SOUNDS Academy College Advisor
Katie started playing the cello at six years old and was lucky to grow up in a public school system in Michigan that prioritized its music program. She went on to study at the University of Notre Dame, where she double majored in philosophy and music and studied cello with Karen Buranskas. Katie’s love of the humanities led her to accept a position teaching US history at a charter school in Phoenix, where she also founded the school’s first orchestra program
In addition to her classical training, Katie is an experienced folk and bluegrass musician. Her band, Cisco and the Racecars performs at festivals around the state and recently returned from their second musical diplomacy tour of Ukraine.
Katie has been teaching with Sounds Academy since 2018. She loves helping students find joy through playing cello. When she’s not teaching, she can be found reading, hiking, or traveling.
