Dr. Jessica Saunders- voice
"I believe in the power of sharing our triumphs and struggles in order to grow as a person and as a musician."
Teaching Philosophy:
​
Building Confident Singers: Whether you plan to pursue a career in music or not, the lessons learned from performing and studying music will serve you for a lifetime. Dr. Saunders believes in the power of sharing our triumphs and struggles in order to grow as a person and as a musician.
​
Strengthening Literacy: As someone who went to college underprepared in music literacy, I very strongly feel that having music reading skills only empowers and emboldens my students to be the best performers they can be! You never have to feel shame for not knowing a musical term or note name; if you don’t know, ask and I will help you learn!
Specializing in Young Singers: Many voice teachers do not believe in training young voices, but there is no scientific evidence that proves that training child singers is harmful to the voice. In fact, early training can lead to stronger musicianship skills and a better singing ear. As someone who was a child singer myself, I strongly feel that children can and should learn to sing from someone who understands how to train pediatric voices and who loves working with voices of all ages! At Dynamic Music Studios, singers 6 years old and older have opportunities to take either group lessons or one on one lessons.
​
Biography
​
Dr. Jessica Saunders believes in building confidence in her students and works with each student to explore their individual skills and talents. She has been performing since she was seven and teaching privately for over ten years. In lessons, her students focus on musical styles that speak to their passions, including musical theatre, popular styles, and classical music. Saunders is confident in working with students from ages 6 to adult and is also available to conduct masterclasses and workshops on topics such as performance anxiety, collaborative teaching, and starting your own private music studio.
Passionate about working with young singers, Dr. Saunders was recently featured on The Full Voice Podcast with Nikki Loney about her innovative virtual recital offerings in her voice studio. Saunders is a member of NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing) and currently serves as the assistant audition coordinator for the Upper Midwest region. Saunders is also a member of the Speakeasy Cooperative (SECO), a think tank for private voice teachers and business owners. ​Saunders teaches applied voice at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids and has also taught diction, vocal pedagogy, song literature, and directed the opera scenes program at Waldorf University in Forest City, Iowa, and taught Applied Voice at Grinnell College.
While working on her Doctorate at the University of Iowa, Saunders served as the Opera Research Assistant and performed in many of the operas. Saunders offers lessons in Coralville, Cedar Rapids, and Jesup, Iowa. Her students have won and been finalists at the National Association of Teachers of Singing state and regional auditions, won music scholarships to graduate school and undergraduate music program, and have appeared in productions with City Circle Theatre Company, Young Footliters Theatre Company, Theatre Cedar Rapids, and Nolte Academy.
​
Dr. Saunders also runs Saunders Vocal Studios in Jesup, Iowa.