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Deirdre Francis is active as choral conductor, voice teacher, and performer. She is an Assistant Professor of Music at Anderson University where she teaches voice majors and minors, vocal pedagogy, music theater voice class, and vocal diction. She is also the conductor of the Anderson University Choir, a large ensemble open to all students by audition. This fall, she is the vocal coach and musical director for the AU production of Little Women. Ms. Francis holds the Daniel Endowed Chair of Music through which she is using technology and voice science in applied voice to improve student learning. Over the next three years through the Daniel Chair, Ms. Francis will create a voice lab at AU. The voice lab will enhance the teaching of the physiological and acoustic aspects of the voice using technology for voice analysis and examination. Ms. Francis received the Associate of Fine Arts degree in Music from Anderson College, the Bachelor of Music Education degree from Furman University, and the Master of Music degree from Westminster Choir College of Rider University. While at Westminster, she was a member of the world-renowned Westminster Choir. Ms. Francis’ voice students from both her collegiate and private studios have earned honors at the state and regional level at the National Association of Teachers of Singing annual auditions in classical and music theater categories. For many years, both as a singer and teacher, she has focused on Contemporary Commercial singing through study, research, and performing, and she is certified in Somatic Voicework® with Jeanette LoVetri through the Shenandoah University Contemporary Commercial Singing Vocal Pedagogy Institute. As a soprano, she is equally at home on the operatic/oratorio, recital, and musical theater stage. This year she present a faculty recital at AU and Erskine College, she will also be a soloist with the Electric City Big Band and soprano soloist in the AU presentation of Mozart’s Requiem. In addition to her full-time teaching duties at AU and conducting the GAMAC Girl Choir, Ms. Francis is very active as a choral clinician, honor choir conductor and choral adjudicator. She is serving her second consecutive term as Vice-President of the SC Chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing and is also a member of The American Choral Directors Association. She and her husband, Alan, have three wonderful children, Blakely 14, Evan 10, and Lydia 8. They are all active members of Central Presbyterian Church in Anderson. In her spare time, Ms. Francis enjoys gardening, reading, exercising and watching movies. |
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Deirdre Francis |
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Web pages updated: October 25, 2008 |
