Meet Our School Services Representative !
My name is Shannon Loy, and I am currently a School Services Representative for Music and Arts. Collaboratively, I have worked for the company for 10 years as both a School Services Representative (Charlottesville 2000-2004 and Richmond markets 2012-current) and manager of retail (Midlothian location 2008-2012). I manage the entire Richmond, VA market, and I also cover territories in the Virginia Peninsula (West Point, New Kent, Williamsburg, York, Newport News, Hampton, Poquoson, Gloucester, Middlesex, and Mathews Counties). The schools that I service directly relate to four of our Southern Virginia store locations: Yorktown, Richmond, Regency Square and Midlothian. If you come visit one of these stores you may catch me at a quick glance. Most of my job centers on servicing the very talented music teachers in my territory, so I do not spend much time in each store. I get the very distinct privilege of working individually with each of my teachers to help with ordering needs, recruitment, special clinics and demos and occasionally through special programs I get an opportunity to work with the students involved in their programs.
I first started playing in band on clarinet when I was in 6th grade for a very strong music program in Fairfax County, VA (Longfellow Intermediate). From there I went on to grow as a musician by taking up the saxophone at Sherwood High School in Montgomery County, MD. While in high school, I gained the honor of participating in several district band events, and I was also selected to perform with the prestigious Montgomery County Honors Jazz Band. My private clarinet/saxophone instructor was Chris Vadala (Director of Jazz Studies-University of Maryland and former woodwind artist with Chuck Mangione). With his guidance, I was able to secure the award of Maryland Distinguished Scholar in the Arts (Semi-finalist). With this award, I was able to gain a full scholarship to attend Towson University in Baltimore, MD. While at Towson University, I studied as a clarinet major and saxophone minor and even studied privately with Harlan Parker (Peabody Conservatory) in conducting. I graduated with a BS in Instrumental Music Education in 1993.
Since graduating from Towson University, I have taught music as both a private instructor and a middle school band director in PG County, MD. I found my career with Music and Arts upon trying to relocate closer to my family in Virginia. I have true love for music, and a huge passion to get as many people involved in it as possible. Music really made a difference in my life and I believe it is important for every child to have the experience of being involved in it. The coolest feeling in the world is knowing I had a part in a young musicians first journey in music, whether it’s through an instrument display/petting zoo or it’s because I actually helped them try-out their very first sound on an instrument.