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The American choral conductor and music pedagogue, Shannon Marie Gravelle, obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Music (Minor: Music Education, Religion/Theology) from Luther College in in Decorah, Iowa (2001-2005); her Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting from California State University Long Beach: Bob Cole Conservatory of Music (2011-2013); and her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Choral Conducting and Conducting Pedagogy from The University of Iowa (2013-2017).
Shannon Gravelle has been an adjudicator, clinician, and guest conductor for choirs in North Carolina, Minnesota, Maryland, Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin, Arizona, and Illinois, has presented at regional and national conferences, and has led professional development for K-12 music teachers in multiple states. She has served as a church music director, choral conductor, hand bell conductor, pianist, and vocal soloist. She was Music Director at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Lanesboro, Minnesota (October 2003-January 2006); Dean of Students/Counselor at Lutheran Summer Music (June 2005-July 2008); Choir Teacher at Higley Unified School District (July 2007-May 2009); Music Director at University Presbyterian Church in Tempe, Arizona (January 2008-May 2009); Madison Country Day School in Waunakee, Wisconsin (August 2009-June 2011); Bel Canto Choir Director (August 2011-May 2013) and Graduate Assistant- Choral Conducting (August 2011-May 2013) at California State University, Long Beach; Teaching Assistant/Choral Director at University of Iowa in Iowa City (August 2013-Jun 2015); Interim Director of Choral Activities at University of Nebraska at Omaha (June 2015-June 2016); Director of Choral Activities at Meredith College in Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill (June 2016-July 2021); Director of Music at Bethany United Methodist Church in Madison, Wisconsin (August 2021-July 2022); Director of Choral Activities at University of Wisconsin Oshkosh (August 2021-August 2024).
Since August 2024, Shannon Gravelle is Assistant Professor of Music in the Conservatory of Music at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin, serving as the Co-director of Choral Studies and as music education faculty. She is also The Phyllis and Richard Duesenberg Concert Choir Chair at Lutheran Summer Music Academy & Festival, a 4-week-long immersive music experience for high school students across the country. Her current research focuses on conducting pedagogy and how the identity points of young conductors affect the way they learn conducting. She is committed to equity work within her field and higher education, and advocacy is a centerpiece of her community building. Other areas of research also include silenced voices in music, the choral works of Russian composer Sergei Taneyev, the early choral works of Johannes Brahms, the life and works of Barbara Strozzi, and music education advocacy.
Shannon Gravelle's publications can be found in Notes, Carolina Caroler, The Choral Scholar, ChoralNet, and The Choral Journal. She is a member of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), and serves as the Midwestern ACDA Student Activities Chair and as Diversity Initiatives Chair for Wisconsin ACDA. She is also a member of the National Collegiate Choral Organization, and sits on the national board member and is the women-identifying affinity group liaison. Her other memberships are in the National Association for Music Education, College Music Society, and Pi Kappa Lambda music honor society. She also founded and serves on the leadership team of WiCHEd (Women in Choral Higher Education), an organization dedicated to supporting women-identifying choral conductors as they navigate barriers and successes in higher education. In addition to conducting and scholarly activities, she enjoys singing, playing piano and guitar, identifying ways to collaborate with other musicians, running, and going to baseball games. She has sung at a TED talk given by Eric Whitacre and, true to the life of a rockstar, has sung back-up for the Rolling Stones. |
