Dr. Shellie Beeman, a new Associate Professor of Voice in the David L. Walters Music Department, is from Anderson, IN, and has a DA in
Voice Performance.

With her expertise in voice, voice science, and voice habilitation, Beeman is teaching the Voice Pedagogy Class and Lab, Class Voice, and Applied Lessons. She is partial to Vocal Pedagogy but mostly loves the private lessons, where she has the chance to change a student’s life.

Beeman was initially amazed at how friendly and supportive the faculty and administration were when she interviewed. She says, “The Music Department was itching to grow, and the students asked me such great life questions. Their excitement for what they did as music majors was catchy. I wanted to be a part of it!” Beeman has come to love that same friendliness and support of the department since then. “I’ve never had so many colleagues stop by to check on me, offer help, and talk on a personal level,” she shares.

While at JSU, Beeman hopes to be able “to teach [her] students that talent isn’t everything. It’s only a piece of the journey. Hard work, discipline, love for your art, and a desire to humbly share it with others are the stepping stones to being successful, no matter what they do or where they go.” She looks forward to “getting involved, supporting [her] colleagues, teaching the students, and learning from all of them” in the meantime.

Beeman is involved in research “investigating the impact of exercise on the voice.” She is also in the process of creating a recital for voice, bassoon, and performance/lecture on songs of the Auvergne region in France with a JSU music coworker. She hopes to be able to eventually go overseas to learn about the Auvergne dialect, culture, and people. If she does, it will not be her first time in Europe; Beeman has performed in Italy before. She has also been published twice. In her spare time, Beeman enjoys spending time with her two dogs, Leo and Bailey, as well as restoring and refinishing old furniture.

The advice that Beeman would give her students is to, “Work hard. Take time to deal with stress. Don’t forget to do fun things amidst the hard work. Stay focused and disciplined. Stay humble. Remember that there are no failures in life….only stepping stones to success.”