As a Harford County native, Meredith Katsu enjoys giving back to the community where she was raised: she teaches band at Southampton Middle School, where she attended, and has taught private piano and woodwind lessons for Joyful Sounds School of Music (now Bel Air Music Studios) since 2007.
Meredith began her musical journey as a five year old in Kindermusik® classes at Joyful Sounds School of Music. Her love for music blossomed, and her childhood consisted of piano lessons, flute lessons, saxophone lessons, and musical theatre. She practically lived in the band room at Fallston High School and was a proud marching band nerd, drum major, jazz band member, pit orchestra player, percussion ensemble affiliate, and music theory enthusiast.
While attending Anderson University in Anderson, Indiana, Meredith was a member of the Wind Ensemble as a flutist, Jazz Ensemble as a tenor saxophonist, Choral as a first alto, and pit orchestra as jack-of-all-trades. She studied flute under Emily Stanek. As a member of AU Choral, she had the opportunity to travel to Scandinavia and sing throughout Finland, Sweden, and Denmark. Meredith graduated with her Bachelor’s of Music in Music Education with honors in music, Magna Cum Laude, and Pi Kappa Lambda.
Now that she is back at her old stomping grounds, she has loved getting connected with the arts in Harford County. For several years she has enjoyed playing as a percussionist for the Susquehanna Symphony Orchestra. In addition, she re-started the Southampton Jazz Band, and has served in a role of international ambassador for music, including travel to Chimbambwe, Zambia to teach music for a summer at The School of Hope.
Meredith is currently working on her Master’s in Music Education at VanderCook College of Music in Chicago, having just completed her Master’s project on Improving Student Independence through Improvisation. Meredith is a lifelong learner and looks forward to applying all the skills she has been acquiring.
When she is not involved in her music, you can find her running and hiking with her two adorable labs, Sakko and Molly, taking ample photographs, exploring new terrain, reading fantasy and sci-fi, writing/blogging, concocting obscure vegan and gluten-free recipes, and spending quality time with her amazing family and friends.
Meredith believes music is for everyone and wants to make the gift of music available and accessible to all, from babies in the womb to adults in retirement. Music brings joy, music brings life, and music for music’s sake is what people, culture, society, and beauty is made of. Together, let’s explore all that music has to offer!