Ithaca College is a wonderful place to make music and I'm delighted to be a part of the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance!
The journey from the cattle ranch in Saskatchewan to Ithaca, New York, has been a rather unbelievable one! Somewhere along the way, thanks to the influences of the CBC and an immensely supportive family, I developed a love for music and singing. I earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Performance (University of Saskatchewan), a Master of Arts degree in Music Performance (City University of New York), a Professional Studies Diploma in singing (Mannes College of Music), and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree (Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey). As artists, our formal education is only one small piece of the puzzle. Every experience we have contributes to our education, and my eight seasons at the Metropolitan Opera, my eleven summers teaching in Spoleto, Italy, and my career as a concert, recital, and opera singer enrich my teaching every day.
I hold two ideas very strongly at the heart of my teaching philosophy. First, as singers, our most profound responsibility is communication; the word is paramount and must never be sacrificed. Second, the human voice is a neurological and organic instrument, not a mechanical one, which is made up of DNA, flesh, and blood, and, therefore, there are no two voices exactly alike. My approach to teaching is based on these ideas and each student explores their own highly individualized coordination of the word with rhythm and pitch to develop their artistry. I have a strong record of setting my students up with a solid foundation for their singing and for the next steps of their development. My deepest hope is that they each become independent and fully realized artists who love and honor the music they sing. I push my students very hard to go beyond their comfort zones, and transform their singing. I am committed to supporting all students' thriving while they are at Ithaca College, as well as after they leave.
My students have been accepted for graduate studies in vocal performance at Eastman School of Music, University of Maryland, Manhattan School of Music, McGill University, Northwestern University, Mannes College of Music, Florida State University, San Francisco Conservatory, Peabody Conservatory, New England Conservatory, University of Southern California, Oklahoma City University, University of Michigan, Boston Conservatory, and Arizona State University. Additionally, students have gone on to engagements with opera companies including: Santa Fe Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Opera Basel, Opéra national de Lorraine, Florida Grand Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Teatro Nacional São Carlos (Lisbon), Chautauqua Opera, Opera Saratoga, Sarasota Opera, New Jersey Verismo Opera, Israeli Opera (Tel Aviv), Regina Opera, Anchorage Opera, Shreveport Opera, Utah Festival Opera, DiCapo Opera, Long Island Opera, Bronx Opera, Syracuse Opera, and Caramoor Bel Canto Artists. Musical theatre majors have gone on to successful careers on Broadway, and regional theaters throughout the country. Nothing is more exciting for me than when I get a text message or an email from a student sharing their triumphs.
I am available for consultation lessons for students interested in attending Ithaca College. You may arrange this consultation lesson by emailing me or calling my studio telephone number. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at any time.