Sam Meade
B.S.M.E. Clarks Summit University
M.M. University of Louisville
M.M.E. Illinois State University
Sam has taught all over Illinois, Massachusetts, and the greater Kentuckiana area. After finishing his bachelor of music education at Clarks Summit University, he moved to Louisville, KY to attend the University of Louisville and serve as a graduate teaching assistant. He was the violist in the University of Louisville Graduate String Quartet coached by Patrick Rafferty and principal violist from 2012 - 2014 for the University Symphony Orchestra. In 2017, he accepted a graduate teaching position at Illinois State University, where he taught for the ISU String Project and served as a principal player in the University Symphony Orchestra. He has performed in the Louisville Orchestra, Kentucky Opera, Orchestra Kentucky, the Louisville Ballet, Paducah Symphony, and is also a founding member of the Peccatte String Quartet. He has performed in many masterclasses with wonderful clinicians such as Annie Fullard, Peter Slowik, Jeffrey Irvine, and Catharine Carroll Lees.
Sam’s primary teachers have included Fritz Valenches, Brittany MacWilliams, and Katherine Lewis. He received his registration in Suzuki Violin with Dr. Timothy Durbin and is a member of the Suzuki Association of the Americas, the American Viola Society, and the American String Teacher Association. He is currently a certified teacher and presenter of Paul Rolland String Pedagogy and loves promoting the teaching of action in string playing. He currently holds the position of String Program Director for the Oldham County Schools Art Center. He is the director for the Kentucky Christian String Camp in Louisville, KY and the Oldham County Schools Art Center String Camp in Crestwood, KY. When he is not performing, directing, or teaching music, he is running long distances, coaching and crushing CrossFit workouts at his local box (Persevere CrossFit), and enjoying friends and family.