Grad Stories: Emily DenBleyker 🎓

One of our recent graduates, Emily DenBleyker, shares her journey with the Voice Study Centre and reflects on the research that shaped her MA experience.

Emily officially graduated with an MA Voice Pedagogy in July, following three years of hard work and dedication.

A South Jersey-born, Seattle-based singer, actor, voice teacher and vocal coach, Emily has a lifelong love of singing and over 20 years of performance experience in musical theatre and choral music. She is passionate about music education and making singing accessible to everyone, particularly those who believe they “can’t sing.”

During her MA, Emily was able to pursue her own research interests and explore how voice teachers can better support adult beginner singers, a group she feels has often been overlooked within traditional music education.

Reflecting on her experience, Emily shares:

“I chose to study with the Voice Study Centre because I wanted a graduate program that didn't require performance and allowed me to pursue my own interests within vocal pedagogy.

This program allowed me to spend three years conducting my own research and answering the questions that no one else was asking.

As a teacher, I specialize in adult beginning singers and my research centred on how teachers can best serve those who have been overlooked by traditional music education environments.

My final project was an ethnographic examination of adult amateur singers in the private voice studio, which found that singing lessons may function as an act of meaning-making for those not pursuing singing professionally.

Since finishing this degree, I have focused on growing my studio and I hope to continue my research, either independently or in a more formal setting.”

Emily has also shared her research with the wider voice community during her time on the MA. In 2023, she presented her work on supporting adult beginner singers at the NATS India Chapter Online Conference, before presenting a poster based on the same research at the 58th NATS National Conference in Knoxville, Tennessee, in 2024.

Congratulations on this wonderful achievement, Emily! 🎉 We can’t wait to see what you do next!