Melissa Martin is entering her 5th year as orchestra director at Lucy Beckham High School. She earned her Bachelor's of Music Education degree from the University of South Carolina and her Master's of Education; Emphasis in Creative Arts in Learning from Lesley University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Previously, Ms. Martin taught at Moultrie Middle School in Mt. Pleasant, SC. A native of Lexington, SC, Ms. Martin started playing the viola as a fifth grader in her school orchestra program. Prior to teaching in Charleston county, Ms. Martin taught eighteen years in Lexington District One. Her performances include those with local bands, Augusta Symphony, Long Bay Symphony, SC Philharmonic and various chamber groups around Charleston.
Ms. Martin's orchestras receive superior ratings at the SCMEA Concert Performance Assessment and received the Orchestra Performance Award, Gold Level in March, 2024. Ms. Martin has been a guest conductor for the Lowcountry, Upstate and Midlands Region Orchestras. She has also been a guest artist and clinician for various arts programs around the state.
Ms. Martin has served as Secretary, Treasurer and All-State Chair for the Orchestra Division of the South Carolina Music Educators Association. She was selected as the 2008 Teacher of the Year at Lexington Middle School and named the 2013 SC Orchestra Teacher of the Year through the American String Teacher Association. In 2019, she was the guest director for the Lexington One District Orchestra. When Ms. Martin is not teaching or playing her instrument, she enjoys paddleboarding, playing with family and friends on the beach, in the water, and anywhere outside!