Teaching artist. Performer. Songwriter.
Curriculum designer.
Youth mentor.
Visionary.

Born in Brooklyn and raised in the Bronx and South Carolina, Yarnell grew up surrounded by her family’s love of music while developing a deep appreciation for the importance of education.  A first-generation college graduate, she earned a full basketball scholarship to Duke University, where she double majored in Cultural Anthropology and Sociology.

After college, she returned to New York City, briefly serving as a Child Protective Specialist before pursuing music performance across New York and Europe. In 2013, she relocated to Michigan and began her work as a teaching artist in Greater Flint, Metro Detroit, and Stratford, Ontario.

In 2020, while substitute teaching in Flint after schools reopened from COVID-19, Yarnell used a karaoke machine to transform literacy instruction into an engaging, performing-arts-based  experience. That spark led to the co-founding of Read Art Loud in 2022 – a nonprofit organization that uses reading aloud, music, and performance to nurture confident readers and creative young leaders.

Today, Yarnell designs original songs, scripts, and scalable curriculum models that integrate literacy, social-emotional learning, and youth mentorship. Her work has recently been featured on the Michigan Learning Channel, expanding the reach of her creative approach to classrooms and families across the region. She is also the founder of Jazzy Celebrations, a performance-based venture that brings personalized musical joy to life’s meaningful moments.

*Available in-person (Greater Flint & Metro Detroit) and online