EDUCATION

Bachelor Of Arts In Music, North Park University, Chicago, IL (1997)

Level Three Certification, Somatic Voicework™ - The LoVetri Method (2011, 2020)

Voice - Music Institute Of Chicago (1997 - 2000)

Voice and Piano - Sherwood Community Music School At Columbia College, Formerly Sherwood Music Conservatory (1989 - 1992)

SUMMARY

Michele Thomas is a jazz vocalist, recording artist, educator and entrepreneur of over 20 years.

As an educator she founded and teaches both voice and artist development for her own private teaching studio, Soulstream Music Studio of Contemporary Voice, for the past 20 years. Below is some of her highlighted work in various areas of music education that include academia and freelance projects.

 

APPLIED VOICE/VOCAL COACHING

Roosevelt University | Chicago College of the Performing Arts (2023 - current)
Applied instructor of Jazz & Contemporary Voice

DePaul University (2020 - 2021)
Applied instructor of Jazz Voice

Vandercook College of Music (2020 - 2022)
Applied voice and course instructor for choral/voice program facilitating the college’s first ever Jazz & Contemporary Voice recital in 2022.

“Southside” Series - Season 2, Episode 2 | (2021 - 2022)
Hired as singing and vocal coach to the actors of episode 2, in addition to recording voiceover parts for the choir performances in the episode and a walk-on appearance as music adjudicator.

Next Showcase Chicago, Vocal Coach in Residence (2018 - Present)
Providing on-site vocal coaching, clinics and panel discussions on vocal technique and vocal health to aspiring and emerging artists in Pop, R&B and Hip-hop genres; often working in conjunction with Dr. Steven Sims of the Chicago Institute for Voice Care at UIC.

ENSEMBLE & CHOIR

Roosevelt University (2023 - current)
Director of the New Deal Vocal Ensemble

VOICE & VOCAL ENSEMBLE CONCERT - FALL 2023

DePaul University (2020 - 2021)
Director of DePaul Vocal Jazz Ensemble and one of the only large ensembles to remain actively performing during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic via a remote, non-synchronous format. Students were also trained in using home recording technology and utilized online technology such as Soundtrap to rehearse in real time for weekly rehearsals

North Park University (1993 - 1997)
Principle Director/Co-Founder of the North Park Gospel Choir - starting my freshman year as a student conductor for a small ensemble of 12 singers , to the eventual growth to 100 members by my senior year the NPU Gospel Choir would prove to have staying power. As one of the second only choral ensembles in the history of the college, the group began to tour and was in due time brought under the auspices of the School of Music as an accredited ensemble course - a rarity for most university music programs.

 

CLINICIAN/PRESENTER

Sweden Tours, Guest Clinician & Performer (1994, 1996)
Invited to train and conduct a total of 5 various community gospel choirs from the northern and southern regions of Sweden. Introduced contemporary gospel repertoire by black composers while teaching about Black American music history, style and culture - ultimately preparing choirs to perform for a festival and concert tour over a 10 day period.

DEPAUL UNIVERSITY (2020 - 2021)
Brought in Grammy award winning jazz artist, Kurt Elling and NEA Master winner - the legendary jazz artist, Sheila Jordan to the students of the DePaul University jazz studies program for virtual studio and masterclasses.

GUEST SPEAKER

Depaul University (2021)
Invited as a guest lecturer for the DePaul Woodwind Ensemble on gospel music style and analysis of Omar Thomas’s piece, “Come Sunday”

Woodwind clinic w:Michele Thomas Notes.jpg

CLICK IMAGE FOR FULL NOTES

CSO Overture Council: Soundpost Virtual Event, Guest Panelist (2021)
Invited by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Overture Council to join a panel of esteemed jazz artists and educators as part of a virtual discussion on jazz improvisation in the twenty-first century. Panel included author Scott DeVeaux - Associate Professor of Music at the University of Virginia, John D’Earth: Jazz Trumpeter - University of Virginia, Jim Gailloreto, Saxophonist - Roosevelt University and Willie Jones III, Percussionist - Northwestern School of Music.

 

CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT

Vandercook College of Music (2021 - 2022)
Was enlisted to develop a course entitled “Introduction to Singing Contemporary Commercial Music” for the Vandercook College of Music continuing education program, MECA. The graduate level course laid the comprehensive groundwork of modern vocal pedagogy and methodology for voice educators new to teaching CCM styles. The course objective; using a mixture of lectures, readings, performance seminars and labs - is meant to equip music educators with tools and strategies for integrating CCM studies into their choral and voice studio curriculum.

CLICK IMAGE FOR SAMPLE SYLLABUS