Ms. Tobin is a Portland based saxophonist/composer and educator. She is a regular performer in the NW area and has played professionally with musicians and groups of all genres, both local and national, including; The Temptations, Glen Moore’s Oregon Ensemble, Tom Sandahl’s Fat Tuesday Band, E.S.I., Darrell Grant, Thara Memory, Flatland, Jonas Tauber, Reuben Radding, James Jazz Orchestra, Carlton/Jackson Big Band, George Reinmiller Big Band, the Old Cats, the Inquisition Ensemble, Rich Halley, the Matt Wayne Band, Dub Squad, Esperanza Spaulding, Andre St. James, Surf Jazz, Echo Jazz Collective, Border Patrol, Caliente, the Instigators, Johnny Legend, Chris Newman, the Oblivion Seekers and many others. Ms. Tobin is currently a member of the Portland Jazz Orchestra, the Andrew Oliver Sextet, Swamp Cactus, the Kansas City Rhythm Kings and the 29^th Street Cartel (a modern saxophone quartet). In addition, she leads two of her own ensembles: Paxselin Quartet and the MS Tobin Quintet and has appeared on numerous local releases for a variety of groups.

MST, as she is known to colleagues and friends, received her Masters of Music in Saxophone Performance from Portland State University in 2005, where she served as the Graduate Teaching Assistant for the Jazz Studies Department from 2003-2005. MST also holds a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from Portland State where she was a Laurel Scholarship recipient. Other educational experiences include time spent at Berklee College of Music, the University of Oregon and the 2003 Banff International Jazz Performance workshop (under the supervision of Dave Douglas, John Abercrombie, Mark Turner and Jason Moran). Former teachers include; Rob Scheps, Rob Davis, Scott Hall, Warren Rand, Carl Woideck, Alan Jones and Darrell Grant.

MST has performed at numerous jazz festivals including: The Portland Jazz Festival (with Mark DiFlorio and Company/2005, Esperanza Spalding/2006), The Banff International Jazz Festival, the Vancouver Wine and Cheese Jazz Festival, the First Annual Alberta St. Jazz Festival and the Mt. Hood Jazz Festival. She has performed numerous times on “Homegrown Live” (KMHD’s live radio show) and has toured internationally with a variety of artists. She can be seen in the Twentieth Century Fox release, “Hear No Evil” (featuring Marlee Matlin and Martin Sheen) alongside bandmates from Dub Squad and currently curates a New Music series at the Red and Black Café as well as teaching privately at Beacock’s Music Education Center in Vancouver, WA.

She lives in SE Portland, where she plays and teaches music all the time.