Singers Workshops at TC

Singers’ Workshop and YOUR Professional Development Across Styles

Led by Dr. Jeanne Goffi-Fynn and assisted by Columbia University doctoral and graduate students, this workshop welcomes all singers including transgender and non-binary individuals ages 11-18. This group is designed to help singers develop their musical and vocal skills and build their confidence and vocal technique. Students will sing a variety of repertoire and work in preparation for solo, ensemble, and audition opportunities, including the Specialized High Schools in NYC and the College Audition process. This workshop also features opportunities for specialized work for TBB (tenor/baritone/bass) singers navigating their voice change. The semester culminates with a collaborative performance at Columbia University and a performance at Carnegie Hall with the Cecilia Chorus of New York, led by Dr. Mark Shapiro in April.

• Ages 11–18
• Meet Times: January 30 - May 15, 2025 from 4:30-6:00pm EST on Thursdays
• Carnegie Hall Performance:
  • Adolphus Hailstork’s Rita Dove setting of The World Called on Apr 26, 2025 at 8:00 pm EST
  • Additional rehearsals held on
    • Saturday, March 15th
    • Monday, April 14th
    • Monday, April 21st
• Columbia University Performance: May 15, 2025 from 4:30-6:00pm EST
• Format: In-Person Only
• SPRING/FALL enrollment only
• Tuition: $400 per semester
• Need-based scholarships available.

Jazz and Gospel Sing

Led by Dr. Darryl Jordan, Jazz and Gospel Sing is open to all singers wanting to sing in the Jazz and the Gospel styles. In this musical journey, singers will be invited to share in the process of jazz solos and ensembles, learning a healthy approach to the genre. As in all ensembles with Singers' Workshops, the singers will develop their vocal confidence and musicianship while exploring their authentic sound. While new to Singers' Workshops, Dr. Jordan has been assisting the Workshops since its conception and is a leading figure in Jazz Gospel music.

• Ages 11–18 PLUS Intergenerational participation
• Meet Times: January 29 - May 14, 2025 from 5:00-6:00pm EST on Wednesdays
• Final concert at Teachers College, Columbia University Teachers College, Columbia University (525 West 120th Street, between Broadway and Amsterdam)
• Format: In-Person Only
• SPRING/FALL enrollment only
• Tuition: $400 per semester
• Need-based scholarships available.

Ensemble for Adults: Solo and Ensemble Singing

Due to popular demand, the Workshops lead its first adult ensemble! Led by Dr. Jeanne Goffi-Fynn and Dr. Colette Young this ensemble is open to all singers. In this musical journey, singers will be invited to share in the process of solo and ensembles, learning a healthy approach to a variety of genres. As in all ensembles with Singers’ Workshops, the singers will develop their vocal confidence and musicianship while exploring their authentic sound.

• Meet Times: January 29 - May 14, 2025 from 5:30-7:00pm EST on Wednesdays; Final virtual concert.
• Format: In-Person Only
• Tuition: $400 per semester
• Need-based scholarships available.

Faculty

Jeanne Goffi-Fynn is a Senior Lecturer and Director of the Doctoral Cohort Program at Columbia University, Teachers College. Her interests include Performance across the Lifespan, Applied Studio Teaching and Learning, Voice Development, Collaborative Mentoring, and Pedagogy across Styles. She is also a Singing Voice Specialist, specifically in the retraining of singers with Muscular Tension Dysphonia (MTD). Jeanne has presented often at workshops, master classes and pedagogical presentations and is a member of the Academy of Teachers of Singing (AATS) and Opera America. She is President of NATS_NYC and Chair of National NATS Mentoring Initiates. She is the Director of Singers’ Workshops, aiding in the development of young singers. Jeanne’s singing career includes opera, legit music theatre, oratorio, choral, and recitals.

Dr. Colette Cecile Young, Soprano, native Hawai’ian, earned her bachelor’s degree in both Biology and Music from Bryn Mawr and Haverford Colleges, where she was often guest soprano soloist with the Bryn Mawr/Haverford Symphony Orchestra. Currently she is pursuing a Doctorate in Interdisciplinary Studies combining music and science education. She is also currently on faculty at Columbia Secondary School (CSS), where she teaches science, leads the middle school choir, Executive Function Program, and the cheerleading team. Colette is also the Columbia University Cheerleading team.

Colette has been guest soloist with the Apollo Orchestra, Landon Symphonette, soloist at the White House, and won the VSA International Performing Artist Competition sponsored by the Kennedy Center, where she made her acclaimed debut. A spokesperson for Learning Ally (fka Recording for Blind and Dyslexic (RFB&D), Colette won numerous 1st prizes in the National Association Teacher’s of Singing and Asian International Competitions. A classical, operatic, and musical theater vocalist, flutist, pianist, Polynesian dancer, Colette has performed throughout Hawai’i, continental US, and Italy. As artist representative for the VSA and the Kennedy Center, she performed at and lectured before the Maryland State Legislature, and the US. Department of Education on Music and Arts Education.

Timothy Smith, M.A., is a pianist and vocalist, based in NYC. I was born in Boston Massachusetts where I had the privilege of studying at one of the top music institutions in my city and the world, Berklee College Of Music. I graduated in 2015 with a Bachelor in Professional Music which allowed me to create my concentrations while there. I studied a variety of courses in music education and songwriting. I was a piano principal but took the initiative to develop my vocal skills by taking voice lessons and vocal ensembles. I sang in gospel and jazz ensembles and was surrounded by talented students who I gleaned from.

Berklee exposed me to different genres of music which was really out of my comfort zone. Expanding my musical skills beyond Gospel music allowed me to get hired at Howl At The Moon Piano Bar in Boston where I worked for 4 years post Berklee. In 2019 I moved to NYC for bigger performance opportunities and to work on my studio projects. I was accepted to Teachers College Columbia University in 2021 where I received my Masters in Music Education allowing me to teach music in NYC public schools. While teaching High School for the NYDOE I perform weekly in prestigious restaurants in Manhattan for an entertainment company called Steve Beyer Productions. I have released 2 singles since I lived in NYC, and look forward to completing more studio projects. NYC has given me the platform and exposure that I wanted and I am excited to share my education and performing expertise with my students.

;

Dr. Darryl Jordan, conductor/singer/songwriter, holds a B.S. and M.M. in Music Education from NYU and Boston University, respectively and recently completed his EDDCT Music Education and Performance Pedagogy from Teachers College. He is an Adjunct Professor of Voice and Conductor at Nyack College. He trains multi-faceted young singers in Harlem as the former Chair of Vocal Music at the Urban Assembly School for Performing Arts. Currently he teaches at LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts. Desiring to “develop singers for every stage,” he has spent the past twenty five years training singers and conducting choirs in Maryland, D.C., and New York for everything from classical to jazz. His students have performed everywhere from major concert halls, a host of churches, community centers, and public events! Most recently, he performed with the Broadway Inspirational Voices with Patti LuPone at David Geffen Hall. Thanking God for his own musical gift, he seeks to empower the community through the gift of song. A Four-time Apollo Amateur Night Winner and sought after singer, he will release his new album, TIME, later this year.