Donna Philippot's career in music began at the age of three, when a family friend sat her at a drum set and let her hold the sticks.  It was love at first thump.

A few years later, she added piano playing and singing to her musical world, performing regularly at school and her minister father's churches. 

Donna graduated from Bloomington Jefferson High School and the University of Minnesota, benefiting from the fine band programs provided by conductors Dr. Earl Benson and Dr. Frank Bencriscutto, respectively, but her vocation turned toward teaching secondary English. 

In addition to playing for 15+ years in the Bloomington Medalist Concert Band, followed by her now six years in the LWBB, Donna has taught language arts, coached speech, directed plays and variety shows, and advised the school newspaper.

She has also led drumlines and sung at myriad religious services and other events.  Donna now guides English students in Hopkins and presents nationally on literacy strategies and motivating middle school students with, among other things, the use of rhythm and music in the classroom.

She rounds out her life by running and spending quality time with friends, family and her husband of 13 years, Raymond.