By graduation in May 2025, Lexi Brookshire had taught in 10 academic settings and students from 3 years old to high school. Her work spans years in music practice rooms and schools. Her commitment and investment paid off. She is pursuing a Master of Music (teacher education) degree at Florida State University and holds a graduate assistantship with the Center for Music Research.
Lexi is a passionate music education major whose future goals center around her interest in music advocacy. She believes all children deserve a high-quality music education.
“The arts matter,” says Lexi, “because they provide so many people with an outlet to be themselves. They not only teach you how to be a professional in a discipline, but they teach valuable life skills and how to be a person. There are so many cross-curricular benefits to the arts.”
Lexi’s personal experience with music education first drew her to Berry. She visited campus, attending high school all-state band workshops where she enjoyed spending time with Berry faculty. Both of her band directors were also Berry alumni. “I could really see myself thriving at Berry,” says Lexi.
Her freshman year, Lexi was placed in a Lifeworks job at the South Rome Early Learning Center. Simultaneously, she was in a piano class in the music department.
“I could tell she was a hard worker,” says Kathryn Nobles, a music faculty member at Berry. “One day, I asked the class about their campus job experiences, and that was the moment I saw her light up. She described how much she loved the Early Learning Center children.”
Nobles asked Lexi to teach Kindermusik, a program for young children and their families emphasizing educational experiences with music as the foundation.
"It was there that I saw her blossom and grow into a deeply engaged music educator,” Nobles remembers. “Then, as she student taught in the area, she received compliments about her classroom management skills, especially with children who had special needs. She drew on her Kindermusik special needs class experience.”
“It is incredible to see a light-bulb moment in a child,” says Lexi. “I loved applying my learning in different spaces while interacting with children and parents. Kindermusik taught me to follow lesson plans, differentiate instruction, work with parents and teach concepts to a variety of children.”
Lexi worked on five research projects and presented at three conferences in her time at Berry. She also prepared to be a well-rounded music educator by participating in several music ensembles: the wind ensemble, the Berry Winds, orchestra and women’s choir. She was in flute choir as well as a woodwind quintet and a trio.
“Each experience made me a better musician,” says Lexi. “College music gets at the heart of music by giving you opportunities to play different types of masterpieces. It is so cool to make music every day with your best friends.”
Encouraging music majors, Lexi concludes, “Everyone at Berry wants you to be the best version of yourself. This place has made me a better musician, educator and person.”
