Dr. Abby Lloyd is an Assistant Professor of Music with teaching responsibilities in musicology and single reed (clarinet and saxophone) performance. She has maintained an active performance career with previous appointments in the Missouri Symphony Orchestra, the 108th Army Band, and the University of Missouri, Kansas City Graduate Fellowship Woodwind Quintet. Additionally, she has received invitations to perform at the 2018 American Single Reed Summit, 2019 ClarinetFest, and the Belgium Clarinet Academy.

In addition to performing and teaching, Dr. Lloyd has strong research interests in music & diversity, music & disability, and music & health. She has presented research at the 2016 conference for the Society for American Music and at Arizona State University’s 2017 Graduate Research Symposium (where her research on stereotype threat in collegiate music programs was awarded best research poster). Dr. Lloyd completed her Doctorate of Musical Arts in clarinet performance and Master of Arts in musicology at Arizona State University. She completed her Master of Music at the University of Missouri, Kansas City and her Bachelor of Music at Oklahoma City University. Her primary clarinet instructors include Robert Spring, Joshua Gardner, Jane Carl, Bradford Behn, Stacey DiPaolo, and Chad Burrow.

A native of Marshalltown, Iowa, Gail Novak now lives and performs in the Phoenix area. Gail is in demand as a collaborator across the United States and frequently performs with students, professors, and guest artists at Arizona State University. Gail’s extensive repertoire list for many different instruments has landed her invitations to perform at the National Trumpet Competition, the International Clarinet Festival, the International Double Reed Society, the National Flute Association, the International Trumpet Guild, the International Women’s Brass Conference, and the International Tuba and Euphonium Conference. She is featured on recordings with David Hickman, Robert Spring, and Brad Edwards.