Tia Bigby-Yodlowsky is a flutist, music educator, and music lover who has been playing flute since the age of nine, with a repertoire spanning classical to Brazilian choro to jazz and beyond. She has been working with other flutists since 1993.
She believes music belongs to ALL; not just the gifted or the most ambitious. Whether you’re a complete beginner who’s always wanted to play, an adult returning to an instrument you set down years ago, or a young student who needs a patient and encouraging guide, there is room for YOU in her studio.
Tia is completing a Bachelor of Arts in Music at Winston-Salem State University as a non-traditional student who previously earned a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies. A recipient of the AAUW Career Development Grant for 2025-26, she has pursued her studies with distinction, earning membership in Phi Kappa Phi, Alpha Sigma Lambda, and Phi Lambda Beta honor societies. She has had the privilege of studying with some remarkable musicians and educators, including jazz flutist Ali Ryerson, Dr. Karen Demsey, Catherine LeGrand, Julie Bluestone, Dr. Thiago Bottega, and Dr. Kinard Douthit. She will be pursuing graduate study in ethnomusicology, the study of music as culture and community. Tia has traveled to Brazil twice to study Afro-Brazilian musical traditions, and brings that same curiosity and joy into every lesson she teaches.
Tia has performed with the WPUNJ Flute Ensemble, Carolina Flute Choir (RAFA), the WSSU Flute Ensemble, the WSSU Symphonic Band, and the Universal Jazz Flute Big Band under the direction of Yuko Hoshi, an internationally recognized online ensemble. She is the co-founder of the Synchronicity Flute Choir, the first jazz flute big band style ensemble in the Raleigh area, operating under the Raleigh Area Flute Association (RAFA). She is also the creator of Summer Flutes, now entering its fourth year, a space where musicians experience music as something joyful and communal rather than stressful or competitive. Her commitment to representation and community led her to establish Flutists of Color of the Triangle and Sweet & Low, a flute ensemble dedicated to low flutes. Since 2018, Tia has performed with Winds of Hope Flute Ensemble of Saint Francis United Methodist Church, bringing live music to nursing homes and care facilities throughout the Triangle area.
Tia is a member of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), the North Carolina Music Educators Association (NC MEA), the National Flute Association (NFA), and the International Low Flutes Society. She was previously a member of the Associação Brasileira de Flautistas (ABRAF), reflecting her deep connection to the Brazilian flute community.
Her flute studio is a no pressure, no audition space. Music is played because it feels good and it brings joy.