Roddy Terrell was born and raised in North Carolina. He began playing clarinet at the age of 12 and was instantly in love with the sound. In 2005, he attended the Governor’s School of North Carolina and during this program, decided to make music his life’s passion and career. Roddy attended Furman University in Greenville, SC where he studied with Robert Chesebro and earned his bachelor’s degree in music performance in 2010.
After graduation, Roddy attended Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA where he studied Clarinet with Robert DiLutis. From 2014-2017 Roddy served in the US Army as a clarinet player for the 82nd Airborne Division Band.
In November of 2015, Roddy began his master’s degree in business administration with a concentration in Innovation and Entrepreneurship from Northeastern University in Boston, MA. He graduated in 2018 and decided to use his skills as a clarinetist and an entrepreneur to found Oak City Clarinet.
In the fall of 2019, Roddy began his master’s degree in Clarinet Performance at the University of North Carolina – Greensboro. He graduated in May of 2021. Additionally, he completed a Post Baccalaureate Certificate in Musicology in 2022.
Roddy is an active teacher with positions at Music & Arts as a Mentor level teacher, where he teaches clarinet, bass clarinet, alto, tenor, bari sax, and flute; Moore Music Company in Greensboro, NC and an active private studio.
As a performer, Roddy has recently appeared with The North Carolina Symphony Orchestra, The Greensboro Symphony Orchestra, Opera Roanoke and Greensboro Opera. Additionally, he has performed with the Carolina Philharmonic Orchestra and Orchestra 2100. He is also a member of Appalachia: A Southeastern Wind Symphony, and the Poinsett Wind Symphony based in Greenville, SC.
Roddy is ABD in clarinet performance at UNCG. His teachers are Dr. Anthony Taylor and Dr. Andy Hudson.
Roddy is dedicated to his students and teaching them everything he knows about music. Roddy lives in Greensboro, NC with his husband, dogs Ziggy and Berlioz, and cats, Jonesy and Sammy.