Dr. Joanna Pepple has taught violin and viola lessons for over 20 years. She has also taught string group and orchestra classes for over 10 years. Pepple is currently an Assistant Professor of Musicology at Lee University, teaching music history and music research. She specializes in creative teaching pedagogies and finding ways to make learning fun for all ages. In 2025, Dr. Pepple founded the Cleveland Strings Youth Symphony (CSYS) in Cleveland, Tennessee, and in the same year, she started the first Strings Program in Bradley County Schools at Lake Forest Middle School, the latter funded by a Tennessee Arts Commission grant. She is also a co-founder and Director Emeritus of the Tallahassee Homeschool String Orchestra in Tallahassee, Florida. She has a Ph.D. in Historical Musicology from Florida State University, and a Master’s and a Bachelor’s degree in Violin Performance, at Appalachian State University and Mercer University, respectively.