Musical Life Podcast Episode 21: Worthington Band Director Interview: Meg Alexis

Megs love for music was ignited early on in life, her father, who had an appreciation for music, would take her to symphony and jazz orchestra concerts. When her family moved from North Carolina, they specifically chose a church with an “amazing music program”. Meg’s earliest memories are of hearing the church choir, the organist, and old hymns, which instilled in her an appreciation for music from an early age.

In elementary school, Meg took piano lessons and later joined the band in sixth grade, choosing the trumpet. She was inspired by her piano teacher, Mr. Fitzgerald, and her elementary music teacher, Mrs. Rose. Meg auditioned for and was accepted into the Columbus Children’s Choir, and band became her primary focus the following year. Her parents, who both played in band in school, encouraged her to choose either the clarinet or trumpet. Meg chose the trumpet because there weren’t many girls who played it and she “wanted to represent”. Her sixth-grade band director, Jim Dowdy, was also instrumental in setting her on the path to becoming a music teacher. During high school, she briefly considered teaching history in addition to music but quickly decided to focus on music, which led to her majoring in it in college.