Arts, Etc.Music

Music department gets new voice

ULV's newest member of the music faculty is soprano Carol Stephenson. Stephenson received a bachelor's degree in music and a master's degree in church music, both from USC. / photo by Reina Santa Cruz
ULV’s newest member of the music faculty is soprano Carol Stephenson. Stephenson received a bachelor’s degree in music and a master’s degree in church music, both from USC. / photo by Reina Santa Cruz

by Jessica Rodriguez
Staff Writer

A new feminine voice can be heard coming from Founders Auditorium, home of the University’s music department.

34-year-old Carol Stephenson of Monrovia has begun teaching voice here.

Stephenson, a soprano, says she has been interested in singing for as long as she can remember, being born into a “very musical” family.

“Music was like breathing for our family,” Stephenson said.

In fact, Stephenson’s mother was a voice instructor at Nebraska Wesleyan University while she was pregnant with Stephenson.

At La Verne this fall, the soprano makes her full-time University teaching debut, teaching private lessons for about 21 students this semester.

Previously, Stephenson taught here for two semesters on a part-time basis.

Most of her students, she said, are not music majors, but just want to learn how to sing.

“I have over 100 pieces of music that I am working with right now,” Stephenson said. “I want to give each student pieces of music that work best for them.”

Stephenson hopes eventually to teach classes as well as private voice lessons “in the future. But for now, this (is) a lot of fun,” she said.

Aside from teaching three days a week at ULV, Stephenson is also involved with a singing trio called Nicolas 3, with a flutist and keyboard player. The group plays classical chamber music. She also directs a hand-bell choir at the Church of the Good Shepard in Arcadia.

Stephenson’s education includes two degrees from the University of Southern California: a bachelor of arts in vocal performance and master’s degree in church music.

Though her training is classical, her musical interests include a variety of pop and contemporary styles.

Prior to teaching lessons at ULV, Stephenson was working as a travel agent from the time she started at USC. She worked her way through college at the agency and continued to work there after receiving her music degrees.

Stephenson attends church with Timothy Durkovic, artist-in-residence at ULV, who introduced her to Scott Farthing, the music department chair. She had never thought about teaching before Farthing let her know that the music department could use a voice instructor.

She felt that it would be a great opportunity and so she took on the challenge. Stephenson said that even though she had never taught at this level, she was confident that it would be a blast.

“I really feel like I am making a difference in their lives,” Stephenson said.

She said that seeing the students at ULV get the one-on-one attention they need is great. Attending a large university herself, she did not get these opportunities.

“I learned a lot at USC, but I didn’t get the performance opportunity,” Stephenson said.

ULV students have many opportunities to get in front of an audience and perform, without being graduate students, she said.

“The students at ULV are very lucky, especially since the program is expanding,” Stephenson said.

Jessica Rodriguez
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Reina Santa Cruz
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