Marco Melendez is a professional cellist and music educator. He currently attends Jacksonville University where he has held principal positions in the University Orchestra. Marco aspires to teach music to all students regardless of gender, race, or economic status. He has acquired teaching positions at renowned organizations such as Luzerne International Music Center and Riverside Children’s Arts Center and has most recently performed at the American String Teacher Association’s 2023 National Conference where he received a certificate of achievement for outstanding performance during a masterclass with renown Freestyle Fiddle Player and Teaching Artist, Darol Anger. Marco also enjoys arranging pop music for small instrumental ensembles and playing many other instruments such as violin, mandolin, guitar, and harmonica. During his time at Luzerne in New York, Marco performed his own arrangement of Billy Joel’s “Piano Man” for David Rosenthal, one of Billy Joel’s music producers, who was coincidentally attending the showcase as an audience member. Though he enjoys composing and learning new instruments, he engages in non-musical activities such as roller-skating, quesadilla-eating, feeding his cats, and working at Starbucks, where he currently holds the title of “Starbucks Barista Champion