Other Special Guests, Clinicians and Consultants

Kyrie Courter - Songbook Academy Alumna

A 2013 Songbook Academy alumna, Kyrie Courter recently made her Broadway debut in the 2023 revival of Sweeney Todd. A performer and content creator based in New York City. Kyrie appeared in Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes and her credits include Ragtime (Bay Street Theater); School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play (Goodman Theatre); Next to Normal (Writers Theatre, Jeff nomination for Performer in a Supporting Role); Marie Christine (BoHo Theatre, Jeff nomination for Performer in a Principal Role); Legally Blonde (Paramount Theatre); Seussical the Musical and The Color Purple (Drury Lane Theatre, Black Theater Alliance Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical); Company (Venus Cabaret Theater); BLKS (Steppenwolf Theatre Company); Thaddeus and Slocum (Lookingglass Theatre Company); Dreamgirls (Porchlight Music Theatre). Kyrie graduated from the Chicago College of Performing Arts (CCPA) at Roosevelt University and earned a BFA in Musical Theater.
 

Kyrie will host a talkback with our current students before they join our alumni community on Friday, July 19. She is a wonderful representation of the community of artists who have come out of this program and can provide guidance on the next steps: college, the professional industry and beyond! Kyrie will perform in the concert on Saturday evening, as well.

Michael Hanley - Vocal Technique Clinician

Michael Hanley is an associate professor of voice at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee where he teaches applied voice for students in the classical and musical theater degree programs and serves as the program director for Boston Conservatory Vocal/Choral Intensive for pre-college singers. Hanley is a frequent presenter and clinician who is recognized for his expertise in cross-training at the pre-professional and professional levels. He is a frequent presenter at programs such as the Vocal Pedagogy Professional Workshop, the Fall Voice Conference, NATS, and various professional conferences. Hanley has previously served on the faculty of Syracuse University’s Department of Drama and Setnor School of Music, where he taught classical voice, voice for musical theater, and musicianship courses. Hanley holds a B.M. in music education from the Eastman School of Music, an M.M. in voice pedagogy and performance from Penn State University, and was mentored by master teacher Jeanie LoVetri in the 2016 NATS Intern Program. Hanley has performed as a classical singer on stages across the United States and performs regularly in the Greater Boston area.
 

Michael Hanley will be onsite for the majority of the week to teach a vocal technique lecture and host small group vocal technique work sessions with each team to ensure students are developing their technical understanding of their voice. We are honored to have him with us for the first year!

Elaine Moebius - Songbook Choir Director

Elaine Moebius is a faculty member at the very heart and foundation of the Songbook Academy. She has played every role from chaperone to vocal coach – and is beloved as our original Songbook Choir Director who has been responsible for the fabulous choral production numbers you experience in Songbook Academy in Concert since the very beginning. Elaine earned her degree in music education from Capital University and taught vocal music for 36 years at schools in Columbus and Delaware, Ohio, and Mooresville, Indiana. Currently a private voice instructor and vocal clinician in central Indiana, she has been a choral and show choir adjudicator in Wisconsin, Illinois, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky and Indiana and is currently a site coordinator for ISSMA-sanctioned show choir events.
 

Elaine will spend dedicated time with all 40 students (our Songbook choir) EACH day preparing the production numbers for Songbook Academy in Concert!

Kenny Shepard - Guest Choreographer

Kenny Shepard is an on-camera choreographer for Broadway Jr. and their Disney Collection and is a professor in the dance and musical theatre departments at Anderson and Ball State Universities. Kenny directs, choreographs, and performs locally for Actors Theatre of Indiana, The Phoenix Theatre, and The Children’s Museum's Lilly Theatre. Performance credits include Off-Broadway, Atlantic City, Branson, The Indianapolis and Baltimore Symphony Orchestras, and cruise ships touring the Americas, Africa, Europe, Scandinavia and Russia. Favorite roles include CATS (Munkustrap); La Cage Aux Folles (Hanna); The Wizard of Oz (Scarecrow); Virginia Opera’s Oklahoma! (dream ballet) and Disney World/Hollywood Studios’ Beauty and the Beast (Belle’s Prince).
 

Kenny will help our program faculty stage the Team Medleys for Songbook Academy in Concert and be our overall staging and choreography lead for any needs throughout the week. This will be Kenny's second year with us!