• Any Vacant Position

• Bassoon
• Contrabassoon

I am overjoyed that IDRS is going to start regional chapters. I am/have been active in some other musical instrument communities, and I would love to see some of the activities and programs they offer brought to the double reed community.

I have a lot of useful skills that I can offer as a board member. In addition to being a freelance bassoonist and teacher, I am also an instructional designer. I have experience creating educational content, websites, UX/UI (web & app) designs, etc. I have also received grants for and hosted chamber music events.

I have a lot of love and energy that I am able and willing to devote to this cause. The bassoon has been an important part of my life, mental health, and friendships for over two decades (almost three!). I want to help bring that joy to the wider community.

I am Jessi (Judd) Vandagriff and I am a bassoonist, private teacher, instructional designer, wife, and mom to two kids. I teach and perform in the Salt Lake City and Utah County areas of Utah. As a freelancer I’ve played with the Utah Symphony, Ballet West, the Utah Metropolitan Ballet, the Deer Valley Music Festival, among many others. I currently volunteer as a bassoonist with the Orchestra at Temple Square. Along with the Tabernacle Choir, we recently returned from a tour where we performed four concerts in the Philippines.

My private studio is active and thriving. In fact, we need more bassoon teachers in my area, so if you are looking to relocate, come to Utah! I have students playing solos with orchestras, filling up a third (or more) of the seats in the All-State ensembles, and getting nice scholarships to great schools. I love teaching them and I take the responsibility they have entrusted me with as their teacher very seriously. In past years, I have been adjunct instructor of bassoon at BYU-Idaho and taught aural skills and non-major lessons at BYU-Provo.

In the online space, I created www.teachbassoon.com, bassoonreeds.byu.edu, and I will soon be launching bassoon.org! Come see me at IDRS this summer where I’ll presenting a lecture called “New Advances in Online Bassoon Reed Making,” though oboists will find plenty of good info, as well.
I am passionate about bringing people together to play music. Over the last two years, I have received three Chamber Music Play-in Grants from the Associated Chamber Music Players. (Membership is free, you should all join.) In lieu of a spring studio recital, we are having a Family Chamber Music Party where all of the family members of my students get to come play chamber music (or observe if they’d rather).

Whether or not you vote for me for the board, I am very excited that these regional chapters are being created. The double reed community is a fantastic community.