Mr. McWilliams

I have been teaching music at Oakley Elementary since 2020. I graduated with a B.A. from Ohio University in 2011 and obtained my M.A. in Appalachian Music: Roots and Influences from Appalachian State University in 2014. Before I started at Appalachian State, I served in AmeriCorps as a College Access Advisor with the Cincinnati Youth Collaborative. From 2014-2020 I taught privately and performed professionally for a living. In 2021, Madison County musician, Josh Goforth, and I received the third annual “In These Mountains” Folklife Mentor-Apprentice Grant from the North Carolina Arts Council. During my apprentice year, I studied our local music traditions in depth, and have loved sharing some of these songs and stories with our students.

While music has given me amazing experiences through the years, my passion has always been teaching. I love seeing every student in our school every week, knowing them all by name, and building a unique relationship with each student. I believe music is a universal language that can bring joy, create community, build confidence, and helps us learn from each other. My goal is to foster a life-long appreciation for music, and the belief that anyone can become a great musician if they want to, all they need to do is try.

I married the love of my life in 2017. Our daughter, Calloway was born in January 2019 and our son, Solomon, was born in September 2020. Besides teaching and playing music, I love spending time with my family, our dog, and being outside!