Katie Valadez is a flutist and educator who recently moved to Baltimore and is excited to join the OrchKids team! Though originally from Fredericksburg, Virginia, she has spent the last 13 years a resident of Phoenix, Arizona where she was the flute instructor at a similar organization called Rosie’s House. In addition, she taught elementary general music and beginning band for Mesa Public Schools. As a performer, she has been hired to perform in orchestras for touring artists like Weird Al and Il Volo. She has also performed as a substitute musician with the Phoenix Symphony. She holds her master’s degree in flute performance from McGill University and her Bachelor’s from Arizona State University. She holds a level 2 Kodaly certification and is certified in John Feierabend’s First Steps in Music curriculum. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, drawing, and spending time with her husband and their dog, Buddy.