Private Lesson Faculty

Flute

Megan is a native Austinite now residing in Leander, Texas. She began her studies in music on violin at the young age of three with the Suzuki Method under William Dick. She found her true passion as a flutist at the age of eleven, studying under Denise Riemenschneider (fka Denise Gurgel) and also studied for a brief period with Megan Meisenbach.

During the summers of 2000 and 2001, Megan expanded her musical enrichment by attending Interlochen Arts Camp in Michigan where she studied with renowned classical and jazz flutist, Nancy Stagnitta. In 2005, she received her bachelor’s degree in music performance from the University of North Texas in Denton where she studied with Terri Sundberg and Helen Blackburn.

Megan has performed with various groups within the Austin area over the past several years including the Austin-based folk group Strumero, Cinematic Symphony, Austin Flute Choir and the Austin Philharmonic Orchestra. Megan has also been working with young flutists ranging in ages from 11 to 17 since graduating from UNT and is currently teaching private lessons in Leander ISD and Liberty Hill ISD.

In her free time, she enjoys going to live music concerts, painting and spending time with family and friends, especially her 2 young daughters, Lily and Sophie.

Oboe

Lisa Link Edwards - lisalinkedwards@gmail.com

Lisa Link Edwards, oboe, holds a bachelor of music degree with honors from the University of North Texas and a master of music degree from Arizona State University, both in oboe performance. She has studied with Dr. Charles Veazey, Stuart Dunkel, and Martin Schuring.

She has performed with numerous groups in central Texas including the Austin Chamber Music Festival, the Austin Chamber Music Center, the Austin Symphony, Zilker Musical Theater, Lyric Opera San Antonio, the Victoria Symphony, and the Victoria Bach Festival. Lisa is currently teaches privately in the greater Austin area.

Bassoon

Shelby Avants - shelbyiyone@gmail.com

With over six years of teaching experience in Central Texas and Austin, Shelby Avants shares her passion for music while considering her students' goals and individual learning styles.

In 2019, Shelby earned her Associate of Arts in music at Temple College. In December 2021, Shelby earned her Bachelor of Music in Bassoon Performance at Southwestern University. Currently, she is working on her Master's Degree in Performance and Pedagogy at Texas State University.

Shelby customizes every student's learning experience to their goals, interests, and learning styles. She loves teaching classical, jazz, and pop while incorporating history, theory, and ear training.

Shelby's personal goal for her students is to balance reading sheet music with learning music by ear to empower her students to be adaptable in any given musical situation.

Clarinet

Sarah McMillian- sarahmcmillianclarinet@gmail.com

Sarah Elisabeth McMillian is an Austin-based clarinetist and teacher. She began her musical studies at the age of 9, and has been playing the clarinet for 15 years. Ms. McMillian attended the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities, a prestigious residential high school with pre-professional training in the arts.

She received her Bachelor of Music Performance degree from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music in 2020, where she studied under James Campbell and Luis Rossi. While attending, she performed in many ensembles and was the principal clarinetist of the Concert Band. She continued her studies at the University of South Carolina, earning a Masters in Performance in 2022 under Joe Eller. There, she held principal positions with the USC Wind Ensemble and Symphony Orchestra.

Ms. McMillian has performed with many groups throughout the United States, including the Aiken Symphony Orchestra, Southern Indiana Wind Ensemble, and the Atlanta Pops Orchestra.

Apart from the clarinet, Ms. McMillian stays immersed in the arts through music production, field recording, and photography.

Saxophone

Lucy Croasdale - lucy.croasdale@utexas.edu

Lucy Croasdale is a performer, composer, and educator originally from Madison, WI. She is a multi-instrumentalist who enjoys playing many different genres of music. While her main focus is saxophone performance (both jazz and classical), she also has a passion for pedagogy and composition/arranging. Ms. Croasdale has created and led a beginner’s jazz workshop back in September 2021 – March 2022 and was commissioned to compose a jazz big band chart for the 2022 Fred Sturm Jazz Celebration Weekend at Lawrence University.

Also, while playing baritone saxophone with the Lawrence University Jazz Ensemble (LUJE), the group won the 2023 Outstanding Performance award for Large Jazz Ensemble – Undergraduate College category. This past school year, she premiered a saxophone quartet concerto, Second Nature by Viet Coung, with the University of Texas Wind Ensemble (UTWE) and also played in UTWE’s 50th anniversary Carnegie Hall performance in NYC. She now teaches private lessons in the Austin area while getting her Master’s at UT.

Currently, Lucy Croasdale studies saxophone performance (MM) at The University of Texas at Austin with Dr. Stephen Page. She has a Bachelor of Music degree from Lawrence University and has studied with Steven Jordheim and Joseph Connor.

Trumpet

Michael Rey - michaelreytrumpet@gmail.com

Michael Rey is a professional trumpet player residing in Austin, Texas. In a city known for its live music, he has carved an impressive path for himself, in not only performance, but instruction, adjudication and studio work as well.

A founding member of the acclaimed Austin-based horn trio, The Fresh 2 Def Horns, Michael has busied his performance schedule with groups of many varying genre. From the Grammy award winning Latin piece, Grupo Fantasma, to another Grammy-awarding winning artist, Country singer/song writer Rick Trevino, to say he is a versatile musician is a gross understatement.

Michael has been a long-standing performer at the well-known jazz venue, The Elephant Room, down in the basement on Congress Ave. in downtown Austin; a place where many aspiring Austin transplant musicians hope to one day cut their teeth on the same stage that has been graced by the likes of Wynton Marsallis and Harry Connick, Jr. He is among the elite who have had that opportunity, and he has done so on hundreds of occasions - showcasing his chops as the “high note guy” in various established local jazz ensembles.

In between performances, local and on tour, Michael also has quite the rap sheet as a recording artist, playing both solo and within a horn section. He can be heard on the four records of esteemed Austin group, The Nightowls, many tunes featuring horn lines on which he collaborated creatively as well. Most notably, he has found himself blowing away within the walls of the famed Sun Studio, where Elvis Presley was discovered, in addition to being in the talented hands of Grammy-award winning producer Laurence “Boo” Mitchell at renowned Royal Studios.

For almost 15 years, Michael has been a private trumpet instructor, working with kids from the time they first put a horn to their mouth, to when they’re preparing their college audition material. He has coached several students who have excelled in district, region and state competitions, and many of his mentees have achieved the highest accolades during solo and ensemble performances.

Mr. Rey, as they call him, has helped them hone the skills necessary to enter confidently into their respective universities as aspiring music students. Some of his former students are pursuing their own musical dreams at Stephen F. Austin University (Michael’s alma mater), Oberlin Music Conservatory, Texas State, the University of Texas, and the University of North Texas.

He has had the honor of being an adjudicator and guest artist at jazz festivals on an annual basis. For the past 15 summers, he has paid homage to his Alma Mater by traveling back to Nacogdoches, Texas, to lead trumpet masterclasses, teach private lessons, and perform as a guest artist with the campers.

Horn

Shaun Murray - smurray.horn@gmail.com

Shaun Murray is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University School of Music and teaches horn in Austin, TX. He has worked with students in Del Valle, Liberty Hill, Leander, Georgetown, and Lago Vista.

A native of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, Shaun studied with Gregory Miller of the Empire Brass at Lynn University Conservatory of Music in Boca Raton, FL. During his undergraduate years, Shaun attended Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro, NC, for three summers studying with Andrew McAffe, Kevin Reid, and Kelly Hofman.

After graduating from Lynn University in 2018, Shaun began studying with William Caballero, principal horn of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA. In the Summer of 2019, he attended the National Orchestral Institute, playing principal on Mahler Symphony No. 5, coached by Gregory Miller, Gail Williams, and William VerMuelen.

Shaun graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with his Master’s degree in Horn Performance in 2020 and his Advanced Musical Studies Certificate in 2021.

Trombone

Dr. Michael Martinez - 40mmartinez@gmail.com

Michael Martinez is a low brass and theory teacher based in Austin, TX. A native Texan, Michael participated in events held by the Association of Texas Small School Bands (ATSSB), Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA), and the University Interscholastic League (UIL) throughout his time as a student in Progreso, TX and Schulenburg, TX.

He currently holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Southwestern University (Georgetown, TX), a Master of Music in Trombone Performance from Texas State University (San Marcos, TX), and a Doctor of Musical Arts from the Eastman School of Music (Rochester, NY).

Dr. Martinez was also a member of the International Ensemble Modern Academy (Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst, Frankfurt, Germany) from 2022-2023. His teachers include Uwe Dierksen, Mark Kellogg, Dr. Martin McCain, Dr. Eileen Meyer, and Alex Martinez.

Euphonium/Tuba

Dr. Guy Martorano - Guy.Martorano@gmail.com

Dr. Guytano Martorano III is the Adjunct Lecturer of Tuba & Euphonium at Texas A&M - Kingsville and a freelance performer/educator in the Greater Austin Area, where he performs regularly with the Austin Symphonic Band and the Lake Travis Tuba & Euphonium Ensemble. At TAMUK, Dr. Martorano takes on a mentorship role in music performance lessons and low brass pedagogy courses. Other areas of his professional expertise include music arranging/composition, music theory, recording technology, and sight reading pedagogy.

As an educator, Dr. Martorano regularly publishes various educational materials on his website, both for local competitions, such as the TMEA region auditions, and for his private studio. Dr. Martorano also runs a longstanding literacy series, “Transposition Inquisition”.

Some past appointments include principal tubist of the Lubbock Civic Orchestra, principal tubist for the LSO Educational Brass Quintet, and the acting substitute tubist for both the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra and the DFW Brass Quintet.

Percussion

JJ Pereira - jjpereira@rochester.rr.com

Jonathan Pereira is an Austin-based percussionist and educator. As a classically trained percussionist, he feels equally at home performing classical, jazz, or popular music. Mr. Pereira holds degrees in music education and percussion performance from Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY (BM 2013, MM 2016).

He spent several years teaching instrumental music in New York State public schools and private percussion lessons before relocating to Austin in 2018. He has extensive performance experience in wind ensembles, orchestras, and pit orchestras for musical theatre productions, and currently performs with Flechaus, an indie folk band based in Austin.