Natalie L. Haslam College of Music

Issac Hair

by

Issac Hair

Major: Music Education

HOMETOWN

Collierville, TN

MAJOR

Music Education, ’28

PERSONAL CAREER INTERESTS

Wind band pedagogy, the marching arts, and jazz performance/education

REASON I CHOSE MY MAJOR

“I always knew I wanted to be a teacher. I found my passion in music, so I found a major that combines my talents with my calling!”

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

  • Member of the Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps
  • Local high school band tech
  • Reading
  • Hiking in the mountains

FUN FACT

“I have a Giant Schnauzer and his name is Radar.”

Faith Nevarez

by

Faith Nevarez

Major: Music Business Administration

HOMETOWN

Amarillo, TX

MAJOR

Music Business with BA in voice, ’25

PERSONAL CAREER INTERESTS

“I want to be an artistic administrator of an opera company to help more local artists and other talented musicians get the opportunity to perform with a trusting company.”

REASON I CHOSE MY MAJOR

“I chose my major because of my love and passion for opera. Opera, performing, and collaborations with living composers and connections are super essential in the world. I love all the opportunities this college offers and what it has done for the start of my career as an artist.”

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

  • SAI (Sigma Alpha Iota) – President
  • University of Tennessee Opera Theatre
  • Knoxville Opera
  • Exercising
  • Playing pickleball
  • Hanging out with friends
  • Traveling

FUN FACT

“I used to live in Buffalo, New York and I am ambidextrous.”

Jessica Rae Wiseman

by

Jessica Rae Wiseman

Lecturer in Elementary General Music Education

Jessica Wiseman is an experienced music educator. She taught for 13 years in the Ohio public schools in areas such as choir, band, and general music. Her students earned many honors and superior ratings at competitions and were selected to perform at the Ohio Music Education Association’s Professional Development Conference. They also participated in service projects such as a fundraiser for the USO and Paws for Patriots, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and an annual Go Light Your World challenge. During this time, she also had significant involvement in school and community theater and music programs. Jessica left Ohio to serve as the music director at Ranger College in Texas. She is excited to be now working with future educators.

Jessica earned her bachelor’s degree at Kent State University, her master’s degree and Kodaly certification at Capital University, and her Ph.D. at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her dissertation focused on refugees’ perceptions of music participation and implications for the music education profession. Jessica is also passionate about exploring ways to meet the academically diverse needs often found in music classrooms.

Jessica has been an active member of NAFME and the Organization of American Kodaly Educators. She enjoys performing with her church’s worship team on piano, flute, voice, and bass guitar. When not teaching or making music, Jessica enjoys spending time with her Anatolian-Pyrenees, Nora Rose.

Jenny Cross

by

ADDRESS
University of Tennessee College of Music 117 Natalie L. Haslam Music Center Knoxville, TN 37996-4040

Jenny Cross

Assistant Director of Student Engagement

Jenny Cross is a two-time graduate of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville with degrees in Vocal Music Education (BM) and Choral Conducting (MM).  She has nearly 15 years of experience working with middle and high school students and is eager to step into the new role of Assistant Director of Student Engagement at the Natalie L. Haslam College of Music.  Cross lives in Knoxville with her husband, two sons, and rescue pup.  In her free time, Cross loves to read, try new recipes, and work on home improvement projects. The Crosses love spending time outside together, going on “adventures”, and cheering on the Vols! Cross is thrilled to be returning to Rocky Top to support and encourage music students as they pursue their goals. Go Big Orange!

Education

M.M. in Choral Conducting – University of Tennessee, Knoxville (2014)
B.M. in Vocal Music Education – University of Tennessee, Knoxville (2012)

Nikki F. Darrow

by

Phone
(865) 974-0020

Nikki F. Darrow

Associate Director of Advancement

Nikki F. Darrow serves as the Associate Director of Advancement at the University of Tennessee’s Natalie L. Haslam College of Music. With a diverse career spanning both nonprofit and for-profit sectors, Nikki is keenly focused on delivering strategic fundraising results through relationship management, corporate partnerships, and event-based philanthropy.

Prior to joining the College, Nikki oversaw fundraising efforts for The ALS Association in the Southeastern U.S. maximizing donor contributions and enhancing community engagement. At Tulane University, she coordinated major gift initiatives, oversaw operations for high-profile events, and participated in developing fundraising strategies. In the for-profit world, she orchestrated multi-format events at Pursuit, a luxury real estate marketing firm in New York City, and managed high-end events at the Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans.

A classically trained French horn player, Nikki has performed with renowned ensembles including the Los Angeles Symphonic Winds, New Orleans Civic Symphony, and the Tulane Marching Band. Her passion for music fuels her commitment to advancing the College of Music’s mission through innovative fundraising and strong community partnerships.

When she is not working, Nikki loves exploring the outdoors and discovering hidden treasures in antique shops. She is an avid foodie and always on the hunt for new culinary experiences.

Ashley Waller

by

Phone
865-974-7520

Ashley Sadler

Bands Business Manager

Ashley Waller returns to UT after 19 years of teaching band at Halls Middle and High Schools. Waller is a two-time graduate of UT in Music Education and a Master of Music Education. She is a former member of the POTSB Alumni Council and the President Elect of the East TN Band and Orchestra Association.

Clara Belle Pappas

by

Clara Belle Pappas

Special Assistant to the Dean

Woof woof, music lovers! I’m Clara Belle Pappas, the newest (and furriest) addition to the College of Music family. My name? Inspired by the legendary pianist and composer Clara Schumann herself – after all, great music and pawsitivity go hand in paw!

I’m not your average pup. While I’m still mastering my scales and wagging my tail to the beat, I’m also in training to become a certified HABIT dog. What does that mean? Well, it means I’ll be spreading joy and harmony throughout the COM halls. I will also be working side-by-side with my mommy, Joni Pappas, at the East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, using music therapy to help heal hearts and paws alike.

When I’m not perfecting my sit-stay or honing my ear-tickling techniques (those belly rubs aren’t going to dispense themselves!), you can find me catching some Z’s in my daddy’s, Dean Deff Paapaas (my name for him), office or sniffing out the best tunes to lend a paw to students in need of a little furry support. Whether you’re a student, faculty, staff, or just someone who needs a friendly face and a wagging tail, I’m here to lend an ear – and maybe even a wet nose!

Next time you’re wandering the halls of the College of Music, keep an eye (or even an ear) out for me. I can’t wait to meet you!

Education

HABIT – Ongoing
Behavioral Boot Camp (2-week intensive course)
Beginning Puppy Class

Taber Gable

by

Taber Gable

Assistant Professor of Practice in Jazz Piano

Pianist Taber Gable from Knoxville Tennessee graduated from The Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz in Hartford (2010-2014), Connecticut and The Juilliard School (2016), Studied with Teachers Andy Laverne Steve Davis, Nat Reeves, Kenny Barron, Kenny Washington, Ben Wolfe, Wynton Marsalis and received his Masters in Jazz Performance and Jazz Studies. Taber has been called on to perform alongside many great musicians such as:

Marcus Strickland E.J.Strickland, Gregory Tardy, Terrace Martin, Ben Williams, Jaleel Shaw, Jimmy Greene, Myron Walden, Abraham Burton, Trevor Lawrence, Jonathan Barber, Braxton Cook, Lakecia Benjamin, Jesse Palter and many more.

Gable is a highly sought after musician in the New York music scene as well as internationally known and called on for his cross-genre abilities and captivating live performance style.

Gable has Recorded on more than 30 albums and in fall 2020 Gable released his first solo album “Hidden Driveways”. With a new Record on the way to be released in fall 2024!

Mehrenegar Rostami

by

Mehrenegar Rostami

Lecturer in Musicology

Mehrenegar Rostami is an ethnomusicologist with interdisciplinary research interests in anthropology and political philosophy. She received her PhD in ethnomusicology from UCLA in 2023. Her research engages with the dynamics of human mobility, socio-economic developments, and politico-cultural identity formations in inter-and multicultural environments. She has conducted extensive fieldwork research on international music festivals in Iran, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Austria, Germany, and the United States. Focusing on traditional and popular musics of Central Asia and the Middle East, she examines in her dissertation the modern manifestations of the Silk Road phenomenon and the ways in which this phenomenon has influenced the formation of international music festivals in the age of globalization and neoliberal capitalism. In 2017, she published “Silent City: A Commemoration of the Halabja’s Tragedy” in Music and Politics. Her translational essays have appeared in Māhname Honar-e Musiqi [The Art of Music] and she has presented her research at national and international conferences throughout North America, Europe, Iran, and Central Asia. She has also served as a reviews editor of Ethnomusicology Review. As a santur (hammered dulcimer) player, she has worked in Iranian, European, and North American scenes.