Ellie Escher, MM, 200 hr Yoga Teacher training, Certified YogaVoice(R) Practitioner
Ellie Escher is a performer/pedagogue who is as passionate about teaching as she is about singing. Ms. Escher holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music (Magna Cum Laude) from Scripps College in Claremont, CA and a Master of Music in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy (with distinction) from Westminster Choir College. While at WCC she studied voice science with Dr. Scott McCoy (Your Voice: An Inside View) and Vocal Pedagogy with Marvin Keenze. She has participated in a wide variety of professional development workshops and seminars ranging from YogaVoice® with Mark Moliterno to Vocal Health with Dr. Anat Keidar. Ms. Escher has performed regionally as a recitalist, as a principle artist in Opera and Operetta, and as a soloist with the Harmonium Choral Society of Morristown, N.J. She has pursued her passion for early music with the Amherst Early Music festival, studying with early music expert Julianne Baird.
A highlight of her journey as a voice teacher came in 2008, when Ms. Escher was one of twelve young teachers selected to participate in the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Summer Intern program. As an emerging voice teacher mentored by renowned Master Teachers, she was praised for her pedagogical knowledge and comprehensive instructional skill.
Ms. Escher is also a 200-hour Registered Yoga Teacher, a distinction that has given her voice teaching increased depth. In July 2013 she completed YogaVoice® Practitioner certification and is now one of a handful of singers/teachers who hold this credential. YogaVoice® aims to uncover a singer’s most authentic expression through a synthesis of Bel Canto principals of vocal development and Classical Yoga practices, a natural fit for Ms. Escher’s teaching philosophy. Read more at theyogavoice.com.
Following a successful nine-year career maintaining a private voice studio in Northern N.J., Ms. Escher moved to the Lehigh Valley where she teaches from her home studio in Emmaus, P.A. and at Muhlenberg College. She is known for having an “enthusiastic, encouraging yet demanding teaching style.” Her commitment to viewing each singer as a whole person is a hallmark of her teaching. Student B. Tally explains: “She combines a superb knowledge of vocal craft and technique with the drive to truly understand her students as individuals, and the ability to inspire and support them in becoming the musicians THEY want to be.”
She is a board member at large for the Lehigh Valley chapter for the NATS as well as the Student Auditions Coordinator and has served as the part-time lecturer in voice representative for the Muhlenberg College Music Department.
In 2016 Ellie started offering “Music Theatre Mash-Up summer camps” where young performers can build their skills and have fun learning group numbers from lots of different shows right here in Emmaus PA! 2022 will be the 7th year of camp. See the Summer Camp page for details.
Photography by Marco Calderon
