HEART COMMITMENT EXPRESSION Come and join our community! MPA is a community of performers participating in weekly individual training, monthly group sessions, master classes/guest teacher workshops and end-of-semester performances. Program director Dory Mead works in depth with performers to hone their skills both onstage and in the studio. Dory's teaching is classically focused, with expansion into folk, jazz and legit musical theater styles. Expect to investigate your process and grow as an artist from the inside out.
TESTIMONIALS
"I am a professional cabaret singer, and Dory has been an incredible guide with not only the continued development of my vocal technique and health, but also in my song interpretation and stage presence. I always come out of my lessons with Dory feeling both supported and challenged--and always truly inspired! Concepts I have struggled to grasp for years, studying with others, she has made clear to me in a single lesson." -Meredith Miller, Cabaret Singer/Actor
Dory's support and guidance have been vital during my college application and interview process to study voice at the university level. Beyond her always amazing voice coaching, she has helped me with my piece selections, given me advice for recording equipment and quality, helped me with finding an accompanist, and she has been flexible with lesson dates to be sure I am ready for whatever recording or audition is coming up. I would have felt lost without her! -Allison Gaines, Soprano
While working with Dory to prepare for a college voice audition, I was most impressed by her clear and straightforward way of teaching. She is able to reduce complex vocal corrections to simple and understandable terms, making it easy for me to see what's holding me back as a singer. Dory's patience and compassion also stood out to me—she went above and beyond to help me prepare for my audition, often going out of her way to provide the very best support. This is the magic of Dory's vocal instruction: she has a unique combination of kindness, clarity, and undeniable expertise that allows her students to learn and improve as much as possible. -Wrena Sproat, Soprano
"Dory is a hard combination to find: she pays careful attention to vocal technique and general musicianship, but is supportive of work in any genre, not just classical. She also has a warm personality that immediately puts you at ease, a must for anyone working to get past performance anxiety." - Colleen Swanson, Mezzo Soprano "I love singing with Dory. I like learning to sing in foreign languages. I like singing rounds and duets with Dory. She works with me on the proper use of my posture, breathing, vocal mechanism and head to strengthen my singing. She really cares about me as a person and as a singer. She is a great listener. She offers construction suggestions to build my confidence while helping me grow." -Aurora Hershey, Soprano “I found Dory’s approach to voice teaching to be very pleasant and very effective. She really worked with me and listened to what I wanted to take away from the lessons. She personalized each lesson and her holistic method really resonated with me. I learned a lot, making excellent progress over the course of the year. Coming together with other students during the monthly studio classes is an excellent idea and they work really well. We learned a lot from listening to other students, seeing how Dory works with them and from getting feedback from other students on our own performance.” -Maarten Roos, Tenor
Mead Performing Arts supports diversity, equity and inclusion. We strive to provide a safe space where all voices are heard.