Hello!  My name is Alyssa Wilhelm and I started teaching at LSW in 2005. I graduated with my Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from UNL in 2005 and my Master's in Music Education from UNL in 2012.  I am also the Woodwind Coach for Lincoln Youth Symphony.

My husband is a band director too!  He is at Pius X High School.  We have 3 kids, Annaliese, Gabriel, and Lily.

You can often see me performing flute/piccolo in local ensembles such as the Lincoln Municipal Band, Omaha Symphonic Winds, and Coro di Flauti (Lincoln's flute choir).

Currently I am the Assistant Instrumental Music Director at Lincoln Southwest High School where I assist with all bands, orchestra, and Jazz band. I am also the Assistant Director for PANgea Steel Drum Band, an all-city steel drum ensemble in LPS. In my spare time, I love to run, cook, garden, play games (board games, card games, video games), write and play music for percussion instruments, and spend time with my family and friends!

Samantha Costa is the Director of Choirs at Lincoln Southwest. She earned her Masters of Music with an emphasis in Vocal Music Education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Bachelor of Music Education from Nebraska Wesleyan University. Samantha is currently in her 18th year of teaching. In addition to EVERYTHING choir & show choir, she gets to assist with Freshman Band and direct the vocal music for LSW Musicals. In her free time, she loves watching movies or the show FRIENDS, playing softball or trapshooting, and above all things, spending time with her family - especially her husband, Andy, and her daughter, Elora.

Leighton Ware is the Head Show Choir/Assistant Choir Director at Lincoln Southwest High School. Ms. Ware graduated from LSW in 2017 and was a part of Chamber Choir, Varsity Concert Choir, Resonance, was a 3 year NMEA All-Stater and a member of the 2016 National Honor Choir. She attended Iowa State University where she obtained her Bachelor's Degree in Vocal Music Education, where she was a part of the Iowa State Singers and founded the select coed a cappella group. She taught in Manchester, Iowa at West Delaware High School for one year, directing the varsity show choir, musical, bass chorus, mixed chorus, and varsity concert choir. Ms. Ware then moved back to Nebraska and taught 6-12 vocal music at Wahoo Public Schools for 3 years. There she taught 6th grade choir, 7th/8th grade combined choir, high school concert choir, an after school acapella group, middle school show choir, high school show choir, and directed the Spring Musical each year. Ms. Ware is currently obtaining her Master's Degree in Vocal Music Education from The University of Nebraska at Kearney where she will be graduating this winter. This will be her 5th year teaching overall, and first year teaching in Lincoln Public Schools.