Aaron Thacker-Woodruff is an award-winning director, choreographer, and pedagogical leader who turns artistic process into pure magic. With an M.F.A. in Performance Pedagogy from Tulane University (earned as a Newcomb Department of Music Teaching Fellow), Aaron blends deep technique with an infectious process driven by curiosity, high energy, and genuine joy.

From managing seven youth choral programs at once as Chair of Musicianship for the Chicago Center for Music Education (ChiME) to building school culture as High School Dean of Students & Belonging at Northwest Academy, Aaron knows how to harmonize big logistics with bigger heart. His recent creative footprint includes directing dynamic productions of Once Upon a Mattress and HONK!, along with bringing nine youth choral concerts to life.

Whether he’s rallying corporate support in New Orleans or coaching international ensembles to first-place championship trophies, Aaron’s mission stays the same: build vibrant communities where everyone is empowered to hit their highest potential and show up as their truest, boldest self.