Teaches in Phoenix, AZ

From Mesa, Arizona

Plays Guitar, and Violin

About

Melissa is originally from southeast Michigan, and moved to Flagstaff, AZ in 2021 to pursue her Bachelor of Music Education degree at Northern Arizona University. She now resides in Mesa, AZ to complete her student teaching and eventually teach orchestra in public schools. Melissa has played music from a young age, starting guitar lessons at just four years old. She has continued with guitar to this day, and it was her primary instrument in her music degree at NAU, where she studied with Professor Philip Hemmo and Dr. Josh Moore. In that time, she also participated in master classes with Guitar Foundation of America winners Bokyung Byun and Marko Topchii. Melissa has played violin since sixth grade orchestra, and was in school orchestra, youth orchestra, and private lessons all through high school. At NAU, she took two years of violin lessons with Dr. Jacqueline Schwandt, and was a member of the NAU Symphony with Dr. Daniel O’Bryant for four years. After relocating to Mesa, Melissa is a member of the Scottsdale Symphonic Orchestra with Maestro Desmond Siu. While still in Flagstaff, Melissa taught private guitar and violin lessons for six months. She has also had various classroom experience in elementary general music, as well as junior high and high school orchestra, guitar, and music theory. While at NAU, she was a music theory Teaching Assistant, and over the summer of 2025 she was a counselor at NAU’s Curry Music Camp and taught a music theory elective. Over the summer of 2023, Melissa was a counselor at a major fine arts camp in Michigan, where she taught a group campfire guitar class and participated in an orchestra with internationally recognized musicians and conductors. Melissa’s specialty teaching areas are classical and country/pop guitar, and classical violin. She is very flexible with teaching style and her main goal is to teach students what they want to learn, which can look different for everyone. When she’s not teaching, Melissa loves to read, exercise, be outside, play games, and spend time with friends. She’s still new to the area and would love suggestions for good hikes and AZ activities!