The pedagogy program is a thriving community of faculty and students who are committed to merging scientific research with intuitive knowledge.
Admission is open to singers of all styles; classical music is not required as part of the audition process.
This degree prepares students for professional careers in higher education as teachers, leaders, and researchers committed to evidence-based voice pedagogy. Students gain advanced knowledge through an interdisciplinary approach in areas of anatomy, physiology, technology and applied voice. Classical and contemporary commercial music voice techniques are incorporated throughout the curriculum. Classes such as anatomy and physiology (including time in our state-of-the-art cadaver lab), voice disorders, body awareness, teaching practicum, technology in the studio, research design, and two years of private voice lessons prepare students to be well-rounded practitioners who are ready to take on the challenges and opportunities facing singers in the 21st century.
Students have embraced diverse dissertation topics, including the aging voice, contemporary Christian music, Gospel squall, formant tuning in baritone voices, gender bias in vocal literature, and the impact of voice lessons on patients with cystic fibrosis.
Leadership and Voice Science Tracks
Leadership Track
The Leadership cognate area of specialization within the doctorate degree affords students the opportunity to broaden the direction of their professional interests. These courses in curriculum development and administration prepare students for employment in an industry that is rapidly changing. This track is ideal for those who are interested in developing new degrees, improving existing degrees, working in administration, or developing educational programs outside of academia. Those embarking on a traditional career trajectory will gain new insight about the challenges facing educators in the 21st century and will be well prepared to contribute to broader conversations in their institution and the profession.
Voice Science Track
The Voice Science cognate area of specialization within the doctorate degree affords students the opportunity to choose a traditional research path for their doctoral dissertation. The courses in this cognate all have components for strengthening research design. This track is ideal for those who want to pursue high-level voice research, who want to collaborate with laryngologists and speech-language pathologists as part of a voice care team, as well as those who want to start new voice pedagogy programs and/or develop a voice research center at their institution.
Janette E. Ogg Voice Research Center (JOVRC)
The Janette E. Ogg Voice Research Center serves as a central hub for our vocal pedagogy students. Our students and faculty collaborate in research projects that are published in the Journal of Voice, Journal of Singing, American Music Teacher, Southern Theatre, NYSTA Voiceprints, and many others. Many have authored or contributed to books published by Plural Publishing, Rowman & Littlefield, Nova Science Publishers, Compton Publishing, among others. They regularly present research at international conferences including the Voice Foundation Symposium: Care of the Professional Voice, NATS National, Regional, and State Conferences, PAVA, the Pan-European Vocology Conference, Pacific Voice & Speech Foundation, the UCSF Voice Conference, Johan Sundberg’s Function of the Singing Voice in Sweden, and workshops/masterclasses at dozens of universities and voice related organizations throughout the world.
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 courses of the CCM Vocal Pedagogy Institute are a required part of the DMA curriculum in Pedagogy. At the Contemporary Commercial Music (CCM) Vocal Pedagogy Institute, student experiences are enriched by close interaction with our faculty and guest clinicians which have included Lifetime Achievement Award recipients Dr. Robert Sataloff, Mary Saunders Barton, and Dr. Ingo Titze. Students gain the pedagogical skills to teach in a wide range of styles including musical theatre, country, pop, jazz, rock and blues. Our CCM Vocal Pedagogy Institute has been offering specialized courses for training non-classical styles since 2002 and has trained well over 1,500 teachers from around the world.
Performance Opportunities and 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.
Application and Audition Information
Admission to Shenandoah Conservatory graduate programs is highly competitive and the audition schedule fills rapidly. Early application and audition registration is recommended.
