Teacher Profile: Tamia Dawkins
About Tamia Dawkins
Tamia Dawkins has had a lifelong love for music from a very young age, having engrossed herself in as many forms of music as possible. She began formal piano lessons and choir at the age of 5, continuing to hone those crafts throughout her life. Tamia started clarinet in the 5th grade and orchestral double bass in high school. Since middle school, Tamia Dawkins has performed at the All-County and All-State level on her primary instruments, as well as performed gigs in jazz (piano, upright bass), orchestra (clarinet, bass), band, and choir. During her studies at the Dr. Phillips High School Performing Arts program, she focused on her love for music theory, music history, and composition (film/play, orchestral, choral music). She continued these studies into her Bachelor’s with a degree in Music Education. With her avid love for all things musical, Tamia enjoys discovering, learning, and owning various old and modern Western and World instruments. Some of these include the guitar, er hu, recorder/traverso, otamatones, accordion, sitar, banjo, and many more. Her primary instruments of instruction are piano, clarinet, orchestral strings (violin, viola, violoncello, double bass), guitar, and voice.
Tamia Dawkins has performed with the Wind Ensemble and UPO Orchestra at Florida State University. She continues to perform locally for churches, weddings, and music venues in the Greater Orlando and Central Florida area both instrumentally and vocally. She accompanies as a pianist with various choirs and student performers for festivals and competitions. Tamia Dawkins also performs with the Music To My Mind music ensembles.
From private lessons to teaching music at private schools, Tamia Dawkins has worked with many ages, ranging from 3 years to elderly learners. She has taught general elementary and middle school music, Orff, elementary through advanced high school orchestra, guitar ensemble, worship/praise teams, music theory, history, chamber performing groups, and composition. She has also worked as a guest clinician with local school band, choir, and orchestra programs in the Central Florida area.
With music, Tamia believes that the student is the driver of their musical avenues; the teacher should support, guide, instruct, and model for the student to help them advance above and beyond their goals. Fostering a confidence and belief in one’s love and ability to engage in music is critical to their development. Understanding each child’s natural relationship with sound, the world around them, and their passions serves to inform how a student best learns and grows to express the music innate within them.