Biography
Dr. Jay Dougherty serves as the Director of Choral Activities at Drury University in Nixa, Missouri, where he directs the Chorale, Singers, and the contemporary a cappella ensemble Pulse. In addition to his ensemble leadership, he teaches advanced conducting, choral methods, and related subject areas.
Jay holds a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) and Master of Music (MM) in Choral Conducting from the University of Colorado Boulder, and a Bachelor of Music (BM) in Choral Music Education from Brigham Young University in Provo.
In higher education, Jay has distinguished himself not only as a conductor and educator but also as an academic leader, having served as Department Chair at both Marietta College and Drury University. His administrative leadership has included guiding accreditation processes, faculty reviews, and departmental initiatives. At Marietta, he was recognized with the Innovative Teaching Award (2023) for his creative and impactful approaches in the classroom.
Beyond academia, Jay has become a highly sought-after conductor, clinician, and adjudicator in the choral and barbershop music communities. He has directed several award-winning ensembles, including the City of Flags Chorus in Canton, Ohio, the Alliance Chorus in Columbus, Ohio, and the Longs Peak Chorus in Denver, which claimed the "Plateau II Champions" title. His leadership of the 52eighty Youth Chorus resulted in a first-place international competition victory in 2014. He also founded the Marietta College Choral Festival and the Marietta College High School Honor Choir, initiatives that expanded opportunities for high school singers and strengthened community engagement.
With over 20 years of teaching experience—including seven years directing high school choirs and 13 years in higher education—Jay brings a breadth of perspective that spans K–12, collegiate, and community ensembles.
As a performer, Jay has earned multiple 4th place international medals singing baritone and bass with the Sound of the Rockies Chorus and secured a district quartet championship with his quartet, Surround Sound. He is an internationally certified Musicality Judge for the Barbershop Harmony Society, traveling extensively to judge contests and festivals around the world.
His work as a clinician has taken him across the globe, including invitations to teach and conduct in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Spain. He has directed honor choirs internationally and served as faculty for prestigious events such as the BABS Directors Academy in London, where he was the sole international faculty instructor.
Jay’s academic research explores diverse areas of musical pedagogy, including tuning system perceptions, strategies for helping introverts in music education settings, and the impact of imposter syndrome on musicians. His scholarly contributions are reflected in over 100 conference presentations worldwide. He is also a published author, with numerous articles in The Harmonizer, a chapter in a publication on barbershop pedagogy, and a forthcoming textbook, Teaching Barbershop, slated for a 2026 publication with Hal Leonard.
A prolific composer and arranger, Jay has over 100 arrangements and compositions in print. Some examples include his Phoenix Cantata (MusicSpoke), Love Casts Out Fear (Melkim Publishing), and Hey Jude (Barbershop Harmony Society). His professional versatility is reflected in his frequent invitations to serve as a clinician, arranger, judge, coach, presenter, conductor, and adjudicator for festivals, ensembles, honor choirs, conventions, and competitions worldwide.
A proud father of five wonderful daughters, Jay resides in Nixa, Missouri with his bride of more than 20 years, Megan.
Dr. Jay Dougherty serves as the Director of Choral Activities at Drury University in Nixa, Missouri, where he directs the Chorale, Singers, and the contemporary a cappella ensemble Pulse. In addition to his ensemble leadership, he teaches advanced conducting, choral methods, and related subject areas.
Jay holds a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) and Master of Music (MM) in Choral Conducting from the University of Colorado Boulder, and a Bachelor of Music (BM) in Choral Music Education from Brigham Young University in Provo.
In higher education, Jay has distinguished himself not only as a conductor and educator but also as an academic leader, having served as Department Chair at both Marietta College and Drury University. His administrative leadership has included guiding accreditation processes, faculty reviews, and departmental initiatives. At Marietta, he was recognized with the Innovative Teaching Award (2023) for his creative and impactful approaches in the classroom.
Beyond academia, Jay has become a highly sought-after conductor, clinician, and adjudicator in the choral and barbershop music communities. He has directed several award-winning ensembles, including the City of Flags Chorus in Canton, Ohio, the Alliance Chorus in Columbus, Ohio, and the Longs Peak Chorus in Denver, which claimed the "Plateau II Champions" title. His leadership of the 52eighty Youth Chorus resulted in a first-place international competition victory in 2014. He also founded the Marietta College Choral Festival and the Marietta College High School Honor Choir, initiatives that expanded opportunities for high school singers and strengthened community engagement.
With over 20 years of teaching experience—including seven years directing high school choirs and 13 years in higher education—Jay brings a breadth of perspective that spans K–12, collegiate, and community ensembles.
As a performer, Jay has earned multiple 4th place international medals singing baritone and bass with the Sound of the Rockies Chorus and secured a district quartet championship with his quartet, Surround Sound. He is an internationally certified Musicality Judge for the Barbershop Harmony Society, traveling extensively to judge contests and festivals around the world.
His work as a clinician has taken him across the globe, including invitations to teach and conduct in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Spain. He has directed honor choirs internationally and served as faculty for prestigious events such as the BABS Directors Academy in London, where he was the sole international faculty instructor.
Jay’s academic research explores diverse areas of musical pedagogy, including tuning system perceptions, strategies for helping introverts in music education settings, and the impact of imposter syndrome on musicians. His scholarly contributions are reflected in over 100 conference presentations worldwide. He is also a published author, with numerous articles in The Harmonizer, a chapter in a publication on barbershop pedagogy, and a forthcoming textbook, Teaching Barbershop, slated for a 2026 publication with Hal Leonard.
A prolific composer and arranger, Jay has over 100 arrangements and compositions in print. Some examples include his Phoenix Cantata (MusicSpoke), Love Casts Out Fear (Melkim Publishing), and Hey Jude (Barbershop Harmony Society). His professional versatility is reflected in his frequent invitations to serve as a clinician, arranger, judge, coach, presenter, conductor, and adjudicator for festivals, ensembles, honor choirs, conventions, and competitions worldwide.
A proud father of five wonderful daughters, Jay resides in Nixa, Missouri with his bride of more than 20 years, Megan.
Click HERE to get a Tune it or Die shirt!
