Brought to by our friends at True Change Alliance, the D.A.R.E bonus series:

In this episode, choral educator and gospel music specialist, Dr. Frances Fonza Smith shares the power of Gospel Music and its ability to teach healthy singing, technique, tone building, and build community in our choirs. Dr. Smith also shares her personal experience as a Black Female Choral Conductor and how we can use our leadership as music educators to empower and impact our singers.

* Healthy singing and tone building in gospel music

* Teaching technique through singing gospel music

* Black females in choral music and our roles as educators

* Empowerment and how you can use gospel music

Dr. Frances Fonza Smith is the Director of Worship and Arts at Mt. Ennon Baptist Church in Clinton, Maryland and taught choir and sight singing at Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington DC. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in music education at the University of Missouri-Columbia, a Master’s degree in music education and a Doctorate in music education/choral conducting at Florida State University.

Smith taught choral music at the middle school and high school levels in Kentucky for several years. Additionally, Dr. Smith served as Assistant Professor of Music Education and Director of Choral Activities at Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio. Her responsibilities included teaching music education courses, aural skills, choral conducting, supervising music education interns, and directing the Wittenberg choirs. Choirs under her direction have participated in state, regional, and national music festivals. Dr. Smith is an active singer, clinician, and adjudicator. A frequent guest conductor, she has conducted several honor, public school, and church choirs. Her research interests are community partnerships, healthy singing in Gospel music, and tone building strategies used in the choral classroom.

Connect with Dr. Smith: [email protected]

Learn more about TCA: https://www.truechangealliance.org/

Let us know what you think! Connect with your host, Dr. Emily Williams Burch at EmilyBurch.org/contact or join the conversation on Patreon.com/MusicEdMatters

**Show music originally written by Mr. Todd Monsell

**Show photography provided by Dr. Dan Biggerstaff