Dr. Shellie Beeman
|
Voice
Shellie Beeman, Lyric Soprano, serves as Associate Professor of Voice at Jacksonville State University. She earned her D.A. degree in Voice Performance with a secondary emphasis in Speech-Language Pathology from Ball State University under the voice instruction of Dr. Meryl Mantione, mezzo-soprano. The title of her dissertation was “Perceptions of Voice Teachers Regarding the Teaching and Monitoring of Students’ Vocal Behaviors as Students Sing and Speak: Recommendations for Prevention and Rehabilitation within the Voice Studio.” Her passion is Vocal Pedagogy. As a voice technician and vocal health advocate, she delights in merging the gap between voice science, artistic musicianship, and the medical arts. Dr. Beeman is a Certified McClosky Voice Technician through the McClosky Institute of Voice and enjoys working with the voice care team to habilitate injured singers. In 2017 she completed training from the Contemporary and Commercial Music Vocal Pedagogy Institute at Shenandoah University. From 2006-current, her teaching career includes Associate Professor of Voice and Program Coordinator for the Department of Vocal Studies at Bob Jones University, Assistant Professor of Voice at Adams State University, Adjunct Instructor of Voice at Indiana Wesleyan University, Instructor of Music and Voice Area Coordinator at Northland International University, privately owned studios in Chicago, IL and Muncie, IN, and Mentored Teaching Internships/Assistantships in Voice and Diction at Ball State University and Bob Jones University. She currently serves on summer faculty with the McClosky Institute of Voice. She is an active performer, master class clinician, and adjudicator, as well as a current member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, NAfME, College Music Society, and Classical Singer. As a sought-after conference clinician, Dr. Beeman has presented clinics at NATS and NAfME conferences on the McClosky Technique, Age-Appropriate Literature Selection for the Developing Voice, and Vocal Health for the Music Educator and Singer in Indiana, Colorado, and South Carolina. She is a published author with Elsevier's Journal of Voice and a contributing author for the book, Voice Teacher's Cookbook, part of Garwood Whaley's highly successful and intuitive "Music Cookbook Series" published through Meredith Music Publications. In 2018 Shellie was invited to teach as Artist Faculty for the Summer Voice Program of Interharmony International Music Festival in Italy, and she continues to teach for them, giving applied lessons, coaching chamber art song, leading master classes to aspiring young singers, and performing for their Faculty Concerts. Shellie's operatic performances through the years have included the roles of Adina in L'Elisir D'Amore, the Dew Fairy in Hansel and Gretel, Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi (a personal favorite), and Maddalena in Andrea Chenier. She was also a featured soloist in the Gingerbread Chorus and Angel Ballet of Hansel and Gretel, and a chorus member for Dido and Aeneas and Lucia di Lammermoor. Shellie has had the privilege of working with Elgin Opera Company, Chamber Opera of Chicago, Overshadowed Theatrical Productions, Bartlett Park District Theater, Ball State University Opera and Theater, and Bob Jones University Opera and Theater. Additional musical theater roles include: Irene Molloy, Hello Dolly!; Tuptim, King and I; and Widow Corney, Oliver! She has also performed in choral concerts with the Deo Cantamus chorale of Minnesota under the direction of Director Allan Hawkins. She has had the privilege of working with Professional Singers, Teachers, and Master Class Clinicians such as Brian Gill of Indiana University; International Soprano, Dominique Labelle; Vocal Coach, Donna Loewy; Pianist and Vocal Coach, Joy Puckett Schreier; Vocal Coach and Pianist/Organist, Jonathan Moyer; Baritone, Kim Josephson; Ms. Inci Bashar, Classical Singer Teacher of the Year (2009); Vocal Coach, Professor Richard Boldrey of Northwestern University; and Voice Teachers, Maria Argyros, Grant Lewis, Chris Gilliam, Mary Hagopian, Pam Dunbar, Fritz Robertson, Judith Haddon, Michael Best, and Patrice Michaels. From 2006-2009, Shellie pursued a professional operatic career in Chicago under the tutelage of vocal instructors, Ms. Judith Haddon and Ms. Inci Bashar, Classical Singer Teacher of the Year (2009), and vocal coach, Professor Richard Boldrey of Northwestern University. While she enjoyed her time to perform professionally, her love for classical music and opera led her to the academic arena, where she could become the teacher behind the artist. Dr. Beeman currently teaches voice and voice courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels, where she enjoys fostering the artistry of the next generation of singers, teachers, and performing artists. Shellie has enjoyed teaching voice courses on the undergraduate and graduate level, both on-campus and online. Courses taught include: Undergraduate and Graduate Applied Voice, Graduate Vocal Chamber Ensemble, Voice Pedagogy, Diction for Singers, Voice Literature (Song Literature and Opera Literature), Voice Class and Voice Methods for the Non-Voice Major, Opera and Theater Workshop, and Voice Internship (a course she personally created). Shellie's students have been invited to audition at noteworthy undergraduate and graduate institutions such as Florida State University, University of Colorado at Boulder, University of Georgia, Boston University, Peabody Conservatory of Music, Westminster Choir College, University of Akron, Ball State University, Bowling Green State University, Shenandoah Conservatory of Music, and Bob Jones University, with several being awarded scholarships and assistantships at many of these institutions. Student Successes include: Active participation and 1st, 2nd, 3rd, place winners at State and Regional NATS, including advancement to NSA; Advancement to Classical Singer Convention Competition Rounds; acceptance for the NC Song Writer’s Summer Workshop at New York University; award as the International Barbershop Quartet Gold Medalist along with fellow Barbershop quartet members, Instant Classic; acceptance to and participation in summer Opera and Music programs such as L.A. Summer Opera Intensive, UBC Vancouver Summer Program, and Interharmony International Music Festival; summers working at Blue Lake Music Camp; current private voice studio teachers and K-12 music educators; acceptance to Law and Medical School. Shellie's vocal health clients have been accepted for the CMVT certification program at the McClosky Institute of Voice. Shellie enjoys mentoring and advising her students as they grow personally and musically. She enjoys being musically active within her church and community, giving concerts and recitals, and seeks to share her love of music with others. Her desire to learn keeps her looking for opportunities to receive further professional advancement. Apart from singing and teaching, Shellie's greatest passion is her ever-loyal companion, Leo, otherwise dubbed Mr. Leopold Amadeus Bozart. He is a frequent visitor in the halls of the Fine Arts building, the private lesson studio, voice lecture classes, and the occasional rehearsal or faculty meeting. A canine of many talents, Mr. Bozart has yet to decide what major he will pursue. He has been known to provide voice students with his well-known "judgmental stare......" Recently added to the family was Mr. Bailey Bug. He is quite the happy canine. Bailey is quite vocal and has much to learn. But Mr. Bozart will see to his training while Dr. Beeman works hard every day. |
