Teacher Profile: Donna Bull

About Donna Bull

Lifelong musician and committed instructor, Donna Bull recently relocated to the Washington area from Springfield, Illinois. Her musical foundation began early: she started playing the trombone in the 5th grade, was singing with the Saginaw Youth Choral in Saginaw, Michigan, throughout her childhood, and began formal voice and piano lessons in 6th grade.

She earned her suma cum laude Bachelor of Music Education degree from Millikin University in 2018. While there, she studied trombone under Dr. Gary Shaw and voice under Dr. Rebecca von Kamp.

Donna maintains an active and diverse performance career. Notable experiences include serving as baritone for the Sweet Adelines quartet The Audacity! (winning the Region 5 Novice Quartet award in 2025) and founding the trombone quartet Slidin’ By (2022–2025). She is a Certified Director in Sweet Adelines International, and her instrumental work includes performing with the municipal bands of Decatur and Springfield, Illinois.

Outside of the studio, Donna enjoys exploring the Pacific Northwest with her dog, Snickerdoodle, and unwinding by playing board games, video games, and catching up on her favorite shows.

In addition to her performance life, Donna brings five years of public school teaching experience (PreK-12 general music, band, and choir) and over seven years of private lesson instruction in voice, piano, and various instruments. Her main goal is to increase musical literacy and understanding—the “why” behind the notes—empowering every student to move beyond the mechanics and discover the rich fulfillment of authentic self-expression through music.