Voice, Piano
Education and awards:
- Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from the University of Mobile, graduated summa cum laude
- Graduate coursework in Vocal Pedagogy and Piano Pedagogy from Kansas State University
Notable roles/performance experience:
- Opera: Antonio in “The Gondoliers,” Don Giovanni in “The Three Little Pigs,” Soldier in “ldomeneo”
- Musical Theater: Man in Chair in “The Drowsy Chaperone,” Zangler in “Crazy for You,” Marcellus in “The Music Man,” Enjorlas in “Les Miserables,” Thenardier in “Les Miserables”
- Music Director Opera/Musical Theater: “The Secret Garden,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” “The Gondoliers”
- Director: “Once Upon a Mattress,” “Junie B. Jones: The Musical”
Teaching experience:
- DeSana Middle School: Choral Director/Drama Director (2019-2022)
- Fairhope High School/Fairhope Middle School: Choral Director/Piano Instructor (2018-2019}
Austin is an Atlanta-native pianist and vocalist who specializes in both classical and contemporary styles of music. He got his big break in his elementary school chorus (complete with a kazoo solo during their first Christmas concert), which led to him becoming the typical chorus/musical theater nerd in high school. While in college, Austin studied both voice and piano extensively. He acted as a piano accompanist for the music department and gained a lot of stage experience in operatic and musical theatre roles, such as Antonio in The Gondoliers, Man in Chair in The Drowsy Chaperone, Don Giovanni in Mozart’s The Three Little Pigs, and Zangler in Crazy For You. He made his classical solo debut singing Mozart’s Great Mass in C minor with Berkshire Choral International/Asheville Symphony Orchestra.
After receiving his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education, Austin went on to teach chorus and piano classes for six years at several schools across the southeast. He also ran a private piano and voice studio with the Steinway Piano Gallery of Spanish Fort. He later completed graduate coursework in piano and voice pedagogy at Kansas State University. Austin is a frequent performer—he can often be found behind the piano accompanying choral ensembles, playing keys at a variety of churches, judging and serving as a clinician at piano competitions, and singing all over the place.
Austin teaches piano students from beginners to advanced, as well as voice students, and he can teach in both classical and musical theater styles.
“I love helping students start their musical journeys,” Austin shares. “I live for the moment that something ‘clicks’ for a student and they begin to reach their full potential as a musician! My greatest mentors were always music teachers, and I want to give the same opportunity to students now.”
Austin is a caring teacher who goes to his students’ performances, and he invariably has a giant book of stickers on hand. He encourages his students to always find joy in music.
Austin loves pretzels (“I could eat them all day!”) and traveling, and he confesses he is borderline addicted to coffee. He takes pride in his ability to quote every 30 Rock episode from memory.
