The Fun Bio
From “I’m going to be a band director!” to “I want to be the CEO!” to finally embracing a portfolio career, it’s been quite a ride.
In high school, studying music education felt like the natural next step toward that band director dream. I’m genuinely grateful for that training—but it didn’t turn out to be my forever lane. During undergrad, I realized how deeply I loved playing my flute and began imagining a different path. So, I revved up, chased performance opportunities, and headed to graduate school to give that dream a real shot.
Then came an unexpected twist: arts management. Discovering nonprofit leadership was like opening a door I didn’t know existed. Suddenly, there was meaningful work with visible impact, and I thrived in it. But after years in the nonprofit world, I realized something was missing—my instrument, my creativity, and the joy of teaching.
So, I revved up again—this time musically. Re-engaging with the music community helped me reclaim my identity as a performer and educator. Along the way, coaching and consulting emerged naturally, and a new vision came into focus: I didn’t need to pick one lane. I could build a life that blends them all.
These days, that life also includes a delightful (and often chaotic) household with two rambunctious daughters and two senior terriers who firmly believe they run the place. When I’m not teaching, performing, or coaching, you’ll find me out for a run, on a yoga mat, digging in my vegetable or pollinator gardens, curled up with knitting needles or a good book—and generally trying to squeeze just a little more life into the day.
It turns out the life I wanted wasn’t a single title after all—it was a mix of music, mission, growth, and joy. And I’m finally living it.
The Flute Bio
I am originally from Richmond, Virginia, where I began flute lessons at age ten with Alice Hammel. I earned my Bachelor of Music in Music Education from James Madison University in 2007, studying flute with Beth Chandler. After graduation, I completed a residency with renowned flutist Trevor Wye at his home studio in Ashford, Kent, England. I completed my Master of Music in Flute Performance at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in 2010, studying with John Bailey.
During a brief time living in Gillette, Wyoming, I taught Intro to Music at Gillette College and served on the Board of Directors for the Powder River Symphony. I later joined the music faculty at Doane University in Crete, Nebraska, where I taught flute for many years until becoming a mother in 2015.
I have participated in multiple National Flute Association conventions, including the 2012 program in Las Vegas; the 2013 convention in New Orleans, where I performed with the Professional Flute Choir and was named a Convention Performers Competition winner; the 2024 convention in San Antonio with the Professional Flute Choir; and the 2025 convention in Atlanta, performing with the Professional Flute Choir and the Nebraska Flute Ensemble.
I currently perform with Coro di Flauti (a Lincoln-area flute choir), La Dolce Vita (a flute/guitar duo), and the Nebraska Chamber Players (a mixed ensemble dependent on programming).
My students regularly participate in the Junior Youth Orchestra, Lincoln Youth Symphony, District and State Festivals, and All-State Band and Orchestra.
The Nonprofit Management Bio
Over winter break during my first year of graduate school in 2008, I reconnected with a college friend who mentioned she had started a new job managing a youth orchestra. Not just any orchestra—the very one I played in throughout high school. It was a moment of clarity: this is a job, and it sounds like something I would love. That conversation opened a new lens for me, and I immediately began exploring what a career in nonprofit arts could look like. Having often been placed in leadership roles, the idea of working in a mission-driven organization felt like a natural extension of who I already was with skills that had been developed in my training as a musician.
I began with an internship in the education department of the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. After completing graduate school, I continued in arts education and outreach roles at both the Lied Center for Performing Arts and the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. I then spent five years with Lincoln’s Symphony Orchestra, progressing from Executive Coordinator to Director of Community Partnerships.
From there, I expanded my focus on community engagement as Director of Community & Learning for the Lincoln Children’s Museum, where I served for three years before transitioning to Nebraska Children & Families Foundation. At NCFF, I worked across two departments over four years and concluded my time by establishing a new team and strategic focus.
The Coaching Bio
Anyone who has taken private music lessons knows the experience goes far beyond learning an instrument. Yes, we play flute and make music—but we also talk about motivation, identity, confidence, disappointment, success, and life. Some days, students arrive for a flute lesson and we never even open the case. After several weeks of students sharing personal challenges and opportunities for growth, I realized something important: supporting their whole selves was already part of my work—and I wanted to deepen that skill intentionally.
What began as a way to better serve my existing students quickly became something more meaningful. Throughout my coaching certification process, I discovered how much I love this work and how naturally it aligns with my strengths. Coaching didn’t just enhance my teaching—it expanded into a new calling.
I thrive working with youth in their early teens who are navigating friendships, identity, decision-making, and how to prioritize their time, energy, and focus. Helping young people identify their strengths, own their voice, and grow in confidence is one of the most fulfilling parts of my career.
Lindsay's Flute & Future Studios LLC 