Paul Stewart is the director of the vocal program at the Miller South School for the Visual and Performing Arts in Akron, previously directing choirs for 6 years in the West Geauga School District. He is a member of the professional vocal ensemble Cleveland Chamber Choir, associate conductor and frequent soloist for the Akron-based Singers Companye, and is a choral scholar and baritone soloist at Westminster Presbyterian Church. He has an Master of Music in Choral Conducting and a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Music Education from The University of Akron. While at The University of Akron he was a graduate assistant in the Department of Choral Studies, directed the all-volunteer University of Akron Men's Chorus, and helped to found the international award winning men's a cappella group Nuance. He was also the baritone soloist for the 2006 Mozart Festival in Salzburg, Austria, and was a two-time winner of the Tuesday Musical Association Scholarship for Male Voice. He studied voice with Alfred Anderson, Dr. Laurie Lashbrook, and Dr. Samuel Gordon. He has performed with the Voices of Canton and the Cleveland Orchestra Blossom Festival Chorus, and was the baritone soloist at the First Congregational Church of Akron for 14 years. He is also a freelance singer in the greater Akron area, performing in a wide variety of styles and venues.
Students in the vocal interest area have choir classes each day with 42 minutes of instruction. Our choirs are the 4th and 5th grade Rising Stars, the 6th grade Concert Choir, the 7th and 8th grade Symphonic Choir, and our two auditioned groups, Show Choir (grade 6-8) and Chamber Choir (grades 6-8).
Classes focus on developing healthy vocal technique in a wide variety of musical styles, including, pop, rock, jazz, classical, and other historical styles. Students will focus on accurate pitch and rhythm, effective expression, healthy tone quality, good breath support, supportive singing posture, and knowledge of the inner workings of their bodies as it relates to vocal technique.
Not only are vocal interest area students instructed on the performance of choral music, but they also learn about the history of vocal music and the influential composers and performers that influenced the vocal arts. Students listen to and perform influential works from throughout music history and learn to appreciate a wider variety of music.
In addition to performance skills and knowledge of music history, students will begin the long journey towards music literacy, the ability to read sheet music. Students will regularly be asked to sight-read new music at varying levels of difficulty with the goal of slowly and securely building their skills so that they can be prepared for high school vocal music and beyond.
Vocal interest area students have several opportunities to perform throughout the year, one of which is Open House; Show Choir performs each year at this event and act as ambassadors of the program. All vocal interest area students in grades 4-8 perform as part of their curriculum in the Winter and Spring Choir Concerts, in addition to several other performances in and around Northeast Ohio. Students participating in Show Choir and Chamber Choir have added performance opportunities both at Miller South and in the community.
The vocal department also offers a Show Choir and a Chamber Choir designed to provide additional high-level performance opportunities and outreach to the community. Students entering grades 6-8 may audition in the spring to be considered for the Show Choir, provided that they have been a Miller South student for one year and are in good academic standing. Show Choir is open to students in all interest areas. Students that are in the 6th grade Concert Choir or the 7th and 8th grade Symphonic Choir may also choose to audition for the Chamber Choir in the spring.