Alumni

Shaan is an avid learner. He has spent more than five years teaching himself guitar from YouTube, his older brother, and (most importantly) trial and error! He has been writing songs since the age of 16 for his former band “INDIGOS” and now is producing his own album under the name “Shaan Jani.” There are very few things more important than the learning process for Shaan. He began his teaching career with Music United with hopes of condensing what he has learned into easily digestible music lessons. Shaan is now applying to medical schools and working with children with autism at the Action Behavior Center.

Kim Luong is a graduate of the Design and Technology Academy magnet program at Theodore Roosevelt High School and the University of Texas at Austin. Her 15-year piano journey includes participation in numerous competitions and recitals, highlighted by accomplishments such as earning the Piano Guild Competition National Member Award from 2018 to 2021. In addition to her musical background, Kim is deeply passionate about preserving and sharing her cultural heritage. She teaches traditional Vietnamese dances whenever she’s back in San Antonio, leading a group she founded called Golden Lotus. Kim is now pursuing a masters in Biomedical Informatics at UT Health Houston.

Luis Hernandez, known musically as Martin Leon, is an indie pop/rock artist signed with UTALENT Records and a Recording Academy’s GRAMMYU Member. Born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, he has been immersed in music since the age of 12. He has been invited to perform at various exciting music festivals such as UT’s 40 Acres Fest, Hidalgo’s BorderFest, and McAllen’s MXLAN Festival. He has opened up for Austin-based artists like Urban Heat and Jane Leo, and has shared stages on which artists such as Omar Apollo have performed. He writes and produces his own music and plays multiple instruments including drums, bass, and his primary instrument, the guitar. He holds deep reverence for his childhood musical instructors and understands the significance of early exposure to music. Music is something he views as the key to unlocking a beautiful passion with the capability to positively transform the world.

Angela is a undergraduate student at the University of Texas at Austin. She started playing the piano from age 7 and has competed in the RMTA Jazz Festivals and Dallas Piano Solo Competitions. She has also won 3rd place in the Texas All-State Music piano duet competition back in 2019. Angela has also played violin for 7 years and placed each year in the TMEA All-Region Orchestra and qualified for TMEA All-State Orchestra. She also loves teaching children lifelong skills and has taught underrepresented children English and basic mathematics.

David was a guitar teacher for Music United during the Spring 2025 semester.

Graduate from Cy-Fair High School, JJ Song studies at the University of Texas at Austin. After choosing the french horn in the sixth grade, he continued this journey through high school obtaining multiple recognitions as a four-time TMEA All-Region Band qualifier, “Outstanding Soloist” of the Cy-Fair Symphonic Winds band, and Cy-Fair Honors Recital performer. JJ also served as a two-time Drum Major, a position second only to the band directors, for the Cy-Fair High School Marching Band. Continuing band at the university level, JJ was a member of the Longhorn Band contributing to the atmosphere of enthusiasm and school pride during the college football season. Outside of music, JJ is a certified Taekwondo instructor for over 7 years, teaching sessions for students of diverse backgrounds young and old regardless of experience or disabilities. Furthermore, he is an avid volunteer for the neurodivergent community at the Korean Central Presbyterian Church of Houston, assisting with events from holiday gatherings to the K-Friends Adaptive Sports Festival in Kansas City. Through Music United, JJ hopes to use his diverse background to uplift those with disabilities and/or financial needs through music with positivity and unending energy.

Joy, an alumnus of Highland Park High School, is a graduate from at the University of Texas. Her ten-year piano journey consisted of participation in competitions and recitals including achievements like placing in the Dallas Symphonic Festival and Dallas Piano Solo Competitions. Also, during her middle school years, she was an active choir member and continues to enjoy singing both for leisure and at events like Christmas Caroling for various organizations. In addition to her musical background, Joy is passionate about teaching and working with children. She has consistently worked with children from 1st to 6th grade at annual camps and dedicates her weekends to helping children with special needs whenever she’s back in Dallas. Her passion for helping children inspired her to establish an organization to tutor and coach underserved children in various subjects like algebra, tennis, biology and art. Joy’s profound passion for music and working with children shaped who she is today, and she is enthusiastic about sharing her interests with other children, hoping to ignite a similar passion of music in them.

Mindy graduated from Plano West High School and is a graduate from UT Austin, having majored in biology. She learned piano starting from a young age, and she enjoys playing piano for fun. Mindy continued her musical career in middle and high school by joining band and learning saxophone. Outside of music, Mindy loves arts and crafts and taught arts and craft lessons to young children in high school. She hopes to continue teaching, and she hopes to inspire a love for music through teaching.

Tanu graduated from the Chamber Orchestra of Cypress Woods High School in Cypress. Texas. She has seven years of playing the viola under her belt. Some of her awards and accomplishments include making 2017 Region Philharmonic Orchestra and “A Star is Born” award that acknowledged her growth as a musician. Since 2020, she has been giving free tutoring lessons to a young violinist. Additionally, she has tutored for grade school math and science. Her experience working with children at a local climbing gym has allowed her to gain a sense of how children view the world, and she draws inspiration from their resilience and positive attitude. Tanu’s appreciation and passion for music is rooted in the idea that music is universal: everyone can enjoy it without a regard for language or culture. She wishes for everyone to get a chance to learn and appreciate music without the worry of finances or other challenges. When she is not busy with school work, you can find her rowing at Ladybird Lake, volunteering at the hospital, fundraising, or attending meetings for other organizations. In her free time, she is crocheting, has her head buried in a book, or is working out!

Jeffery Li has been playing the violin for over 12 years. He enjoys making music and spreading it to others as both a soloist and ensemble player. Among his favorite pieces are Bach sonatas & partitas, which express a wide range of emotions. In recent years, he has performed with the Texas All-State Symphony Orchestra and in the UT Philharmonic University Orchestra. Jeffery also practices solo pieces and has earned a ‘distinguished’ rating playing the Bach Chaconne at Texas State UIL. On the side, Jeffery enjoys collaborating with fellow students performing in small ensembles on campus and at nursing homes. Previously, he has tutored younger students in elementary school on how to play the violin and is eager to help new students start as well!

Amber Nguyen graduated from University of Texas at Austin with a B.S. in Geosystems Engineering and Hydrogeology. Her music journey began when she started piano lessons in first grade, carrying her passion into sixth grade where she decided to join the school band playing percussion. Upon entering high school at Vandegrift, she earned a spot on the marching band’s marimba line and became captain during her junior and senior year, during which the band won first place at the Bands of America Grand National Championships. To keep up with her love of music, Amber currently plays guitar and makes her own music.

Gauri Binup, an alumnus of Lebanon Trail High School, is currently an undergraduate student at the University of Texas at Austin. Since picking up the viola in the sixth grade, she’s made achievements like becoming a TMEA Regional Orchestra musician and a Class 1 medalist in Solo and Ensemble competitions. Besides music, Gauri has also been dedicated to working with students. For the past four years, she has tutored students in foreign languages, reading, and writing.

Kashvi is a graduate of Coppell High School and graduated UT Austin studying Public Health and medical Spanish. She practiced classical piano for 9 years, competing in various local competitions through the Carrollton Music Teacher’s Association and consistently earning high ratings in both music theory and competition/festivals. In high school, Kashvi was in her school’s varsity choir, and since graduating, she has been more focused on vocals, but still loves to play piano as accompaniment while singing. Outside of music, she has a lot of experience working with children through summer camps, tutoring, and clinical volunteering. She is excited to share her love for music and watch that same passion grow in younger students.

An experienced vocalist and passionate pianist, Tanner Phan has an extensive relationship with performance. With 10+ years of classical training, they have found a love for creating music as well as sharing the experience with others. Hopeful to provide new opportunities to those interested in learning, Tanner applied for Music United in order to aid in the accessible music education initiative. Having started piano lessons at four years old, they wish to share the challenging yet fulfilling nature of creating music in hopes of enriching the development of young minds across Texas.

Jerry graduated the University of Texas at Austin with a B.S. in biochemistry. He started playing the piano at the age of 7 and he has continued to play to this day. In middle and high school, he expanded his music education by playing the trombone for the school band in addition to playing piano outside of school. His favorite piano piece and current piece that he’s working on is Chopin’s Ballade no. 1 in G minor. He is passionate about both piano and teaching, as outside of music he is an undergraduate course assistant.

Growing up, music has always been a part of Nehir’s life. Her musical journey started when she first started taking piano lessons in elementary school. She then wanted to branch out her abilities by taking classical guitar lessons during middle school. Taking a break from instrumental music after moving to the US, she joined her high school’s choir during sophomore year. She was a part of the Varsity Women’s choir for two years and she competed in UIL district competition for three consecutive years. After coming to UT and seeing the vast music community, Nehir realized how much she had missed piano and guitar and decided to revive her passion for them. After discovering Music United, having been a STEM tutor since her junior year of high school, she wanted to combine her passions for teaching and music while giving back to her community.

Daniel has been playing the piano for 15+ years and grew up participating in Texas Music Teacher Association (TMTA) festivals and state competitions, winning numerous performance awards. In high school, Daniel was also in the marching band program and played saxophone, and was a featured soloist in the school’s marching show during his senior year and served as a section leader. At UT Austin, he studied piano performance at the Butler School of Music under Artem Kuznetsov and Dr. Margarita Denenburg through the PIA 201 course. Some of his recent piano repertoire includes Chopin Nocturne Op. 37-2 in G Major, Mozart Sonata No. 9 in D Major K. 311, Ravel Pavane pour une infante défunte, and many more.