Charlee Eaves is the Adjunct Saxophone Instructor at Old Dominion University. Charlee began her formal studies on the saxophone with Ed Fraedrich and then Dennis Zeisler during her middle and high school years. Charlee received many awards and honors during this time, including the position of Drum Major and placing in All-District Band each year as well as All-State Band in Virginia, culminating in placing 1st chair in Washington State and 3rd chair in the Hershey All-USA Band her senior year. In 2005 she began her collegiate studies at Central Washington University, performing in the highest level ensembles. In 2007 she transferred to Old Dominion University where she completed her undergraduate degree with honors, once again in the studio of Dennis Zeisler. In 2009, she was a finalist in ODU’s Young Artist Competition, performing the Glazounov Concerto with the ODU orchestra. While working as a music educator and band director in the Hampton Roads area, Charlee returned to ODU for her graduate degree, culminating in her master’s recital and induction into Pi Kappa Lambda, the National Music Honor Society, in 2013. In 2015, she was honored by the Virginia Symphony Orchestra as a “Top Music Educator in Hampton Roads” for her contributions as the band director at Nansemond-Suffolk Academy. Charlee Eaves has been a member and principal chair of the Virginia Wind Symphony since 2008, traveling twice with the ensemble to give performances at the prestigious Midwest Clinic in Chicago. In 2010 and 2016 she had the honor of performing as a soloist with the ODU Percussion Ensemble. Charlee has been on faculty at ODU since 2015 as a saxophone instructor and served as woodwind faculty at TCC from 2019 to 2021. Apart from ODU, she continues to foster a thriving private studio, teaches preschool music, and enjoys performing and expanding her horizons as a saxophonist. She is a member of NAFME and of the North American Saxophone Alliance. Charlee and her husband Pierson Eaves currently live in Smithfield, VA with their two young boys.
M.M. in Music Education, Old Dominion University, (2014)