About the Director

My name is Natalie Phillips-Perkoff and I am thrilled to be the Orchestra Director at West Mesa High School again this year! Last year was a blast and I am looking forward to pushing the students more and working on some exciting new music!

I was born and raised in Austin, Texas where I began playing the cello at the age of eight. I started in the University of Texas String Project, joined the Austin Youth Symphony when I was nine and eventually went to high school at the McCallum Fine Arts Academy. I attended Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music. While in college I fell in love with orchestral conducting and decided I would eventually pursue a graduate degree in conducting. However, life had different plans for me! It took two years after graduation for me to realize that all I wanted was to be in the classroom! I went back to school, student taught, and began teaching middle school orchestra in Houston, Texas. Last year I relocated to Albuquerque with my husband and have enjoyed getting to teach both high school and middle school . Both provide unique challenges and rewards!

This year I celebrated my fifth wedding anniversary with my college sweetheart Will. We are proud parents to a very silly fur-child called Jojo who loves nothing more than to lick your toes and go for walks. I enjoy hiking, reading, and most recently, knitting!

Teaching is my life- my students are the light that gets me up in the morning and their love for music keeps me going when I am am feeling down. What we do in class every day is hard work but my goal is to make it fun and collaborative and a place where my students feel safe and loved.

I hope you are ready to work hard, play hard, and be incredible!