Deborah Perkins

dperkins@smu.edu

972.839.8879

Deborah Perkins

Adjunct Assistant Professor of Music Education, Director of Mustang Strings

Deborah Perkins, Ph. D., currently teaches string pedagogy and techniques at Southern Methodist University and does freelance consulting work in the area of string education. She earned a Bachelor of Music degree from SUNY-Potsdam, New York (Crane School of Music), a master's degree from the University of South Carolina, and a Ph. D. from the University of North Texas.

Before moving to Texas in 1989, Dr. Perkins taught in South Carolina and in Florida and throughout her career, her groups received consistent "sweepstakes" ratings and invitations to perform for special occasions. She also taught string methods at UNT and Florida Atlantic University and was the first master teacher for the University of South Carolina String Project. Most recently she has become the director emeritus for the Cross Timbers Youth Orchestra (CTYO) Elementary Strings Program - an after-school string program which precipitated the establishment of two public school orchestra programs, in McKinney and Lovejoy ISDs.

Through the years, she has traveled with youth groups and has taken various orchestras to Mexico, Europe and China. In July 2005, she co-founded and directed the Texas Youth Orchestra's very successful tour of Italy and Austria. This past summer (2009) TYO toured with 62 travelers to Prague, Vienna and Budapest.

Dr. Perkins has served in leadership positions in professional organizations-- in addition to ASTA, TMEA, TMAA and TODA, she is a member of Pi Kappa Lambda Honor Fraternity and was selected to be in “Who’s Who Among America's Teachers.” Dr. Perkins has guest conducted numerous honor orchestras, adjudicated festivals and presented clinics locally and throughout the United States. She has been a clinician for Conn Selmer (formerly Scherl and Roth), Zeta Music Systems and Coda Bow and now does clinics for Eastman Strings. She is married to Steve Perkins and they have one daughter, Kayla.