ALUM SPOTLIGHT: ZULNIE FLORESKA

When Zulnie Floreska first attended Usdan, she only wanted to do "the fun stuff," like guitar and photography — not what she spent the school year doing, like Concert Band. She didn't like it that much anyway. Her second summer at Usdan, however, her parents convinced her to focus on saxophone, arguing she could still explore other interests in her minor.

Zulnie laughs about this now. Seven months into her role as Band Director at Farmington High School in Michigan — after graduating in April 2025 from Western Michigan University — Zulnie finds her life firmly dedicated to Concert Band.

"I remember becoming my nerdy self at Usdan. That was the first time outside of school where I was around people who were choosing to practice music," Zulnie reflected, describing how when she would return to school after summer, she'd be "on fire" about playing her instrument while everyone else hadn't touched theirs for three months. "I caught the bug at Usdan."

Zulnie spent five of her six years at Usdan studying Music — playing her saxophone in the Wind Band, Concert Band, and sometimes the Jazz Band, while continuing to study Photography and other art forms.

"I remember when I took a Photography class, I learned how to use Photoshop, and I still use those skills," Zulnie said about her portrait photography side hustle to earn a second income through college.

Her personal creative expression always went hand in hand with her desire to be of service to those around her. Reminiscing on transformative moments during her years on campus, Zulnie recalls a small but significant moment when an assistant teacher showed her a DIY way to fix her saxophone's mouthpiece after it had been damaged by humidity.

After learning how to fix her saxophone, she was inspired to go around offering to help everyone protect their instruments from the humidity.

"I think this was the first time I found myself helping people while also connecting with people over music."

And so Zulnie went on to pursue this knack, studying music education in college and graduating with a teaching certificate last spring. She describes applying to every job she could find, from middle school band teacher to orchestra assistant. Though her current job required more experience than she had, she applied anyway. Four interviews later, Zulnie took over for the school's retiring band director of 25 years. She now oversees around 80 kids across three high school concert bands and a marching band that had an undefeated season with her at the helm.

"I've been really accepted by the community, especially by the kids. I was kind of worried about being at a high school because I'm so young, but it's been really good," Zulnie shared of her big transition from being a student to, a month and a half later, being the only adult in the classroom.

"I just remember that the easiest part is the music. And all the logistics will only get easier."

Driven by not only her love for music but also her understanding of what teaching music does for students, Zulnie found herself fast-tracked into her leadership position. She describes the implicit impact of music education on social-emotional learning — for example, how students learn to engage with difficult emotions through their musical expression, increasing their capacity for vulnerability and connection.

"We get good at nonverbal communication as musicians, being able to connect with each other outside of just talking. When we start a piece, I'm making eye contact with everyone in the room. That's us signaling to each other that we are ready to move together."

Zulnie's teaching philosophy centers this kind of emotional awareness while also honoring the skills, like self-discipline and accountability, that come with learning how to practice an instrument.

"You reinforce so many skills every time you pick up your instrument," Zulnie asserted with quiet confidence.

While her passion for music education has been the driving force in her life these past couple of years, playing the saxophone has come in handy now that she is in the thick of juggling all that comes with being a first-year band director right out of school.

"When the job's gotten hard, I turned to playing my instrument just for fun. It became a meditation and a way for me to remind myself why I am doing this work."

As a young alum, Zulnie already embodies the lifelong impact of Usdan and arts education more broadly: when trained in the arts from a young age, the fruits span from a career to an ever-present practice that soothes the nervous system and calms the mind.

Interested in joining the Concert Band at Usdan? Visit usdan.org/enroll for more information.