UniSound’s musical instrument petting zoo events couldn’t happen without our amazing petting zookeepers. We have a variety of instructors who work with us but listed below are the instructors who have worked with us most recently. Learn more about who runs the Zoo!
Omari I. Abdul-Alim (Strings)
Omari currently serves as the inaugural Beckom-Freeman Teaching Artist-in-Residence (BTAR) Fellow and joined the UniSound Petting Zookeeper team in the summer of 2024. Omari also teaches at Hope Academy and Hip Hop Orchestra!
Ruth Lacerda (Strings)
Ruth joined the UniSound Petting Zookeeper team in 2025. She is a skilled string musician and is a current Music Perfromance / Pre-Med student at Duquesne University, where she is part of the Duquesne Symphony Orchestra and serves on the Community Building and Engagement Student Sub-Committee for the Mary Pappert School of Music.
Greg Zawacki (Brass)
Greg joined the UniSound Petting Zookeeper team at the beginning of 2023. His knowledge of brass instruments adds a lot to the petting zoo events! Greg grew up in Pittsburgh and also teaches at Pittsburgh Music Academy.
