Dr. Alina Plourde is constantly inspired by the beauty of musicians connecting and improvising in the moment, and by the simplicity and depth of Music for People’s philosophy and techniques. A graduate of the Musicianship and Leadership program, she is amazed by and grateful for the way that MfP has infused and enlivened all of her work. Alina has recently moved to Madison, Wisconsin where she is a teaching artist with the Overture Center’s Lullaby Project, helping families create and record original songs for their babies, and also works as an Outreach Coordinator at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music. Alina is an oboist, and as well as freelancing as an orchestral player, she performed recently with the Klezmer group Tsuzamen. Alina is currently pursuing a degree in Music Therapy from Alverno College in Milwaukee, where she is excited to be exploring improvisation in the context of music therapy. Before relocating to Madison, Alina taught oboe at Syracuse University, taught elementary music at the Montessori School of Syracuse, played with a number of local orchestras, and was a founding member of a professional chamber music group specializing in improvisation. She has Level II Orff training, and has taught and directed at a Music Together center. Alina holds bachelor’s degrees in music performance and music education from the Eastman School of Music, and a master’s and doctorate degree in oboe performance from the University of Illinois.