Mikayla McCommas is currently finishing her Doctorate in Horn Performance at Indiana University, with minors in Music History and Music Education. Her main areas of research focus on collaborative and deliberate practice methods for horn, incorporating jazz pedagogy into the study of classical horn performance, and the role of motivation in teaching the horn.

She previously served as the Associate Instructor of Horn at Indiana University, teaching lessons to students receiving a minor in horn. McCommas finished her Masters in Horn Performance at Indiana University in 2019, where she established the university’s horn choir, the Big Red Horn Club. Prior to that, she received her Bachelors in Music Education from Stephen F. Austin State University. She has studied privately with Karen Houghton, Charles Gavin, Alex Shuhan, Richard Seraphinoff, Dale Clevenger, and Jeff Nelsen. 

She has performed with several regional orchestras and chamber groups around the Midwest. Her experience in teaching private lessons extends over a decade to students ranging in ages from 12 – 40 years old. She loves drinking coffee and eating baked goods, and spending time doing those things with her husband Aaron.

Website: mikaylamccommas.com