The Office of Academic Affairs at Mississippi Valley State University has named Dr. Shelly Buchanan-Garlotte the 2024-25 Humanities Teacher of the Year.
Buchanan-Garlotte, an assistant professor of voice in the Department of Fine Arts, delivered a lecture titled “Yes, You CAN Sing Classical Music!” on Feb. 6 at 11 a.m. in the Cliff E. Williams Auditorium in the Business Administration Building.
During her lecture, Buchanan-Garlotte discussed the characteristics of an ideal classical music student, the structure of a voice lesson, and the importance of vocal warm-ups.
“Let your warm-up be one of the most beautiful things you’ve ever done,” she said. “Let your warm-up be musical because that warm-up, that pattern, might appear in a piece of music later, and you’ve already practiced it.”
She concluded by demonstrating proper vocal warm-up techniques, addressing common technical challenges, and guiding the audience in practicing effective vocal methods.
Buchanan-Garlotte has received multiple scholarships and assistantships and placed second in both the Mid-South and Tri-State Region Metropolitan Opera National Council Competitions.
A native of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, she holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in vocal performance and linguistics from Louisiana State University, a Master of Music in vocal performance from Indiana University Bloomington, and a Bachelor of Music in vocal performance from LSU.
An active member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), Buchanan-Garlotte serves as the auditions chair for the Mississippi Chapter. She received a Faculty Development Grant to study and implement metacognitive strategies in applied studio teaching, an area of continued interest.
Locally, she has performed as a soloist with the Greenwood Chorale and MVSU University Choirs.
