Alumni

Sarah Cave (2015)

Sarah Cave graduated with her Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia with a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education, and she is very excited to be working with such talented musicians and notable professors at Appalachian State University. Sarah performs her graduate assistantship duties as the mezzo-soprano in ASU’s graduate quartet, Quintessential!, and is studying under the instruction of Dr. Joseph Amaya...

Jacob Cook (2015)

Jacob Cook graduated from the Hayes School of Music with a Master's in Voice Performance. Jacob also did his undergraduate work at Appalachain State University, where he graduated with two bachelor’s degrees in Voice Performance and Choral Music Education. He is a member of the graduate ensemble Quintessential! and is working on the role of Dr. Falke in the Appalachian Opera Workshop’s Fall, 2013 production of Die Fledermaus. Recently, he has traveled to Vancouver, B.C. and performed the roles...

Alexa Dorris (2015)

Alexa Dorris, MT-BC completed the Master of Music Therapy degree December 2015. Her thesis was titled "Music Therapy When Death Is Imminent: A Phenomenological Inquiry." She is currently working as music therapist in the children's hospice and palliative care program of Cincinnati Children's Hospital.

Amanda Gentile (2015)

Amanda Gentile completed a Master of Music degree in Violin Performance. She received her Bachelor of Music Education and Bachelor of Psychology degrees from the University of Nevada Las Vegas and received a Graduate Certificate in Violin from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Amanda has held the concertmaster position of the UNC Charlotte Chamber Orchestra and Opera and currently holds the concertmaster position of the Appalachian State Orchestra. She is currently a graduate...

Mary Royall Hight (2015)

Mary Royall completed her Master of Music in Vocal Performance at Appalachian State University. In May 2013, she graduated Magna Cum Laude from Meredith College in Raleigh, NC with a Bachelor of Music in Music Education and her K-12 Licensure. Mary Royall is a Presser Scholar and a member of Pi Kappa Lambda. Most recently, she received the role of Adele in Strauss’ Die Fledermaus with the Appalachian State University Opera Theater. She studies with Dr. Julia Pedigo and works as a graduate...

Farren Hilliard (2015)

Farren Hilliard is a mezzo-soprano from West Columbia, South Carolina. She recently completed a Graduate Vocal Performance degree at Appalachian State University, studying with Ms. Mary Gayle Greene. Farren is a recent graduate of Campbell University where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Comprehensive Music in Voice. She began her solo career in voice at the University of South Carolina Aiken, where she originally had interests in marketing. Farren has been a vocal scholarship recipient at...

Christopher McKinney (2015)

Christopher McKinney started his career as a K-5 general music teacher and middle school band director and is now a middle school band and orchestra director. He has developed his own method for the recorder to help students learn to play wind instruments in fun and exciting ways. He has level II certification in Creative Motion and has served on the faculty of the Windswept Creative Motion Conference. He holds a bachelor's degree in Instrumental Music Education from Appalachian State...

Sarah Renshaw (2015)

Sarah Renshaw, MT-BC, completed the Master of Music Therapy degree in 2015. She completed her internship at the Albert J. Solnit Psychiatric Center for adolescents, and she has an interest in child and adolescent mental health. She is currently working as the music therapist for Caldwell County Schools and is adjunct faculty in the Music Therapy Program at Appalachian State University.

Alex Sidwell (2015)

Alex Sidwell is seeking his Masters of Music in Percussion Performance at Appalachian State University under Dr. Rob Falvo. At Appalachian State, Alex has performed as principal percussionist of the ASU Wind Ensemble and principal timpanist of the Appalachian Symphony Orchestra. Alex is currently a substitute percussionist with the Johnson City Symphony Orchestra, and was awarded an assistantship at ASU in both percussion and music theory. In 2014, Alex was the recipient of the third place and...

Chelsea Stith (2015)

Chelsea Stith completed the combined Equivalency and Master of Music Therapy program in May of 2015. She completed her music therapy internship at Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics in Kansas City, Missouri in December of 2013. Her thesis explored psychophysiological responses to different elements of music for her thesis. During her time at Appalachian, Chelsea served as the district music therapist for Caldwell County Schools and worked as an arts critic for CVNC writing reviews of local...