Resumé

Elise P. Letourneau, B.Mus., M.Ed.
contact: elise [at] eliseletourneau [dot] com

Education & Training
 Lesley College, Cambridge MA, 1990-1991.
  Master of Education, Creative Arts and Learning - Arts Integration in the Curriculum.
 Berklee College of Music, Boston MA, 1985-1989.
  Bachelor of Music, Commercial Arranging and Film Scoring. Principal instrument: piano.
 Private vocal coaching and voice building with Roland Wyatt (coach to the Manhattan Transfer).
 Private jazz vocal instruction with Janet Lawson, Jerry Tolson, Janice Borla, Judy Niemack.
 Private classical voice instruction with Wendy Levin, Bob Trehy.
 Private piano instruction with Edward Bedner, Bill Davies, Brian Harris, Craig Najjar, Chris Steed, Paula Zonjic.
 Private flute instruction with Gil Grossutti.
 Private instruction in arranging and composition with Bob Freedman, Jonathan Klein, Rick Applin, Marti Epstein.
 Group instruction with David Baker, Denis DeBlasio, Jeri Goldstein, Hans von Leden, Anne Peckham, Bob Stoloff.

Current Experience
Music Performance Faculty, Carleton University, Ottawa ON  2008-present
Teach customized private lessons in jazz and contemporary voice and piano to university-level music students, assist them with goal and priority setting, performance evaluation and grading.
Music Director, Capital Vox Jazz Choir, Ottawa ON  2007-present
Established a new community jazz choir in Ottawa, which has since been heralded as Canada's first community jazz choir. Successfully pitched idea, secured publicity, scheduled and administered auditions, selected vocalists. Currently 30 voices plus rhythm section. Ongoing duties include music programming, composing/arranging, creation and distribution of music score PDF’s and MP3’s, conducting, training/coaching, performance planning/production, recruitment, securing venues, promotion, publicity, mailing list & e-news, web.


Music Director, Vox Eclectica Women's Chamber Choir, Ottawa ON  2011-present
Established a new women's choir in Ottawa as a way to create a singing home for women who wished to audition for Capital Vox, which had reached its capacity. Ongoing duties include music programming, composing/arranging, conducting, coaching, performance planning/production, recruitment, promotion, publicity, web.
Music Director & House Pianist-Vocalist, Café Paradiso, Ottawa ON  2006-2011
Booked musicians for jazz programme. Liaised between artists and owner. Assisted with planning and publicity. Weekly appearances performing jazz, blues, and pop in a supper-club atmosphere.
Music Director, Big Soul Project, Ottawa ON  2007-2008
Directed an inclusive community choir of 60+ voices and 5-piece band. Doubled their enrollment in less than a year, built musical bridges in the community by integrating the work of Ottawa songwriters into the choir’s repertoire. Encouraged the choir to ‘aim higher’ and as a result led them to a capacity crowd performance at Dominion Chalmers Church (approximately 900 attendees), and having her choral arrangement of John Lennon’s Imagine (performed that evening, which happened to be the 27th anniversary of Lennon’s death) acknowledged by Yoko Ono and featured on imaginepeace.com . Duties included music programming, composing and arranging, creation and digital distribution of music score PDF’s and MP3’s, conducting, coaching, selecting soloists, and performance planning Gospel, Motown, Funk, R&B styles of music.
Chair - Voice Department, Alcorn Music Studios, Ottawa ON  2006-present
Offer private and group music lessons, develop programs and curriculum, implement new classes, assist with selection of new voice instructors, evaluate student abilities, live performance coaching.
Freelance Performer-Composer-Arranger, various locations  1984-present
Soliciting and booking performance engagements, promotion, web, market research, networking, mailing list, contracts, correspondence, scheduling other musicians, selecting and preparing appropriate music, dealing with the public, dealing with clients and contributing to the planning of their events, design, accounting and taxes, running the office, travel and touring details, negotiating prices, live music performance, composing and arranging music, handling the etceteras with flair.

Additional Experience
Faculty, Carleton University Jazz Camp, Ottawa ON  2010-2011
Teach voice and ear training master classes, direct jazz choir, co-direct performance ensembles.
Voice Coach, Great Canadian Theatre Company, Ottawa ON  2008
Coached the multi-award-winning actor and playwright Pierre Brault in singing, voice production, and yodeling for his one-man portrayal of seven characters in the play “5 O’Clock Bells”.
Co-director, Pennsylvania Jam University, Pittsburgh PA  2005-2006
Created brand new weekend music workshop in Western Pennsylvania. Designed curriculum, logos, stationary, templates, web site. Secured venue, participant accommodations. Procured faculty.
Speaker, Carnegie-Mellon University, Pittsburgh PA  2000
Carnegie-Mellon University-Pittsburgh Arts Employment Partnership. Creative Careers Seminar.
Voice Faculty, The City Music Center, Pittsburgh PA  1998-1999
Instructor of pilot class for children called "Performing With Your Voice" which built good vocal habits for singing and acting.
Faculty, Community College of Allegheny County, Pittsburgh PA  1998-1999
Designed and taught adult piano classes in on-campus piano lab.
Clinician, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh PA  1999
Summer Guitar and Bass Workshop. Led workshops in songwriting and in singing for instrumentalists.
Clinician, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh PA  1998
Summer Guitar and Bass Workshop. Led workshops in ear training, lead sheet writing, basic notation, music business and self-promotion.
Staff Vocalist, Audio Image Marketing, Mifflinburg PA  1994-1998
Provided lead and backup vocals for full-sing radio commercial jingles in a variety of genres. Headed back-up vocal groups. Earned reputation as a “one-take singer”. Also provided voiceovers.
Staff, Barb’s Floral & Garden Centre, Clearfield PA  1993-1994
Corporate interior plantscaping, selecting and purchasing stock, flower arranging, floral delivery, liaising with funeral directors, taking orders, assisting walk-in customers with selections and educating them on plant care, maintain the look of the retail floor, cash register, caretaking of floor stock and processing incoming flowers from suppliers, records keeping, window display, grounds.
Vocal Director, Clearfield Arts Studio Theatre, Clearfield PA  1993
Provided vocal direction and coaching for sold-out production of the musical Nunsense at Clearfield Arts Studio Theatre.
Administrative Assistant, Lesley College, Cambridge MA  1990-1993
Registrar’s Office duties included student course registration, records creation and retrieval, archiving, filing, data processing, transcript requests, telephone.
Composer/Musical Director, Cambridge Performance Project, Cambridge MA  1991-1992
Composed/directed/performed music, and coached vocalists for original dance production “Voices from the Back Porch at the Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center.
Administrative Assistant, Lesley College, Cambridge MA  1990-1992
Admissions Office duties included sending requested information to prospective students, records creation and retrieval, monitoring the progress of student applications, data processing, filing.
Lab Assistant, Berklee College of Music, Boston MA  1989
Set up, break down, basic maintenance and storage of studio equipment, assisting students with equipment requirements for their projects, assisting technical staff.

Peer Tutor, Berklee College of Music, Boston MA  1989
Learning Assistance Department duties included providing one-to-one assistance to students in required music curriculum and traditional studies, helping them find music resources, proof-reading musical scores and papers, teaching them basic computer skills.


Prior work experience includes piano instructor, canoe instructor, swim & water safety instructor, lifeguard, camp counsellor, waitress, cleaner.



Grants, Honours & Awards
 Selected as a speaker/workshop presenter for Podium 2012, the national choir symposium presented by the Association of Canadian Choral Communities and Choirs Ontario.
• Selected as the winner of the 2011 Ruth Watson Henderson Choral Composition Competition.
 One of three composers hand-picked by composer/conductor Jon Washburn to have a piece workshopped by the Vancouver Chamber Choir in the Winnipeg sessions of Interplay 2011.
 Have performed for Canadian dignitaries including Jean Chretian, Steve Harper, Michaelle Jean, Jack Layton, Larry O’Brien at venues including Rideau Hall, the National Arts Centre, the Museum of Civilization, and the Chateau Laurier.
 Travel Grant, Pennsylvania Performing Arts on Tour, Fall 2005.
 Promotion Grant, Pennsylvania Performing Arts on Tour, Fall 2005. 
 Showcase Artist, Ohio Arts Presenters Network Conference, October 2005.
 Travel Grant, Pennsylvania Performing Arts on Tour, Spring 2005.
 Showcase Artist, PA Presenters Conference, June 2005.

Major Projects
 composing music - constant and ongoing
 2 CD recordings on Peace Café Records Label. 2003 & 2001.
 Founder/Director, Grace Notes, a service organization that brings one-on-one music performances to the terminally ill and dying, concerts to underfunded public schools, and brings music to groups of people who cannot attend concerts without physical difficulty.
 Author, The Stage Fright Handbook: A Musician’s Guide to Surviving Performance Anxiety and Overcoming Nervousness. 2002
 Author, To Flirt with Words: Poetry and Lyrics, 1995- 2002. 2002.
 2 independent recordings. 1997 & 1996

Associations & Affiliations
Association of Canadian Choral Communities (ACCC); Choirs Ontario; Musician’s Association of Ottawa-Gatineau (AFofM Local #180); Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI);  American Composers’ Forum; Unitarian Universalist Musicians’ Network Composers Database

Skills
 Attributes: creative, highly organized, enthusiastic, excellent problem solver, discreet, multifaceted, resourceful, thorough, motivated, personable, well-spoken, deliberate, listens well, remembers details
 Music: performance (piano, voice, flute, bass flute), composition, arranging & orchestration, group & individual instruction, curriculum planning, choral direction, transcription, copyist
 Communication: exceptional writing skills (English), adept at organizing & presenting information, coaching & instruction, public speaking, basic French skills, events management
 Computer: both Mac & Windows/PC platforms, data entry, word processing, page design, internet research, e-mail, scanning, some web design, graphics
 Office: traditional & nontraditional correspondence, planning, scheduling, proofreading and editing, presentation, records management, small business, promotion, publicity, bookkeeping, telephone, fax, copier, filing
 Typing: 54 wpm