North Texas, Dr. Troiano was a student of euphonium virtuoso Dr. Brian L. Bowman. Other teachers of Dr. Troiano’s include Patrick Nyren and Donald Sherman.

Dr. Troiano has had the opportunity to perform in numerous ensembles, including the North Texas Symphonic Band, George Mason University Wind Symphony, George Mason University Symphony Orchestra, Capital Wind Symphony, Cedar Park Winds, Atlantic Wind Symphony, Austin Brass Band, Brass of the Potomac, Symphony Orchestra of Northern Virginia (SONOVA), Huntington Community Band, Northport Community Band, Northern Virginia Tuba-Euphonium Quartet (NOVATEQ), the Patriot Brass Ensemble, Blaskapelle Alte Kameraden City of Fairfax German Band, the New Orleans-inspired Dirty Gold Brass Band, and numerous other small ensembles including tuba quartets, brass ensembles, and mixed chamber ensembles.

As a featured soloist, Dr. Troiano has had the opportunity to perform solos with the George Mason Wind Symphony, George Mason Symphonic Band, Capital Wind Symphony, Centreville High School Wind Ensemble, Park View High School Symphonic Band, and the Huntington Community Band. Dr. Troiano has also had the opportunity to perform a solo at the annual United States Army Tuba­-Euphonium Workshop in Washington, D.C. with the George Mason University Tuba­-Euphonium Ensemble.

As an arranger, Dr. Troiano has had his arrangements performed on multiple occasions. The North Texas Euphonium Quintet performed Dr. Troiano’s arrangement of The Star-Spangled Banner during the Texas Rangers’ 2015 and 2016 baseball seasons at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas. Dr. Troiano’s arrangement of Aaron Copland’s “Fanfare For the Common Man” was performed by The Interservice Euphonium Choir under the direction of Dr. Brian L. Bowman at the 2012 United States Army Band Tuba-Euphonium Workshop. The Interservice Euphonium Choir is an ensemble comprised of professional euphonium players in the DC military bands. Dr. Troiano also has a number of arrangements in the catalog for the Dirty Gold Brass Band, a New Orleans-style brass band that excels at playing jazz, funk, and rock music.

Dr. Troiano is a passionate and versatile teacher. His teaching experience starts in his undergraduate studies at the University of North Texas as a music education major. Since moving to Virginia, Dr. Troiano has built his own private studio for all low brass instruments. Currently on staff with the Centreville High School Marching Band as a visual and music instructor, Dr. Troiano is also very active as a sectional teacher and solo festival adjudicator in the Northern Virginia area. In addition to teaching, Dr. Troiano assists in directing and coaching ensembles at George Mason University. Dr. Troiano is committed to teaching, sharing, and spreading the wonderful sound of low brass instruments.

Dr. Michael Barranco currently resides in Fairfax, Virginia. Michael’s schooling includes a DMA degree from George Mason University, Master’s degree in Music Performance from Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois and a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from The College of Saint Rose in Albany, New York. He is a multifaceted musician, active in the fields of performance, education, and instrument repair. 

As an educator, Michael leads percussion studies at NOVA Community College (Loudoun) and teaches K-6 general music at Cameron Elementary School. In addition these roles, he is a coveted clinician for percussion programs in the Northern Virginia area. At George Mason, he held the titles of Graduate Lecturer, Graduate Teaching Assistant, and Graduate Peer Advisor—leading world music courses, coaching percussion ensembles, and assisting graduate students with their imperative needs. In addition to instructing world music, he has led courses in percussion methods, percussion instruction, and percussion ensembles at the collegiate level. Most notably, Michael led the percussion department at the University of Illinois Springfield for their 2017-2018 school year. 

Michael’s current research focuses on the timbre qualities of acoustic percussion instruments. He is an active member of the Network for Diversity in Concert Percussion, College Music Society, Percussive Arts Society, and the National Association for Music Education, in which he was elected President of Saint Rose’s chapter from 2013-2014. 

As a performer, Michael currently holds the positions of principal percussion with the American Festival Pops Orchestra and Washington Balalaika Orchestra. Orchestrally, he has performed with the Capital City Symphony, Symphony Orchestra of Northern Virginia, Illinois Symphony Orchestra, Peoria Symphony Orchestra, and Saint Rose Camerata. Michael also performs with chamber ensembles, brass bands, choirs, wind ensembles, and is an active performer in musical theatre pits. His current percussion studies are led by John Spirtas of the Washington National Opera, with prior instruction conducted by John Kilkenny, Jon Bisesi, David Collier, Ben Stiers, Mark Foster, and Cliff Brucker. 

Michael’s instrument repair experience began in 2015 at John Keal Music in Albany, New York. He continued for the next four years at Carl’s Pro Band in Bloomington, Illinois, learning brass, woodwind, and percussion repair from the Thacker family. Currently, Michael is involved in freelance percussion repair in Virginia, D.C., and Maryland areas, repairing instruments for members of the United States Naval Academy and Washington National Opera.

Michael is endorsed by Artifact Percussion.  

Megan Stallings is an active music educator in the Northern Virginia area. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Instrumental Music Education from George Mason University, and is actively pursuing a Master of Music degree in Instrumental Conducting under the direction of Dr. William L. Lake Jr. Previously, Megan studied oboe with Dr. Margaret Owens and conducting with Mark Camphouse and Anthony Maiello. 

She is in her 4^th year teaching for Loudoun County Public Schools, and 3^rd year as the Associate Director of Bands at Stone Bridge High School in Ashburn, Virginia. In this role, Megan assists in teaching the Wind Symphony, Symphonic Band, and the Marching Bulldogs. This year, she started a United Sound chapter at Stone Bridge with 10 new musicians and 23 peer mentors. In addition to teaching band, Megan has experience teaching elementary school general music classes, high school level guitar courses, and AP Music Theory.

As an active oboe/English horn player, she plays in the Fairfax Wind Symphony under the direction of Stan Schoonover. The FWS regularly performs in the Northern Virginia area, at the Virginia Music Educators Conference, and recently performed at the 2021 Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, Il. She has subbed on oboe and English horn for the Loudoun Symphony Orchestra, Capital Wind Symphony, and for private lesson teachers in the area. Megan holds a small oboe studio and taught oboe sectionals at local schools prior to starting her current position.

Outside of music, Megan enjoys coaching competitive cheerleading and holds two Virginia High School League 6A state titles as an assistant coach for Battlefield High School. She is in her 2nd year as a volunteer assistant coach for the Stone Bridge High School varsity competition cheerleading team. She resides in Aldie, Virginia with her boyfriend and their 3 miniature dachshunds, Yoshi, Daisy, and Mando.