M eet  Our  Team!

Kat

Meet Kat! Kat is the owner of Stickandstrum Academy and teaches guitar, piano, ukulele, banjo, & more! Kat has been apart of Stickandstrum Academy since 2015. She has been teaching for over 5 years and loves working with students of all ages. Kat owns and manages Stickandstrum alongside her other music academy, Serendipity Studios, located in McCalla. In addition, she leads worship at her church and performs live music at venues, weddings, and other events all across town!

A few fun facts about Kat: Kat loves going hiking, camping, and exploring & her favorite candy is haribo gummy frogs!

Kat does such an amazing job here at Stickandstrum and we are so thankful for her!

SaM

Sam teaches drums, guitar, and piano at Stickandstrum Academy! He developed his love for music at a very young age and went on to earn his Bachelor of Arts in Music Technology from UAB. While in college, he co-founded Iron Giant Percussion, a quartet that performs and writes chamber music, works hard to collaborate with other musicians, and puts on educational programs. Iron Giant has performed with many experimental rock musicians as well as several world renowned percussion groups!

Sam has also performed percussion in many musical theater productions with companies such as Red Mountain, Birmingham Children’s Theater, Birmingham Southern, and UAB. He has been teaching in the greater Birmingham area since 2009. 

A few fun facts about Sam: When he isn’t thinking about music, Sam enjoys being outside with his dogs Artie and Butters, and has been deeply involved with Camp McDowell for most of his life.

aSHLEY

Ashley is the Social Media and Marketing Manager at Stickandstrum and also teaches lessons! She’s been teaching guitar, piano, and ukulele lessons for over 5 year and has been apart of Stickandstrum since 2012. On weekends, she performs at local venues around Birmingham! Ashley is also a worship leader and college student at Troy University. She’s passionate about helping students develop their own style of music while having fun!

A few fun facts about Ashley: She loves her plant collection, taking pictures, and being outdoors! 

Morgan    P. 

Morgan teaches guitar, ukulele, and piano lessons! Morgan started playing guitar when she was 13 and has continued to learn new instruments! She loves alternative music, especially her favorite artist, Matt Maeson! 

A few fun facts about Morgan: Her favorite candy is twix, her favorite movie is A Star is Born, and she loves to go wake surfing at the lake!

Anna   Kate

Anna Kate is one of our teachers and receptionists! She teaches ukulele lessons and Pre-K classes! Anna Kate has been performing locally for about 2 years and leads worship at her church's youth group. She also plays the guitar! When it comes to music, songwriting is one of her passions. Her favorite band is Fleetwood Mac and her favorite genres of music are alternative and classic rock. 

A few fun facts about Anna Kate: She loves the Starwars Saga and hopes to move to Nashville one day!

Heather

Heather is one of our amazing piano teachers! She began learning to play when she was 9 years old. She is apart of the band at the University of Alabama in Birmingham where she plays the clarinet. She is currently pursuing a degree in elementary education. 

A few fun facts about Heather: She has several pets, she loves the beach, and her favorite genre of music is country!

MAtthew

​Matthew teaches all things band! He also works with audio and production students. Matthew is a graduate of Samford University with a Master's of Music in Instrumental Performance. He was a band director for 6 years before attending Samford. He is also an audio engineer for his church.

A few fun facts about Matthew: In his free time he enjoys hiking with his wife and puppy and playing golf with his brother.

Anna Cate

Anna Cate is one of the friendly faces you see at our front desk. She also plays and teaches the guitar and ukulele. Anna Cate loves rock and roll music! Her favorite bands are The Beatles, Steve Miller Band, Queen, and The Rolling Stones. 

A few fun facts about Anna Cate: She likes to play tennis and run in her free time and her favorite book is The Sun Does Shine!