Biography
Dr. Jay Dougherty is an Associate Professor, Performing Arts Department Chair, and Director of Choral Activities at Drury University in Springfield, Missouri, where he directs the Chorale, Singers, and a contemporary a cappella ensemble (Pulse). He also teaches Choral Methods, conducting, and other subject areas.
Jay holds a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) in Choral Conducting, and a Masters (MM) in Choral Conducting, both from the University of Colorado Boulder. He also holds a bachelor’s degree (BM) in Choral Music Education from Brigham Young University, Provo.
In addition to his work in academia, Jay has served as the director of various community and youth ensembles, many of which have competed and earned the high honors and awards including the City of Flags Chorus in Canton, Ohio, and the Alliance Chorus in Columbus, Ohio. While in Denver, he directed the Longs Peak Chorus, a community men’s chorus. Under his direction, they competed in a 9-state Rocky Mountain Competition, taking home the title of "Plateau II Champions" and "Most Improved Chorus." Jay also served as the assistant director of the world-renowned, and internationally competitive, Sound of the Rockies Chorus, and as the director of the 52eighty Youth Chorus, which took first place honors under his direction in the international youth chorus competition in 2014.
Jay is an in-demand coach and clinician for quartets and choruses around the world, and serves on the faculty for many of the Barbershop Harmony Society's educational events, including ten years at their flagship educational event, Harmony University, where he teaches intonation and conducting.
In addition to teaching and coaching, Jay is a performer. He earned multiple 4th place international medals with the Sound of the Rockies Chorus singing baritone and bass, and also earned a district quartet championship with his quartet, Surround Sound. Jay is also an internationally certified Musicality Judge through the Barbershop Harmony Society and travels the U.S. several times a year judging and adjudicating barbershop contests and festivals.
Jay’s areas of research are varied. In one survey, Jay studied the perception and preference of tuning systems in a choral setting. The results of his study suggested that singers preferred the sounds of just intonation more after being instructed on the topic than they did prior to the instruction. Additional research interests include helping introverts succeed in the music classroom, and the ways imposter syndrome affects musicians.
Other professional activities include 100+ conference presentations on a variety of topics surrounding conducting skills, tuning techniques, audition procedures, silent rehearsal planning, introverts in ensembles, imposter syndrome, a cappella warm up techniques, unbiased audition procedures, and vocal production techniques, among many others. He is also a prolific published arranger and composer. His recent publications include his Phoenix Cantata (MusicSpoke), Love Casts Out Fear (Melkim Publishing), and Let it Be (Barbershop Harmony Society). Click the "Publications" link to learn more.
Jay is in demand as a clinician, arranger, judge, coach, presenter, conductor, and adjudicator for festivals, ensembles, honor choirs, conventions, and competitions around the world. He lives in Springfield, Missouri with his wife and five daughters.
Dr. Jay Dougherty is an Associate Professor, Performing Arts Department Chair, and Director of Choral Activities at Drury University in Springfield, Missouri, where he directs the Chorale, Singers, and a contemporary a cappella ensemble (Pulse). He also teaches Choral Methods, conducting, and other subject areas.
Jay holds a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) in Choral Conducting, and a Masters (MM) in Choral Conducting, both from the University of Colorado Boulder. He also holds a bachelor’s degree (BM) in Choral Music Education from Brigham Young University, Provo.
In addition to his work in academia, Jay has served as the director of various community and youth ensembles, many of which have competed and earned the high honors and awards including the City of Flags Chorus in Canton, Ohio, and the Alliance Chorus in Columbus, Ohio. While in Denver, he directed the Longs Peak Chorus, a community men’s chorus. Under his direction, they competed in a 9-state Rocky Mountain Competition, taking home the title of "Plateau II Champions" and "Most Improved Chorus." Jay also served as the assistant director of the world-renowned, and internationally competitive, Sound of the Rockies Chorus, and as the director of the 52eighty Youth Chorus, which took first place honors under his direction in the international youth chorus competition in 2014.
Jay is an in-demand coach and clinician for quartets and choruses around the world, and serves on the faculty for many of the Barbershop Harmony Society's educational events, including ten years at their flagship educational event, Harmony University, where he teaches intonation and conducting.
In addition to teaching and coaching, Jay is a performer. He earned multiple 4th place international medals with the Sound of the Rockies Chorus singing baritone and bass, and also earned a district quartet championship with his quartet, Surround Sound. Jay is also an internationally certified Musicality Judge through the Barbershop Harmony Society and travels the U.S. several times a year judging and adjudicating barbershop contests and festivals.
Jay’s areas of research are varied. In one survey, Jay studied the perception and preference of tuning systems in a choral setting. The results of his study suggested that singers preferred the sounds of just intonation more after being instructed on the topic than they did prior to the instruction. Additional research interests include helping introverts succeed in the music classroom, and the ways imposter syndrome affects musicians.
Other professional activities include 100+ conference presentations on a variety of topics surrounding conducting skills, tuning techniques, audition procedures, silent rehearsal planning, introverts in ensembles, imposter syndrome, a cappella warm up techniques, unbiased audition procedures, and vocal production techniques, among many others. He is also a prolific published arranger and composer. His recent publications include his Phoenix Cantata (MusicSpoke), Love Casts Out Fear (Melkim Publishing), and Let it Be (Barbershop Harmony Society). Click the "Publications" link to learn more.
Jay is in demand as a clinician, arranger, judge, coach, presenter, conductor, and adjudicator for festivals, ensembles, honor choirs, conventions, and competitions around the world. He lives in Springfield, Missouri with his wife and five daughters.
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