ABOUT

Jazz violinist, Zoe Imani Shepard, is a performer and educator based in Bloomington, Indiana. Her life is marked by love for pedagogy, creativity, curiosity, and the intersection between music and dance. Shepard regularly teaches, performs, and competes at swing dance events across the country as well as maintains a busy schedule organizing local swing dance events in her community, supporting the relationship between music and dance.

Shepard is an alumna of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s pre-college program, the Talent Development Program (2017-2020 fellowship), during which she was invited by the University of Georgia to perform at the Mary Frances Early building dedication ceremony, celebrating the college’s first African American graduate. Upon attending the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, she received her Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance in 2024 under the guidance of Simin Ganatra. Shepard discovered jazz through Lindy Hop as an undergraduate and fell in love. As she dove into the world of improvisation, Shepard knew there was no turning back. She flipped her graduate plans to pursue jazz, earning her Masters of Music in Jazz Studies in 2026 under the direction of Wayne Wallace, Tom Walsh, and Rachel Caswell. 

As an educator, Shepard has instructed students of all ages, teaching both classical and jazz in her own private studio (Zoe Imani Music), non-profit organizations, and in public schools. She has taught creative music-making workshops led by the Bridges Musical Arts Youth Organization for young string players and was invited to participate in Jazz Girls Day in Noblesville, Indiana, led by Monika Herzig. Her teaching extends to all musicians through her book: “Practice Journal: A Mindful Guide for Musicians" and her guide “Thinking Like an Athlete: A String Musician’s Guide to Warm Up and Cool Down.”