Jessandra Kono

Jessandra is a cellist and music educator. She obtained her Bachelor's degrees in Cello Performance and Educational Sciences from the University of California, Irvine where she studied under Sarah Koo. During her work at UC Irvine, she worked as a teaching artist through UC Irvine's arts outreach program, a music theory teacher with Young Singers of Orange County, and was the president of UC Irvine's Mu Phi Chapter during her last year. She then obtained her Master's of Music Education and teaching credential from Boston University where she worked as a research assistant under Dr. Karin Hendricks and was the collegiate representative for the American String Teachers Association's Massachusetts chapter. She has since moved back to California where she is now teaching at two Chula Vista Elementary Schools and within the San Diego Youth Symphony programs.

Jessandra's passion for music education and belief in the vision of the College Prep for Musicians team inspired her to join the writing team on this project. She hopes her contribution will help many young musicians find the path that best fits their needs and allows them to find fulfillment within the world of music.