KATY MCNIFF

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Mrs. McNiff is an award-winning vocalist and music-educator, residing on the Treasure Coast of Florida.  Her extensive background in music leadership includes conducting community ensembles, church choirs, public and private school music programs, instruction in higher eucation, and the founding of Audivi Vocem LLC, a summer choral festival with locations in Tucson and Tempe, AZ. 

Mrs. McNiff teaches Music and Humanities courses at Southern New Hampshire University. Additionally, she was a Faculty Associate in Music Education and Student Teaching Seminars at Arizona State University, where she received the Professor of Impact Award. She is also a former Course Instructor and Ensemble Director at the University of Arizona. She has has led choral ensembles for adults and children, as well as handbell choirs and both historical and pedagogical lecture series in Arizona, Michigan, Oklahoma and California.

Mrs. McNiff is a former Mentor Teacher in Arizona public and charter schools. A dedicated Church Musician, she now works independently as a contracted conductor and cantor. In the past, she has held Music Directorship positions at St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church of Oro Valley in Arizona, Huron Hills Church of Ann Arbor in Michigan, Mountain Vista Unitarian Universalist Congregation, Christ Presbyterian Church in Tucson and serving our military families at Christ the King Catholic Church on the Davis Monthan Air Force Base. 

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As Founder and Director of Audivi Vocem Choral Summer Institute LLC, Mrs. McNiff created an environment in which undergraduate students were challenged with choral and orchestral conducting opportunities. Her ensembles earned the praises and support of Dr. James Jordan of Westminster Choir College, Dr. Jerry Blackstone of the University of Michigan School of Music, Dr. Arian Khaefi of San Diego State University and Dr. Jaclyn Johnson of the Modern Conducting Academy.

As a classically trained choral vocalist Mrs. McNiff has joined ensembles with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, Kings Singers, Varna International, and was a vocalist for the Grammy Nominated Orestian Trilogy with the University Musical Society. 

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Mrs. McNiff has completed her Doctoral Residency in Music Education at Arizona State University under the mentorship of Dr. Sandra Stauffer. She holds Masters Degrees in Choral Conducting from the University of Arizona, and in Music Education from Arizona State University under Dr. Jason Thompson and Dr. Margaret Schmidt. She also holds Bachelor Degrees in Musicology and Voice from the University of Michigan, studying with Dr. Jerry Blackstone and Dr. Paul Rardin. In addition, she has studied Medieval Musicology at St Peters College, Oxford University where she trained with renown historian Dr. Henrietta Leyser.  

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