About Us

Annie Ray and Alexandra Blaine are Orchestra Directors of Fairfax County Public Schools in Northern Virginia. Both are mothers to young girls.

While navigating motherhood, Annie and Alexandra are creating resources, ideas, and strategies for maintaining efficiency and effectiveness in a high-demand and excellent music program.

two women holding violin and baton

Meet the Mamas

Alexandra Blaine

Alexandra, the Director of Orchestras at West Springfield High School in Fairfax County, Virginia, is an experienced violinist, pianist, and string educator. Alexandra holds a Bachelor's Degree in Instrumental Music Education and Certificate in Violin Performance from James Madison University, a Music Industry professional certificate from the Berklee School of Music, and a Masters in Educational Psychology from the University of Virginia. She has worked for the VDOE (Virginia Department of Education) in creating instructional plans, curriculum development, and digital resources. Alexandra has also given masterclasses on both fiddling and improvisation.

Annie Ray

Annie Ray currently serves as both the Orchestra Director and Performing Arts Department Chair at Annandale High School. She is an advocate for providing universal access to quality music education and is known for founding and developing creative opportunities to make music accessible to students of all demographics. She was named the 2024 Grammy Music Educator Award recipient and the 2023 FCPS Outstanding Secondary Teacher of the Year for her work on equity in education.