Meet 2025 Teacher of the Year for Clarinet Liz Ramirez

We asked 2025 Lessonface Teacher of the Year in Clarinet, Liz Ramirez, to share insights into her connection to music and her approach to teaching. In this Q&A, Liz reflects on discovering the clarinet by chance in junior high and immediately falling in love with the instrument. She emphasizes the value of growth through the learning process, celebrating steady progress and student achievements, and looks forward to expanding her educational reach in 2026 through her YouTube channel, The Simple Clarinet.

What drew you to learning about the clarinet?

Wanting to make music by any means necessary was what brought the clarinet into my life. It’s the instrument I was given in junior high school band when there were no alto saxophones left and I fell in love!

If you could gift your students one piece of automatic knowledge or ability about the clarinet, what would it be? 

I don’t think I’d give my students any piece of automatic knowledge or ability to playing the clarinet. I wouldn’t want to take away the experience of growth and of “becoming” that comes from going through the steps of learning. 

What’s a skill or idea you’re excited to explore in 2026?

I’m looking forward to growing the amount of educational videos on my YouTube channel “The Simple Clarinet” in 2026! 

Anything you'd like to share about yours or your students’ accomplishments from 2025? 

I’m proud of my students getting into the higher level ensembles at their schools. One of my students (who started learning clarinet from scratch on Lessonface with me) went from concert to symphonic band this school year. He is playing with kids that are grades older than him and playing repertoire that’s challenging, motivating him to make progress at a faster rate. 

If you are interested in learning more about Liz or would like to book a lesson with her, please visit her Lessonface profile here. 

Also, be sure to check out all of Lessonface’s 2025 Teachers of the Year here!