Mrs. Amber Luckadoo Watkins

Mrs. Watkins is a native of Graham County. She was a member of the Robbinsville Black Knight Bands from 1983 - 1990 under the direction of Ms. Fran Shelton and Mr. Mike Wilson. She is a Mars Hill College graduate with a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education. She began her graduate studies at San Diego State University and received her Masters of Music in Education from University of Florida in 2018.

Mrs. Watkins has been a musician and visual artist in various local venues throughout North Carolina, California and Virginia as well as Europe and the United Kingdom. Her principal instrument is clarinet, however, she also enjoys composing and producing music, is a vocalist and performs on trumpet, french horn and saxophone.

While attending Robbinsville High School, Mrs. Watkins performed on tour with the Sound of America Honor Band and Chorus in seven European countries. She worked as a roller skating waitress at the local skating rink and was a disk jockey at WCVP, the local radio station. After graduation, Watkins attended Mars Hill College as a Grayson Academic Scholar, Ione M. Allen Music Scholar and a Joy Gentile Music Scholar. She won the Ivey's Young Artist Competition sponsored by the Asheville Symphony Guild which lead to her performance with the Asheville Symphony Orchestra in their Masterworks II and IV concerts. Watkins conducted the Toe River Arts Council Orchestra in Burnsville, North Carolina and was actively involved in both the Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre as well as the Asheville Community Theatre. Later, on the west coast of the United States, she was Principal Clarinetist in the San Diego State University Wind Symphony and Principal Clarinetist in the San Diego State University Orchestra. Upon her return to the east coast, she performed in the Christopher Newport University Clarinet Choir and the Peninsula Fine Arts Theatre. Most recently she has performed with the State Line Wind Symphony in Abingdon, Virginia. 

In 2000, Mrs. Watkins returned to Graham County Schools briefly as interim band and choral director. Then 2001 and 2002 she taught at Tri-County Community College where she was both Choral Director and a GED/Basic Skills Instructor. She taught voice at the Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center from 2002 - 2003 through the JAM program and was employed by Graham County Schools as a Special Needs Teacher Assistant and Choral Director. 

In 2004 Watkins became the Band & Choral Director for Hiwassee Dam and Ranger Schools in Cherokee County, North Carolina. She was a music educator in Cherokee County Schools until 2010 teaching elementary music, steel pans, voice and traditional concert band. 

From 2010 - 2021 Mrs. Watkins has been teaching in Grayson County, Virginia. In various schools within the county, grades PK - 12, Mrs. Watkins has been a music educator and Child Study Chair. She has taught elementary music, Middle School Band and Choir as well as High School Band. 

Watkins has also been the Music Director of Grayson County Summer Stage, a musical theatre group serving the young people and families of southwest Virginia and northwestern North Carolina. Grayson County Summer Stage is the sister theatre to the prestigious Upper Darby Summer Stage in Pennsylvania that is recognized nationally as the gold-standard for youth theater programs and has a long list of notable alumni such as Tina Fey and Jeremy Morse. Currently, Watkins is the Artistic Director for Grayson County Summer Stage.

Watkins has always been a prolific writer and consumer of music. Throughout the years she has maintained and performed a varied song writing portfolio that includes pop, rock, folk and christian song writing. She is an avid consumer of pop music in particular, though she enjoys listening to and playing music of varied genres.  Watkins also enjoys exploring technology in the music field. She became interested in music production at a very young age and continues to experiment with many analog techniques as well as exploring digital workstations. 

Watkins takes great pleasure in working with a variety of musicians. She has been a vocalist in several bands, performing styles ranging from gospel and world music to "screamo." She has performed in weddings, clubs, restaurants, theaters and private venues from coast to coast and abroad and has had the honor of performing with countless amazing musicians.  

In addition to being an active performer and researcher of music, Watkins also enjoys judging band and choral competitions and mentoring musicians, young and mature alike. She is very passionate about being an advocate for students in all aspects of the educational system whether or not they take part directly in a music program.

Watkins also has various activities outside the musical realm in which she loves to take part. To name a few, she actively enjoys bible study, visual arts, creative writing, astronomy and spending time with her family.