Current Teachers

An alumna of Vandegrift High School, Yuni Lee is an undergraduate student at the University of Texas at Austin. She began playing the piano at age six and studied with Shearon Horton, winning numerous competitions and events, such as the Texas Music Teachers Association Piano Performance Contest, New Orleans Piano Institute Solo Competition, Baylor/Waco Piano Competition, and Steinway and Sons Junior Piano Competition. In 2016, Yuni was featured on KMFA 89.5 and was selected as the top Austin District Music Teachers Association Youth Music Ambassador. She has also had the privilege of performing in masterclasses with pianists from the Eastman School of Music, the Juilliard School, and many more, including Alan Chow, Kevin Chance, and Anton Nel. In addition to piano, Yuni played clarinet in her high school’s Wind Ensemble, which was selected as the 2019 Texas Music Educators Association Honor Band and invited to perform at the Midwest Clinic in Chicago. She served as drum major for the Vandegrift High School Marching Band and received the “Second to None” Award on the basis of peer nomination for exemplifying the character and service of First Lieutenant Matthew Vandegrift, the school’s namesake. Yuni also has over six years of experience teaching music, both privately and with the Music Eunited Program, in which Music United has its origins. Music Eunited was dedicated to teaching music to students with disabilities or financial needs, and Yuni served as a co-director for two years before the program was discontinued due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, it was her dream to incorporate her passion for music into a project raising awareness about poverty and disabilities. With great support from her community, family, and fellow UT students, Music United became a registered student organization at the University in the spring of 2024. It is with hope that Music United continues to promote access to music education and empower kids with disabilities and/or financial needs through music.

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 currently an undergraduate student 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.

Shaan is an avid learner. He has spent 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 is beginning his teaching career with Music United with hopes of condensing what he has learned into easily digestible music lessons.

Mindy graduated from Plano West High School and is now an undergraduate at UT Austin studying 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 at Music United.

An alumnus of Bellaire High School, Heather is currently an undergraduate student at the University of Texas at Austin. Her love for the violin started at the age of 7, and has only continued to grow throughout her 11-year journey. Her achievements include performing at the Houston Youth Symphony (HYS) for three years, selected as Concertmaster in the Philharmonia Orchestra, and winning the American Prize’s Ernst Bacon Memorial Award for an orchestral piece she led. Heather was also a four-time TMEA Regional Orchestra musician, a Class 1 and Division 1 medalist in Solo and Ensemble, and a TMEA Texas Music Scholar. Furthermore, Heather has consistently placed Concertmaster throughout her academic years and led violin sections in the summer program American Festival for the Arts (AFA) and the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA). She also dabbled in chamber music in various programs, where she would lead her ensemble. Additionally, Heather enjoys teaching and working with kids. From tutoring various subjects like algebra and chemistry to hosting week-long camps for elementary students, Heather hopes to bring joy to education in kids.

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!

Neha is an undergraduate studying biochemistry at the University of Texas at Austin after graduating from Vandegrift High School. In sixth grade, she discovered her interest in percussion and began to learn different instruments during concert season, including snare drum, cymbals, timpani, bass drum, vibraphone, xylophone, and others. Upon entering high school, Neha continued her percussion journey by joining the marching band. She played the marimba in the front ensemble during marching season in the fall of her freshman year, during which the Vandegrift band was awarded first place at the Bands of America Grand National Championships. She played in percussion ensembles and performed snare and marimba solos during the spring concert season. Beyond the performances, she valued the friendships and sense of community that stemmed from her shared musical experiences. Neha hopes to share her love for music through Music United and inspire children to enjoy percussion as much as she does.

Aaron is a dedicated musician who learned to play trumpet at Cy-Fair High School in the Greater Houston area. As a section leader and principal trumpet, he led breakout sessions teaching others both music for marching band shows and Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) region music for auditions in the fall. He is a four time Region Band member and two-time TMEA All-State Band member, performing in the Henry B. Gonzalez Center as a result. Beyond trumpet, he also was a part of the Cy-Fair High School Indoor Percussion ensemble as a cymbal player.

Anika Shankar, an alumna of Millburn High School in New Jersey, is currently an undergraduate student at UT Austin studying government. She began playing piano at the age of six and has since won numerous accolades, including gold and silver medals from the Crescendo International competition. Anika has also had the honor of performing at Carnegie Hall five times. In 2022, Anika taught piano to raise money for the American Cancer Society, receiving the foundation’s Student Leadership Award for her fundraising efforts. In addition, Anika has played flute and viola in middle and high school wind ensembles and sang in the New Jersey Youth Chorus. Aside from music, Anika is interested in fashion, community service, and activism. She hopes to help kids gain a passion for music by teaching for Music United.

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. She has joined two bands that are hoping to perform live in Austin. Through Music United, Amber hopes to share her love of playing and creating music.

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! Through Music United, Tanu aspires to spread the love and appreciation she has for music!

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. He believes that teaching at Music United will enable him to cultivate the love for music in others.

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.

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. Beyond music, Angela strives to become a pediatric dentist, which fuels her desire to teach children music through Music United.

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. She hopes to elevate her love for music and teaching through Music United, and to inspire students to find joy in music!

Kashvi is a graduate of Coppell High School, currently studying Public Health and medical Spanish at UT Austin. 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.

Currently enrolled at the University of Texas at Austin, William Lee was a competitive pianist for more than 10 years under Dr. Mary Humm. He is a winner of the Dallas Piano Solo top prize, Dallas Symphonic Festival, Baylor / Waco Piano Competition, and Plano Trophy Competition. He performed in numerous recitals and festivals such as the Gillock Honor Recital, PMTA American Festival, Sonatina Festival, and Fall Festival. William’s repertoire consists primarily of classical giants like Mozart, Chopin, Beethoven, Debussy, Rachmaninov, and Bach, but he enjoys occasionally learning pop songs as well. His favorite pieces are Chopin études and Beethoven piano sonatas. William has a strong understanding in musical fundamentals and technique in classical piano, and he is excited to share his passion for music through Music United!

Brendan has played the piano since he was six years old. He trained under Dr. Bret Serrin at the Suzuki Music Institute of Dallas, from 2012 to 2024. During that time he has competed and placed in competitions. However, the ability to teach others the wonders of the music through Music United, is an opportunity that he has not been able to have in the past. Therefore, he is excited to be able to have this opportunity, and create an impact in the community through music. Although Brendan has not had extensive experience in teaching music, he was a tutor for Outlook tutoring, a non profit organization that helped struggling students study during the COVID online school year. Teaching has always been something that Brendan has enjoyed, so being able to expand that love of teaching into the realm of something else he truly enjoys, piano, would be a beautiful combination.

Kim Luong, a graduate of the Design and Technology Academy magnet program at Theodore Roosevelt High School, is currently an undergraduate student at 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. Through Music United, Kim is excited about the opportunity to inspire and empower these children, helping them find joy and confidence through music.

Graduate of Greenwood High School, Maria Valenzuela is an undergraduate student at the University of Texas at Austin. Maria began playing the clarinet in 6th grade, and she continues to pursue music. Maria had the opportunity to perform in the All-State band two consecutive years during high school. She also performed a class one solo and ensemble at the State Solo and Ensemble contest for three years and obtained a “Music Scholar award” for her solo performances. In addition, Maria obtained a drum major position in her school’s marching band her senior year. Outside of music, Maria studies neuroscience and aspires to make a difference in the lives of others through her own passions and experiences. Maria is a part of Partners and Health, which is an advocacy organization that focuses on bringing awareness to social injustices in the healthcare system. She is also a part of Texas STEM buddies, an organization that works with elementary kids to foster STEM education in low income schools. Through music, Maria hopes to help children obtain music education while simultaneously continuing her passion. Maria strongly believes that every child should have access to music education, as it is a beautiful opportunity that has the potential to change lives.

Jerry is a biochemistry student at UT who graduated from Plano West High School. 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. Through Music United, he hopes to help its students find their own passion for music and explore its joys.