About The Authors
Dr. Dana Guidroz, soprano, has taught voice and voice-related courses for more than thirty-five years at both the high school and collegiate levels. Originally from Louisiana, Dr. Guidroz most recently served as Visiting Assistant Professor of Voice at Sam Houston State University. After relocating to Fort Collins, Colorado, with her husband, Tom, she served as a sabbatical replacement at Colorado State University.
Prior to her time at Sam Houston State, she served as Associate Professor of Voice and Opera Theatre at Mississippi College in Clinton, Mississippi (now Mississippi Christian University), where she directed the Opera Theatre Program, established and directed the Music Theatre Program, and taught applied voice to undergraduate and graduate students in voice performance and music education. As a faculty member there, she was presented with the inaugural Pittman Young Faculty Member of the Year Award in recognition of her accomplishments as a teacher, performer, and scholar.
She also served on the faculty of the Talented Music Program of St. Tammany Parish, where she developed a college music preparatory curriculum for gifted high school students. She has held several leadership positions with the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), including Classical Auditions Chair for the Greater Houston chapter and President of Mississippi NATS. Dr. Guidroz holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from Baylor University, a Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance from Florida State University, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Voice Performance and Pedagogy from The University of Southern Mississippi.
She has enjoyed an active performance career in recital, opera, and music theatre, with guest artist appearances throughout the United States. In her earlier performance career, she was named state and regional winner and national semi-finalist of the NATSAA Young Artist Vocal Competition, a state winner and regional finalist of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, and a finalist in the MTNA Young Artist Competition. She also received the Verdi Award at the Mobile Opera Competition and was named a finalist at the Suncoast Opera Competition.
Her current pedagogical interests include the use of leveled repertoire to teach vocal and musical concepts progressively, the development of a leveled vocal repertoire database, and the pedagogy of practice and independent learning for singers — the focus of this book. She has presented at the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) conference and has given alecture recital at the Texoma chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), both in collaboration with colleagues, including Dr. Emily Heilman.
Author
Dr. Emily Howes Heilman, mezzo-soprano, is an Associate Professor of Voice at Sam Houston State University, where she has worked for the past eight years. An active member of Texoma NATS, she has served as the Assistant Auditions Chair for the last year. She is also an active member of the National Opera Association, where she serves as the Advertising Manager, a member of the Board of Directors and a member of the Conference Committee. Passionate about contemporary music, Dr. Heilman frequently works with living composers. In 2023, she premiered From Edna, with Love, a song cycle by Lauren Spavelko, and in 2019, she played the Chaplain in the premiere of Graham Yates’ chamber opera The Measure of Love.
She has also performed the music of Timothy Hoekman at Carnegie Hall with the Parlance Vocal Ensemble and debuted 12 Haiku for Mezzo and Orchestra by Quinn Dizon at the University of Louisville’s New Music Festival. Dr. Heilman holds a Doctor of Music in Voice Performance from Florida State University, where she studied under Shirley Close and Marcy Stonikas.
Dr. Emily Howes Heilman, Contributor
Hannah Rice, soprano, is a Los Angeles-based singer and composer who holds M.M. degrees in Vocal Arts & Opera and Composition from the University of Southern California. Hannah sings professionally in Los Angeles with organizations such as Opera Buffs, Exilio Ensemble, and St. James in the City and has received commissions from The Cincinnati Song Initiative, Piano Spheres, and Vox Anima London.
Hannah is also a passionate educator, serving as a voice teacher at Citrus College, Los Angeles Children’s Chorus, and in her own private studio. Hannah also serves as a Teaching Artist with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra where she teaches composition to grades 3 – 12. Most recently, Hannah served on the composition faculty at The Walden School’s Young Musician’s Program.
Contributor
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