Biography
Shellie Bransford, educator and performer, has been a teaching artist and program developer since 1983 creating programs with Washington Performing Arts Society, New York University, New York Philharmonic, Mississippi Arts Commission and the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts as well as the Royal Opera in London. Shellie is a trainer with the New York City Department of Education Blueprint for Teaching and Learning in Music and Theater.
    As event manager she has planned and managed concerts, theatre and events in honor of Nelson Mandela; for the New York Philharmonic and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra; and for Jessye Norman Sings for the Healing of AIDS with Maya Angelou, Whoopi Goldberg, Elton John, Bill T. Jones, Toni Morrison, Max Roach and Anna Deavere Smith.
    Shellie has sung leading roles in The Merry Widow, Pirates of Penzance, On the Twentieth Century, The Most Happy Fella, Fiddler on the Roof and Carousel.
    Shellie worked for twenty years with the Metropolitan Opera Guild as Program Director, Teaching Artist and contributor to the internationally acclaimed Creating Original Opera Program. She now leads the Creating Original Opera Professional Development Program for teachers at the Washington National Opera.

Vaughn Bryner brings a varied background of teaching and performing experience. In addition to 18 years of private studio teaching, Vaughn has done studio and classroom teaching at Ball State University and Manchester College. Courses taught include foreign language diction, vocal pedagogy, and ear training. As an instructor in the Stroudsburg area, Vaughn has created a number of courses for aspiring musicians. These include foreign language diction courses geared primarily toward high school students; and a fundamentals of music and ear training course that reinforces pitch, rhythm and music literacy through use of the voice and physical movement.
    Vaughn’s performing credits include range from opera to music theater to church music. He has performed in numerous operas with regional companies and as guest artist in university opera theaters. Roles performed include Figaro in Marriage of Figaro, the Father in Hansel and Gretel, the Judge in Trial by Jury, Schaunard in La Bohème, Ferrando in Il Trovatore, the Priest/Speaker in Magic Flute, and Marullo in Rigoletto. His oratorio work includes solo performances in Haydn’s Seasons, Schubert’s Mass in G and Mass in C, Bach’s Magnificat, Donizetti’s Requiem, Mozart’s Requiem, Handel’s Messiah, and Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle. Bryner has acted as singing actor, music director, and accompanist for various musical revues in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Indiana. Vaughn holds a Bachelor of Arts in voice performance from Bethel College and a Masters of Music in voice performance from Ball State University. He has completed extensive postgraduate studies in vocal performance and pedagogy at Ball State University. He also holds a Certification in Contemporary Commercial Music Vocal Pedagogy from Shenandoah Conservatory.

The Studio for Singing Actors was founded in March of 2007 as the culmination of five years of collaboration between Bransford and Bryner, teaching workshops and classes for various performing arts organizations in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. During these five years their approach of teaching singing, acting, movement and musicianship as an integrated art form has honed the skills of singers from children to adult professionals in various genres, venues and languages.

Our Hosts: Christ Episcopal Church
Most of the Studio’s classes and private lessons are taught at Christ Episcopal Church in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. We are so grateful to have our endeavors hosted and supported by an organization that is a strong advocate for the arts and diversity in the community. (Students of any religious tradition or no religious tradition at all are always welcome at the Studio.)

www.christchurchstroudsburg.net