Cassandra’s musical passions center on chamber music, new music advocacy, and education. She aims to cultivate community wherever she goes, connecting with others through audience engagement and by pushing the limits of bassoon performance. Cassandra is a founding member of Honk and Bonk!, a bassoon and percussion duo created with the goal of performing, recording, and commissioning new works for the instrumentation. She has also performed with the Athens Hip Hop Harmonic in Athens, Georgia, which connects classical musicians and hip hop artists. As for large ensembles, Cassandra has performed with the Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta Sinfonia, Appalachia: A Southeastern Wind Symphony, and the North Georgia Winds. Cassandra is a committed educator and has been described as possessing “the rare balance of excellence in both performing and teaching.” She has taught in the North Texas and North Georgia areas and has had students participate in various opportunities in the Southeast. Cassandra’s pedagogy centers on meeting a student where they are and equipping them with the tools necessary to perform at their best. Cassandra holds a master’s degree from the University of Georgia, where she studied with Amy Pollard, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Texas, where she studied with Kathleen Reynolds and Dr. Jorge Cruz. She also studied with Bonnie Sherman.
In her spare time, Cassandra enjoys raising houseplants, épée fencing, and playing video games.