Shenandoah Conservatory is the first university in the United States to offer a Master of Music in Contemporary Commercial Music (CCM) Voice Pedagogy. We continue to be a leader in the field, guided by a collaborative and highly accomplished faculty who value identity, technique and artistry.
Vocal Pedagogy Degree available online beginning Fall 2023.
The Master of Music in Voice Pedagogy degree will be available online beginning in the Fall of 2023. All courses are taught in FLEX format which gives the learners the option of attending class in-person or remotely. Learners can come to campus when they are able or complete the whole degree online. In addition to the core coursework, our on-campus learners will have access to all of the conservatory’s opportunities.
The curriculum immerses learners in a pedagogic wonderland of anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, acoustics, historical and contemporary vocal techniques, repertoire and the practical skills necessary to run a successful business. Students who are interested in research can actively participate in projects that are presented at The Voice Foundation Annual Symposium: Care of the Professional Voice and frequently published in the Journal of Voice.
However, you need more than great research and pedagogical skills to train CCM singers. Singing is an art. To get the best results, you need to honor and guide the creator in front of you. At the CCM Vocal Pedagogy Institute, you will explore what it means to be an artist and consider your own artistic voice. Then, throughout the degree, you will cultivate that voice with private lessons, vocal styles class, supervised private teaching and your culminating performance. Best of all, you will be exposed to multiple perspectives from faculty that all respect and honor each other’s work.
At Shenandoah, we do not produce cookie-cutter teachers. Instead, we train independent thinkers who are culturally responsive, rooted in science, educated in the history of our traditions and well versed in a wide range of approaches. If you are looking for a place where you can transform your teaching under the guidance of knowledgeable and caring faculty that truly want to see you succeed, then apply for the Master of Music in Pedagogy (Contemporary Commercial Music – CCM Voice) at Shenandoah Conservatory. Auditions slots fill quickly; applicants are encouraged to apply by December 1. The application deadline is January 15 or when all audition slots are full.
Janette E. Ogg Voice Research Center (JOVRC)
The internationally recognized Janette E. Ogg Voice Research Center serves as a central hub for our voice pedagogy students. Our faculty have authored dozens of journal articles, book chapters and books, and they regularly present research, masterclasses and pedagogical workshops at international conferences including the the Pan-European Vocology Conference, Pacific Voice & Speech Foundation, the UCSF Voice Conference, Johan Sundberg’s Function of the Singing Voice in Sweden, Acoustic Society of America, National Association of Teachers of Singing, Vocology in Practice, International Voice Teachers of Mix, Musical Theatre Educators’ Alliance, the Southeastern Theatre Conference and many universities through the world. Students frequently collaborate with faculty on research projects that are presented at the Voice Foundation Annual Symposium: Care of the Professional Voice and published in the Journal of Voice and the Journal of Singing.
Research tools available in the JOVRC:
- VoceVistaPro with glottal enterprises PC-2 EGG – we also have a modified version of VoceVista that allows longer LTAS measurements, and a portable EGG with boom microphone, headphones, and a USB computer connection.
- Glottal enterprises Aeroview software, Rothenberg dual chamber CV mask and a custom-built NEH handle with dual microphones and dual pressure sensors. We also have on loan an MS-110 data interface with the associated transducers and mask and a NEH 2.5 handle.
- Multispeech 3700 from KayPentax
- Madde and Apex from KTH (Decap, RTSect, and Director Musices are also available)
- Praat
- Dr. Speech Real Analysis
- Speechstation 2 from Sensimetrics
- Student versions of Waveview, Aeroview, and Nasality, with training exercises from glottal enterprises.
We actively network with medical professionals in the region and collaborate with other university programs within the School of Health Professions.
Contemporary Commercial Music (CCM) Vocal Pedagogy Institute
The CCM Vocal Pedagogy Institute gives teachers the tools they need to transform their students into captivating performers. Musical theatre, jazz and commercial artists need a different set of tools than classical singers to reach peak performance. However, a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work for the current professional landscape. Audiences want unique voices, new perspectives and different approaches to storytelling. At the CCM Vocal Pedagogy Institute, we show you how to integrate evidence-based technique with the singer’s identity to unlock the artist inside. You will leave the Institute a better pedagogue, performer and mentor.
Classes
The Master of Music in Pedagogy – Voice (Contemporary Commercial Music) is designed for the singer and teacher of singing who works with CCM styles and genres, including world music. The repertoire choices for the culminating performance for this degree may be taken from any CCM genre: pop, rock, folk, jazz, musical theatre, etc.
Students gain the pedagogical skills to teach in a wide range of styles including musical theatre, country, pop, jazz, rock, and blues.
The curriculum includes:
- Anatomy and Function of the Singing Voice
- The Business of Studio Teaching
- Supervised Private Teaching
- Comparative Vocal Teaching Methods
- Repertoire for the Singing Teacher
- Technology in the Studio
- CCM Vocal Pedagogy Sessions (3 for CCM, 1 for classical)
Performance Opportunities & Ensembles
Shenandoah Conservatory produces more than 400 performances each year. Enroll in a dynamic curriculum and start preparing for a meaningful career in the arts. You will practice your craft in front of audiences and develop a plan for your professional launch into the industry that focuses on your personal desires and aspirations.
Embrace extensive performance opportunities with top-tier facilities from theatres, concert halls and dance studios. Unite with fellow artists and join an alumni family that takes center stage from Broadway to the concert halls of Europe.
Shenandoah Conservatory Performances
Ensembles
Shenandoah Conservatory is home to more than 20 instrumental, vocal, and dance ensembles that present numerous performances every year. These performances take place throughout Shenandoah University’s vibrant campus on its various stages, including a concert hall, recital hall, proscenium stage, black box studio, outdoor amphitheater and more, to venues and performance spaces in the Northern Shenandoah Valley and around the world. Ensembles constantly engage with Shenandoah’s dynamic faculty and an array of distinguished guest artists through residencies, workshops and unique performance opportunities.
Faculty
Shenandoah Conservatory’s prestigious faculty is dynamic, creative, and passionately committed to the highest levels of artistic excellence. A deeply caring community, they mentor students with a wealth of professional expertise, balancing rigorous expectations with compassion and wisdom. At Shenandoah, you will study with, and perform for, award-winning composers, Metropolitan Opera singers, Grammy Award winning conductors and international competition winners. You will learn from leading scholars in music and premiere works created by accomplished dance artists and cutting-edge directors. Shenandoah Conservatory’s faculty embodies the highest levels of professional accomplishment and the deepest commitment to furthering the artistic growth and creative aspirations of students in every discipline.
Faculty Presentations
The Voice Foundation Annual Symposium: Care of the Professional Voice
- Sophia Dove, Kate Elmendorf, Christine Petersen, David Meyer: “Singing Voice Symptomatology Following Presumed SARS-CoV-2 Infection”
- Mohammad Obeid,David Howard, Dan Wilson, David Meyer: “Vocal Tracts in Virtual Reality – A Preliminary Report”
- David Meyer, Sajan Lingala, Subin Erattakulangara, Wahidul Alam, Rushdi Rusho, Jarron Atha, Gary Christensen, David Howard, Eric Hoffman, Ingo Titze: “Physical Modelling of High-Resolution Hybrid CT+MRI Vocal Tract Images”
- David Meyer, Sajan Lingala, Jarron Atha, Gary Christensen, David Howard, Eric Hoffman: “Minimal CT Dosages Necessary for Blended CT+MRI Vocal Tract Imaging”
- Emily Castleton, David Meyer: “Formant/Harmonic Coupling Patterns in Contemporary Belt as Observed in ‘And I Am Telling You’ from Dreamgirls as sung by Amber Riley”
- Edrie Means Weekly: “Vocal Cool Down: Restoring Balance Post Heavy Voice Load”
- Carolyn Sebron, David Meyer: “A Lifelong Joy: Persistence and Retention Of Older African American Singers”
- David Meyer and Matt Edwards: “Connecting the Actor and the Singer”
- Kathryn Green, David Meyer, Christina Trinidad: “Singing in the Mask or Formant Tuning?”
- Kathryn Green, Warren Freeman, Philip Sargent: “An Analysis of Vocal Demands for Broadway Leading Ladies”
- Aaron Johnson, Matt Edwards: “Dynamic Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study of Vocal Tract Kinematics in Contemporary Musical Theatre Singing”
- Edrie Means Weekly: “Current State of Who’s Teaching What in Non-Classical Music”
- David Meyer: “Cost-effective Aerodynamic and Acoustic Measures for Singing Voice Education”
- Edrie Means Weekly: “Do Classical Singers Maintain Training Program Post College”
- Matt Edwards and Leda Scearce: “Rock Rehab: A Collaborative Approach to Working with the Injured Singer”
- Edrie Means Weekly: “Pathology Pathways of Professional Singers Singing in Multiple Styles”
- David Meyer: “Seeing Vowels – Formant Resonances in 3D Modeled Vocal Tracts”
- Matt Edwards: “Demographic Changes that will Forever Alter the Future of Voice Pedagogy”
- David Meyer: “Seeing Voice – Visualization of Vocal Tract Shaping with MRI”
- Edrie Means Weekly: “Vocal Health Practices of Choral Conductors”
- David Meyer: “Fast Dynamic Speech MRI at 3 Tesla Using Variable Density Spirals and Constrained Reconstruction”
- Matt Edwards: “Functional Training for Pop/Rock Singers”
- David Meyer: “Perfect Harmony – the Future of Cross-over Singing Voice Education in University Music Programs,”
- Matt Edwards and Kathryn Green: “Why and How to Integrate Pop/Rock in your Voice Studio”
- Matt Edwards: “Crossing Over: From Classical to Commercial and Musical Theatre Styles”
- Matt Edwards: “Ethno-historical barriers to CCM Voice Pedagogy”
- Kathleen Bell, David Meyer: “The Effect of Drinking High pH Water on SelfReported Results from the Reflux Symptom Index and a Singer Specific
Questionnaire.” - Kathryn Green, Matt Edwards: “Caro mio ben” Won’t Fly on Broadway – Crossover Pedagogical Strategies for Music Theatre and Classical Voice”
NATS National Conference
- Matt Edwards, David Meyer: “CCM Voice Pedagogy and the Singing Voice Specialty.”
- Edrie Means Weekly: “Country Singing for Musical Theatre 101”
- Matt Edwards: “Teaching the Singer Songwriter”
- Matt Edwards: “Keeping Pop/Rock Voices Healthy on the Road”
- Edrie Means Weekly: “Legit Singing in Musical Theatre”
- Matt Edwards: “Singing with Audio Technology”
- Edrie Means Weekly: “Bringing the Song To Life: It’s a Matter of Style”
International Congress of Voice Teachers
- Matt Edwards, David Meyer: “The Future of Collegiate Voice Pedagogy: A SWOT Analysis of Current Practice and Implications for the Next Generation of Singers and Teachers of Singing.”
PEVOC Pan European Vocal Conference (Dresden, Germany)
- Kathryn Green, Amy Asbury: “Doctoral Vocal Pedagogy Curriculum Design in the United States”
NCVS National Conference of Voice Science (Salt Lake City, Utah)
- Kathryn Green, David Meyer, Matt Edwards: “CCM Vocal Pedagogy and the Singing Voice Specialist”
ASHA Conference
- Katrina Miller, Juliana Rivelli, David Meyer: “The Relationship Between Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) and Young Singers: A Survey”
Pan American Vocology Association
- Matt Edwards, David Meyer: “Collegiate Voice Pedagogy Analysis of Current Practices.”
- Matt Edwards: “Panel: Interdisciplinary Voice Care in an Imperfect World”
- Edrie Means Weekly: “Singing with Style in Musical Theatre”
- Matt Edwards and Leda Scearce: “Untying the Knot: Resolving Muscle Tension Dysphonia in Singers in the Clinic and Studio”
- Edrie Means Weekly: “Vocal Cool Down: Restoring Balance Post Heavy Voice Load”
- Edrie Means Weekly: “They’re Injured! 377 Voice Educators’ Retraining Approaches”
- Matt Edwards and Leda Scearce: “Habilitation and Rehabilitation Considerations for Working with Rock Singers”
- Edrie Means Weekly: “Body & Voice: A Collaborative Approach for Addressing Voice Issues”
Southeastern Theatre Conference
- Matt Edwards: “So You Want to Sing Rock ‘N’ Roll?,” “Healthy Belting: Free Your Voice,” “You can sing ANYTHING,” Riffing 101: How to spice up your vocals,” “Functional Training for All Styles,” “Let’s Get Rocked!”
- Edrie Means Weekly: “Singing In Styles,” “Connect The Singer and The Actor,” “The Singing Actor,” “Singing in Style in Musical Theatre,” “To Belt or Not to Belt,” “Audition Prep Workshop, “Song Authenticity: A Marriage of Singing and Acting,” “Legit Singing in Musical Theatre,” “Country Singing for Musical Theatre”
Association for Popular Music Education
- Matt Edwards: “What Science Can Teach us About the Singing Voice and Why it Matters”
- Matt Edwards: “Teaching Rock Singers Without Destroying Their Voices”
NANAS National Association of Native American Studies
- Kathryn Green: “The Orthography of the Seneca Language”
PAS7+ (Vienna, Austria)
- David Meyer, Sajan Goud Lingala, David Howard, Eric Hoffman, Ingo Titze: Pilot Study – High Resolution Hybrid CT+MRI Vocal Tract Imaging.
National Voice Medicine Forum (Shenzhen China)
- David Meyer: “Functional Training of the Singing voice”
Chinese National Art Voice Conference (GuangZhou, China)
- David Meyer: Keynote Presentation, “The Art and Science of the Singing Voice”
Faculty Guest Lectures, Workshops & Other Media Appearances
David Meyer
Kabarak University School of Music and Performing Arts, Nakuru, Kenya, Harvard University/Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Queensland Conservatorium Research Centre, Griffith University, Brisbane Australia, Voice Foundation Annual Symposium: Care of the Professional Voice
Edrie Means Weekly
University of Central Oklahoma, Virginia NATS, Peabody, New England Conservatory, University of Jacksonville, Morgan University, Arizona NATS, Lehigh Valley NATS, Greater Philadelphia NATS, Lawrence Conservatory, Wisconsin NATS, North Carolina NATS, Viterbo University, Morgan State University, Howard University, Young Artists of America, Penn State University, Liberty University, Maryland NATS, D.C. NATS, Ozark Region NATS
Kathryn Green
Universität Berlin (Germany), Universität Lübeck (Germany), Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo (Brazil)
Matt Edwards
The U.S. Air Force Singing Sergeants, The U.S. Navy Sea Chanters, NYC NATS, Summer Vocology Institute, Vocology in Practice, Webster Conservatory, Penn State University, Ithaca College, Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, Florida State University, University of Portland, Cascade Chapter of NATS, Minnesota NATS, Eastern NY Region of NATS, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Vocal Arts & Science Symposium at the University of Southern Mississippi, Sheridan College, Lawrence Conservatory, Missouri State University, Gettysburg College, Illinois Wesleyan University, South Texas NATS, Westminster Choir College Voice Pedagogy Institute, NATS National Conference (Boston and Las Vegas), Carolina Voices, Hardin-Simmons University, Lehigh Valley NATS, DeSales University, Snow College, Texas Women’s University, Brigham Young University, Toronto NATS, Otterbein University, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, University of of Alabama, Wright State University, Valley of the Sun NATS, Duke Voice Care Center, Georgia NATS, Georgia Southern University, Ohio Northern University, Virginia NATS, Arts Bridge
Podcasts, Radio & Other Online Media
- David Meyer: NPR’s The Academic Minute, “COVID-19 and Singing”
- David Meyer: NATS Webinar, “Reentry After COVID-19: Concerns for Singers.”
- David Meyer: NATS Webinar, “After COVID-19: Concerns for Singers”
- Matt Edwards: The Happy Singer Podcast
- Matt Edwards: NATS Chat “College Auditions”
Faculty Honors
Van Lawrence Fellowship, presented by the Voice Foundation and NATS
- David Meyer
- Matt Edwards
- Edrie Means Weekly
International Exchanges Grant from the Royal Society in London
- David Meyer
NATS Intern Program Master Teacher
- Matt Edwards
- Edrie Means Weekly
Journal of Voice: Best Clinical Medicine Paper “Safer singing during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: what we know and what we don’t”
- David Meyer
Application & Audition Information
Admission to Shenandoah Conservatory graduate programs is highly competitive and the audition schedule fills rapidly. Early application and audition registration is recommended.
