Alex was born & raised in Seattle, Washington, singing and playing piano from age 7. She spent three years in the Onions, one of Seattle’s finest high school vocal jazz groups at Seattle Academy, and played saxophone and piano in jazz band. Her father is local dueling piano player, Robert Baird, and her maternal grandmother, Peggi Griffith, was a singer in the 1950s-1960s, performing with Overton Barry, among others. Alex’s career has been highlighted by her releasing her first album, Lemon Tree, in May 2022, under Next Records, which now has over 1M listens on Spotify, and her experience performing as a guest artist at the Kobe Jazz Festival in Kobe, Japan, 2018, accomplished by her winning the adult division of the Seattle-Kobe Sister City Association Jazz Competition at Jazz Alley. One of her personal favorite experiences is returning to perform holiday music at the West Seattle Thriftway grocery store every year.

Alex graduated with honors from the University of Northern Colorado 2020 with a B.M. in Jazz Studies, with a certificate in Music Technology and a minor in French. She was a member of two Downbeat-winning vocal jazz groups, NoCoVo and Vocal Lab in the esteemed jazz program at UNCo, and has studied with musicians including Kerry Marsh, Julia Dollison, Lauren Kinhan, Sara Gazarek, and more. She currently teaches piano and voice, occasionally adjudicates festivals, and works with high school groups, and she performs regularly in Seattle solo, duo, and with bands including the Blue Wave Band and Nearly Dan.

When teaching piano Alex prioritizes taking basic piano skills to the next level so that playing can be an outlet for any emotion or situation. She focuses on adding tools to students’ repertoire including chords, extensions, bass lines, and stylish playing so that students can play solo piano or accompany themselves comfortably.