Teacher Bio
A little about Ms. Alexis Yatuzis-Derryberry
The 2023-2024 school year will be my 21st year teaching in Rutherford County. Teaching general music has been my passion my entire teaching career. I love sharing music with students who may not be involved in band, choir, or orchestra. It is my hope they will find music as high school students and become lifelong music makers.
My mom taught at Smyrna Elementary for 35 years. Not only is she remembered for being an amazing educator, but she is also remembered for playing her accordion in the classrooms, hallways, and for bringing her llama's to all of the fun runs for the students to pet. I am proud to have attended all Smyrna schools.
I started ballet when I was 3, began piano lessons at 8, and started my percussion journey at Thurman Francis as a 5th grader. I was a member of the band at Smyrna Middle and Smyrna High School, where I graduated in 1996. I was also a front ensemble member of the world-renown theatrical percussion ensemble, Music City Mystique, during their 1995 and 1996 seasons while I was in high school. In the summer of 1996, I toured Europe with the Sound of America Honor Band and Chorus performing American music all across Europe for two months.
In the fall of 1996, I entered Middle TN State University School of Music as a music education major with a concentration in percussion. During my college career, I marched with the Band of Blue for 4 years, earned the Linda T. Mitchell leadership award; was a front ensemble member of the Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps, and was also selected as the first-place performer for the Percussive Arts Society college keyboard soloist.
I began my teaching career in 2002 at Siegel Middle School where I was able to create the general music and choir program from the ground up. While at Siegel Middle, I was awarded more than $40,000 in grant monies which was used to purchase guitars, world drums, and 18 iMac computers with midi keyboard controllers. I created 2 choral ensembles while at Siegel Middle: The Siegel Singers, which was open to all Siegel students, and the Select Singers, which was an auditioned ensemble. Siegel's choirs consistently received Superiors in performance and sight-reading at festivals. While at Siegel, I completed Level I and Level II Orff-Schulwerk training and completed my Master’s of Fine Arts from Middle TN State University. During my 13 years at Siegel Middle, I was named TN Association for Middle Schools (TAMS) team teacher of the year, Siegel Middle Teacher of the Year, as well as Rutherford County Middle-Level Teacher of the Year. In 2014, I accepted the position of music specialist at Lascassas Elementary, where I taught K-5 general music, instrument team, and choir. While at Lascassas I completed Feierabend First Steps in Music and Conversational Solfege training, and was named Lascassas Elementary Teacher of the Year, RCS Elementary Teacher of the Year, TN Governor’s School for the Arts Music Teacher of the Year, CMA Music Teacher of Excellence, and was recently inducted into the Band of Blue Hall of Fame. I recently completed 40 hours of guitar training through Teaching Guitar Workshops/NAMM at Trevecca University.
I live in Murfreesboro with my husband David, who works for the music rights organization AllTrack, and our two Boston Terriers (terrors), Maggie and Winnie. David and I love traveling the US with friends and family. One of our favorite activities is seeing live music performances from classical to rock. My favorite band is Pearl Jam, and my husband indulges her love of following the band across the US for all of their tours.