ITTA BENA, Miss. – 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 Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025, 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.
For more information about the MVSU Humanities Teacher of the Year Award, contact the Office of Academic Affairs at 662-254-3875.