Lauren Watkins

Adjunct Professor of Music - Flute

Office: AMC 213

Email:

lauren.watkins@newberry.edu

Degrees:

D.M.A., University of South Carolina

M.M., University of Southern California

B.M., The Ohio State University

Bio:

Since returning to her home state of South Carolina, flutist Lauren Watkins maintains a versatile career as an educator, performer, and clinician.  Inspired by diverse musical experiences, her innovative pursuits as a member of the flute and percussion duo, flusSion, have led to experiential performances, masterclasses, and summer camps around the United States.

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Lauren has received prizes in several national competitions, performed community concerts with the fellowship winning ensemble, Sound of 5, appeared as a soloist with orchestras, performed recitals at flute festivals, and presented a Spotlight Concert at Piccolo Spoleto with flusSion. Recently appointed Second Flute with the Symphony Orchestra Augusta, Lauren will also perform as Principal Flute with the Aiken Symphony Orchestra this season. She has appeared in concert with the SC Philharmonic Orchestra, Palmetto Opera Orchestra, and the Long Bay Symphony.

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Dedicated to creating community through music education, Dr. Watkins currently serves on the faculty of Newberry College, Limestone College, and the University of South Carolina Aiken. In addition to maintaining a diverse private studio, she directs Flute Loops, Columbia’s adult community flute ensemble. She has been a summer program instructor for Trustus Theater and frequently presents masterclasses and guest clinics to flute students across the state of South Carolina. Lauren currently serves on the board of the SC Flute Society and is past president of both the Carolina Flute Guild at USC and the Central Ohio Flute Association.

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As an advocate for community engagement in higher education, Dr. Watkins was featured as a Big Idea presenter at the 2016 College Music Society Summit. Her presentation, “Community Engagement for the 21st Century Music School” directly draws on her doctoral research that assists applied studio teachers interested in creating and implementing community-based performance programs.

 

Dr. Watkins is a graduate of South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities in her native Greenville, SC. She earned a Bachelor of Music degree summa cum laude from The Ohio State University and a Master of Music degree from the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music. She received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of South Carolina where she served as graduate teaching assistant for the flute studio. She is blessed to experience continual learning and growth under the instruction of her musical mentors Jennifer Parker-Harley, Jim Walker, Katherine Borst Jones, Patricia George, Mark Thomas, and Caroline Ulrich.