As an educator, Alexa has experience teaching all ages and ability levels. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes learning by ear to encourage creativity, communication, and improvisation in music-making. She is currently on Faculty for Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Education Programs and directs one of their High School Jazz Academy Big Bands. Previously, she served as Jazz Saxophone Faculty at Hobart and William Smith Colleges (Geneva, NY), where she taught jazz saxophone/woodwinds and jazz improvisation to a studio of almost fifteen students ranging from saxophonists to vocalists. Other previous teaching positions include Private Woodwinds Instructor at the LREI Schools in New York City, Rochester Contemporary School of Music, and the Eastman Community Music School in both the Early Childhood and Jazz Studies Departments.

Alexa has been a guest artist/clinician at the New Trier Jazz Festival, Iowa All-State Festival, Berklee College of Music, the Academy of Music in Krakow, Poland, Nazareth College, SUNY Oswego, the Hartt School of Music, and Monroe Community College. In addition, Alexa is a Teaching Artist with the Institute for Creative Music and developed an online course, “Demystifying Jazz Improvisation,” for their “Creative Jazz Fundamentals” series.

Alexa is the Founder and Director of the Rockport Jazz Workshop (est. 2014, Rockport, MA). Rockport Jazz Workshop has expanded in just four years from a five-day program with 7 students to a two-week program with 120 students. Guest artists at Rockport Jazz Workshop over the years include Sherrie Maricle, Jimmy Greene, Matt Buttermann, Ulysses Owens, Jr., and Lauren Sevian.

Tarantino is currently on faculty for Jazz at Lincoln Center's Youth Education Programs and directs one of their High School Jazz Academy big bands. Previously, she served as Jazz Saxophone Instructor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges. Tarantino continues to visit several colleges, high schools, and summer jazz programs across the globe as a guest clinician.

Alexa holds a master’s degree in Jazz Studies from The Juilliard School and bachelor’s degrees in Jazz Saxophone Performance and Music Education from the Eastman School of Music.