Summer Vocal Institute: Musical Theater Intensive Faculty
Nancy Andersen, Founder and Program Director
Nancy Andersen is chair of Vocal Studies at the Hartt Community Division and is co-founder of the Hartt Summer Vocal Institute: Musical Theatre Intensive Program. She is a member of the faculty in the Vocal Studies Division and the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz at The Hartt School, and Hillyer College at the University of Hartford.
Prior to her positions at the University of Hartford, she was on the faculty at Southern Connecticut State University, Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts, and the Devereux Foundation. She was the Collaborative Arts/Concert Coordinator at First Church of Christ in Wethersfield, Connecticut for 18 years and served as Manager of the Albert Schweitzer Organ Festival/USA for nine years.
Ms. Andersen earned her Bachelor of Science in Music Education and Psychology at West Chester University; earned Kodaly Certification at The Hartt School and did further graduate work at the Hartt School in Vocal Performance and Early Music Performance Practic. She has studied voice with Jane Sheppard, Julianne Baird (early music), Mary Mack, Jerome Pruett, and Zehava Gal; voice care and vocology studies with Dr. Linda Carroll, Jean Westermann Gregg, Starr Cookman, Dr. Anat Keidar; and Peak Performance Training with Rae Tattenbaum.
Ms. Andersen is a member of Pi Kappa Lambda.
Stuart Younse, Artistic Director / Staging Director
Stuart Younse serves as Director of Theatre at Simsbury High School where he teaches four levels of theatre classes, directs the musical and spring play, guides student directors in the annual SHS One Act Play Festival, and directs the Simsbury Singers. Dr. Younse serves as the Artistic Director of the Connecticut Children’s Chorus where he conducts the Primi Voci Choir and oversees the artistic vision of the group. He is also a faculty member in The Hartt School Choral Institute.
Dr. Younse received a Bachelors of Music Education from the University of North Texas, a Master of Arts in Vocal Pedagogy from the Texas Woman’s University, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Music Education from the University of North Texas. Choirs under Dr. Younse’s direction have performed for the Texas Music Educator’s Association, the Eastern Division of the National Organization for Music Education (MENC), the Eastern Division of the Organization of American Kodály Educators, the Connecticut Music Educators Association and will perform at the National Organization for Kodály Educators Conference this spring. Dr. Younse was named Outstanding High School Music Educator in 2008 by the Connecticut Music Educators Association, as Choral Director of the Year in 2011 by the Connecticut Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association, and as Simsbury Public School’s Teacher of the Year in 2012.
Emmett Drake, Music Director
Originally from Long Island, Emmett Drake has been involved in music in many ways his entire life. Since graduating from the Hartt School (of the University of Hartford) in 2008, he has been an active composer, conductor, teacher, pianist and violinist. His original compositions have been performed all over the world, and he has worked with thousands of students as a teacher and a clinician. He has presented workshops in string writing at the Connecticut Music Educators Association All-State Conference, conducted regional/all county orchestras, and in May, 2012 conducted the Suzuki Youth Orchestra of the Americas in Minneapolis, MN. He has served as music director for over 50 musical theatre productions ranging from school level shows to professional regional theatre. Currently, Mr. Drake lives in West Hartford, CT and teaches orchestra at King Philip Middle School in West Hartford. He also serves as the music director/conductor of the five Suzuki Orchestras at the Hartt School.
Kristen Schoen-Rene, Dance/Choreography
Kristen Schoen-Rene grew up in Connecticut, receiving her performance training from various studios around the state. She attended the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts (GHAA) throughout high school as a dance major and was a member of Figments Youth Dance Ensemble, Looking In Theater and OD ‘n’ Tap Dance Company. She has appeared in productions of Mark Twain the Musical, Oklahoma, Writing Pictures: the Harriett Beecher Stowe Project, Evita, 42nd St, and was a dancer and the assistant company manager for Kazuko Hirabayashi Dance Theater in New York City. Choreography credits include Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Wiz, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Kristen has taught dance classes at The Hartt School Community Division of the University of Hartford Dance Division, Stafford Academy of Dance, and The Ailey School’s Junior Division. After earning her BFA in dance from Fordham University where the training is at The Ailey School, Kristen became a Radio City Rockette. She is fresh off of the Broadway National Tour of Young Frankenstein the Musical and is thrilled to return this summer to SVI:MTI!
Emma Tattenbaum-Fine, Acting and Improv
Emma Tattenbaum-Fine is a writer and performer with the sketch group Political Subversities, appearing every Saturday night at The People’s Improv Theater in New York City. Her work with Political Subversities has been featured by MoveOn.org, Huffington Post, Gawker, and as a "Critic's Pick" in Time Out NY. Her webisode, “JEGGINGS: The Official Music Video,” spread across the internet by way of Jezebel, Cocoperez, NY Fashion Mag, AXE.com, and countless other international fashion and comedy sites. Emma is co-founder of the sketch comedy group People’s Sketch Association (Funnyordie.com User's Pick 3/09, Best Sketch Group INNY Award 2010). She has toured nationally with Chamber Repertory Theatre and has worked as an intern on CNBC's McEnroe and on Saturday Night Live. She is an alumna of Hammerkatz NYU ("Critic’s Pick", Time Out NY 2005) and has performed at the UCB Theatre and at Joe's Pub (under the direction of Elizabeth Swados and Andrew Neisler). Her one-woman show, Laughing All the Way from the Sperm Bank was directed by Michelle Tattenbaum (2004 NY International Fringe Festival). She performed in Abu Dhabi in 2010 for the opening of the NYU campus there. Emma can be seen in a Starburst commercial as "Lethargic Cheerleader", on "All Worked Up" for Tru TV and in the Israeli documentary, "Soul Tripping", about American Jews experiencing Birthright. She has been published by BUST Magazine and has done writing and voiceover work for Mighty Dog. Emma has a BFA with honors from the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU. This is her fifth year with SVI and she is thrilled to be back!
emmatattenbaumfine.com
Janelle Robinson, Master Class Teacher
For the past ten years, Janelle Anne Robinson has enjoyed an ongoing professional career on the operatic and musical theater stage. She has performed in France and Japan, and also toured extensively within the United States. Janelle has also been honored with several awards, including The Richard Tucker Study Grant and the MacAllister Award.
Some of Janelle's credits include the Broadway productions of Cameron Mackintosh and Disney's Mary Poppins, directed by the award-winning Sir Richard Eyre, in which she originated the role of Mrs. Corry; Oklahoma, also produced by Cameron Mackintosh and directed by Trevor Nunn and Hal Prince; and Susan Stroman's revival of Showboat. She has performed with Virginia Opera, Opera Omaha, Connecticut Opera, and Opera Company Philadelphia. Off Broadway, productions include Slag Heap, directed by Michael Morris at Cherry Lane Theater, and Golden Boy, directed by Walter Bobby at City Center. Janelle has worked with many illustrious directors and choreographers throughout the years, including Michael Mayer, Lynn Taylor-Corbett, Barry Ivan, Vicky Bussert, Dotty Danner, Wayne Cilento, Eric Stern, and David Caddick. Also, she has been active in film and television, appearing most recently in a national commercial for Febreze, and on Law and Order: Criminal Intent.
In the course of her professional career, Janelle has studied voice, acting, and dance, and also pursued commercial and voice-over training. She has excellent academic credentials, having received a Bachelor of Music in Opera from The Hartt School, an Advanced Certificate in Voice from the Juilliard School, and a Master of Music in Opera from The Curtis Institute. She has also trained at the School for Film and Television. Janelle feels privileged to have studied under some masterful instructors, including Marlena Malas, Fredric Moses, William Ferro, Sofia Steffan, Bruce Kolb, Dr. Linda Carroll, Joan Leder, Craig Carnelia, and Rob Melrose.
At this point in her career path, Janelle would like to follow in the footsteps of these teachers and dedicate her collected talent, experience and training to an academic role. Her desire is to share her gifts, and to pass along to aspiring young performers not only what she was taught in school, but also the wisdom of her life as an artist to prepare them for a successful and satisfying career in the real world. Previously, Janelle taught at Juilliard's summer exchange program and was also an adjunct faculty member at The Hartt School, and looks forward to bringing her creativity, passion, and wisdom to further teaching opportunities in music and theater programs in and around Connecticut.
Rae Tattenbaum, Peak Performance Techniques
Rae Tattenbaum is a performance coach specializing in the performing arts. Rae is known to the University of Hartford community as a part time lecturer in the voice and dance departments. Also, Rae Tattenbaum has taught courses for the community division. She has developed an international reputation for helping artists dissolve barriers and managing performance anxiety. She is devoted to helping people reach their full potential through the use of Neurofeedback, Biofeedback and related self-mastery techniques. With over 15 years of experience, Rae is a recognized leader in the field of Neurofeedback and Biofeedback and the innovator of a ground-breaking methodology.
Rae's six-part Program, Inner Act, combines multiple, highly effective traditional techniques, leading-edge Neurofeedback and Biofeedback technology and personalized coaching. Ms. Tattenbaum is the first in her field to develop a comprehensive and integrated approach, which has been proven to enhance performance in business, academics, athletics and the performing arts as well as increased mental balance, productivity and wellness for those with learning, attention and physical disabilities.
Among her numerous achievements, Ms. Tattenbaum has been a recipient of the Nortel's President's Award for Excellence, and is an expert in Ericksonian Hypnosis and Neurofeedback. She travels internationally, speaking about her Program and teaching performance enhancement methods to adults, adolescents and children.
Rae has been featured nationally on WNPR's The Infinite Mind, locally on Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC and WTIC. Among her clients are business professionals, elite athletes - including 2006 Winter Olympics competitors - and Broadway and Metropolitan Opera performers. Rae is currently the chairperson of the AAPB Optimal Functioning Section.
Rae earned her MSW from the Columbia University School of Social Work after receiving a BA in advanced study in theatre arts at Hofstra University.
For more information go to inner-act.com.