Instructors

Ashley Finkelstein

Beginning piano, band instruments

Ashley Finkelstein has been playing music since she was 5 years old! She started taking music lessons with the flute, then quickly moved onto the oboe, where she found her true love for music. She was apart of her middle school and high school band in Southern California. She carried her love for music to college at Cal State Long Beach, where she majored in music education and played for the University's orchestra. After moving to Florence, Alabama, she got her masters at University of North Alabama in music education, while working at Richland Elementary, teaching music! Ashley also played oboe in the Shoals Symphony.

alexa Willmon

Clarinet/Woodwinds, Piano - Florence

Alexa been an instructor here at Fink's Music since Oct '21 after graduating spring of '21 with a B.S. in Music and graduated in '24 with an M.A. in Education with a concentration in music. While attending the University of North Alabama, she played in the clarinet ensemble, wind ensemble, and symphonic band. Alexa has been playing the clarinet since 2010, but during her time at UNA, she played a variety of harmony clarinets. She has been involved in a couple musical theatre ensembles including Beauty and the Beast at MSHS and The Falsettos with Cypress Moon Studios. She teaches to a wide range of ages from 3 years old and up! Currently, she is the band director at Collinwood High School in Tennessee. Teaching music has been a passion of hers since sophomore year of high school and she cannot wait to share this passion with your child(ren)!

henley phillips

Hope Aldridge

Voice, Piano, Beginning Guitar - Athens & Florence

Hello! I am a piano and voice instructor here at Finks Music. I’ve been teaching for almost 4 years and absolutely love it. I just graduated from the University of North Alabama with my bachelors degree in Music Education. I sang in Chamber choir, Collegiate Singers, and UNA Voice at UNA. My primary instrument is my voice. I’ve played piano for years but have loved singing my entire life. Music and teaching are two huge passions of mine and I love being able to share it with kids!

paige abbott

andrew garner

Guitar, Stage Band - Florence

Andrew has been playing guitar for 23 years now and has taught off and on about 17 years. Originally self-taught (with the help of his father he has added music theory as well as a sundry of stringed instruments to his capabilities over the years. As a songwriter he performs his original music as Andrew's Legend and is always looking for ways to enhance himself and others through the power of music.

Holden Law

Cade Garcia

Leah Pickering

Voice, Flute - Florence

Leah Pickering, Soprano, is from Burnsville, Mississippi and has recently graduated from The University of North Alabama with her Bachelor’s of Science in Music, Vocal. She has been performing vocally for the past 19 years in various studios and college productions. She also has been performing flute for the past 14 years as well. Her most recent roles include: Bastienne in “Bastien and Bastienne”, Julia in “Golden Apple”, and Lynne in “A Grand Night For Singing”. Her most recent performance with Flute was in NEMCC’s Symphonic Band performing the 1st and 3rd Movements of “Trittico” and “The Inferno” from The Divine Comedy.

Lauryn Strahl

Voice - Florence

Hello hello! I’m Lauryn Strahl, and I am a voice and piano instructor from Kansas City. I have been with Fink’s Music since the beginning of 2025. My primary instrument is voice, as I have been singing since before I could talk, and have never stopped! Throughout middle school, I was active in show choir, summer theater opportunities, and orchestra. In high school, I was involved in the All Women’s Choir, Chamber Choir and an auditioned Choral A Capella Small Group, as well as orchestra and musical theater. I attended college on a vocal scholarship in Kansas where I sang in Concert and Chamber Choir. I am currently continuing my education at Troy University, where I am studying Psychology with interest in pursuing a career in music therapy. Working with children and having the opportunity to share my love of music are endless joys. I strive to create a safe and inviting space for kids to express themselves as well as learn and explore their musicality!

Rebekah Bungei

Cello, flute, piano - Florence

Rebekah Bungei is a dedicated music educator and proud alumna of the University of North Alabama, where she earned her degree in General Music with a focus on flute, piano, and cello. During her time at UNA, she performed in a wide range of ensembles, including the UNA Marching Pride, Jazz Band, Wind Ensemble, University Orchestra, and the Shoals Symphony at UNA. She also gained valuable experience in improvisation through the Contemporary Ensemble.

Rebekah brings her passion for music into every lesson, striving to create a supportive and engaging environment for students of all ages and skill levels. She believes that music is a universal language that has the power to connect, inspire, and enrich lives—and she is committed to helping each student discover their own unique musical voice.

Jaimy Murff

Trombone, Trumpet, Voice, Percussion - Florence

Jaimy Murff has always had a love for music, and still vividly remembers enjoying his first music class at the age of 6! This is where he fell in love with percussion. While singing and finding harmonies ever since he could speak, Jaimy was also involved in choirs throughout elementary, middle and high school. He began taking drum set lessons in elementary school, and later joined middle school band learning trombone. He attributes much of his early learning on brass instruments to his late middle school and high school band director, Tracy Blaylock a Graduate of UNA.

Tracy Blaylock encouraged him to pursue honor bands and that is how he first visited the Shoals area! Jaimy went on to attend UNA and perform in their Marching Band, Pep Band, Jazz Band, Studio Lab Band, Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Trombone Quartet, Low Brass Studio and the Shoals Symphony!

Now an Alumnus of UNA, with a B.S. in Instrumental Music and a Minor in Management, Jaimy hopes to use his ability to help students learn to better challenge themselves in life through music. All the while enjoying the fun way we learn to challenge ourselves as musicians.

Emily Borden

Acting Classes/Musical Theatre - Florence

Emily is a mom of 7 and has been acting in shows since she was 14. She started directing at age 21 at the Shoals Theatre and never looked back. Emily is a member of the Gingerbread theatre board and is currently nominated for a Stanley award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical. She has made several background appearances in television shows and music videos as well as an SEC commercial.