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Dr. Mikayla Peterson is an educator and saxophonist based in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. She serves as the Adjunct Associate Professor of Saxophone at ÎÞÂëרÇø and Adjunct Instructor of Saxophone at the University of North Texas. Beyond these roles, she mentors a private studio of aspiring young saxophonists from the DFW area.

As a dedicated educator and performer, Peterson strives to serve as a role model for her students while actively maintaining her performance career. She is currently the alto chair and a founding member of the Lotus Saxophone Quartet, an ensemble that strives to showcase contemporary works by living composers from diverse backgrounds. The ensemble performs internationally and was recently recognized for their inclusion on the GRAMMY-nominated album Impossible Dream by Broadway artist Aaron Lazar.

Peterson’s research interests are guided by her commitment to equity in Music Education. Her dissertation, titled Finding a Place in the Band Room: The Female Saxophonist’s Self-Concept, Identity, and Experience, explored the lived perspectives of female saxophonists in contrasting environments: a single-gender and co-educational high school. Providing a voice to students in an underrepresented community was central to her work and was guided by Peterson’s commitment to equality in music education and performance.

Her primary teachers include Eric Nestler, Scott Turpen and Jennifer Turpen.

To learn more about Dr. Peterson, please visit her website: