Biography
Dr. Jay Dougherty is the Director of Choral Activities and a tenured Associate Professor at Marietta College in the Mid-Ohio Valley where he directs the Concert Choir, the Treble Choir, a contemporary a cappella ensemble (Floodstage), and the community Oratorio Chorus. He also teaches Choral Methods, Beginning Conducting, and Advanced Choral Conducting. He also serves as the director of the City of Flags Chorus in Canton, Ohio, and as the director of the Alliance Chorus in Columbus, Ohio. Prior to his appointment at Marietta College, Jay taught on the choral faculty at Metropolitan State University of Denver where he directed a 50-voice Men's Choir, the Women's Chamber Choir, and the Auraria Chorale (founder).
Jay holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Choral Conducting (DMA), and a Masters in Choral Conducting (MM), both from the University of Colorado Boulder. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in Choral Music Education (BM) from Brigham Young University, Provo.
He has served as the director of various community and youth ensembles, many of which have competed and earned the highest possible honors and awards. 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, 2014.
Jay also serves the Barbershop Harmony Society in a variety of capacities. He served for a number of years on the Society’s Music and Performance Committee, and was an inaugural member of the OCAC program (Outreach Certified Adjudicators and Clinicians). Jay is a regular coach and clinician for many quartets and choruses around the world (both BHS and SAI), serves on the faculty for many of BHS’s educational events, such as Rocky Mountain Harmony College, Illinois District Jamboree, Seneca Land District Pow Wow, Top Gun Academy, Johnny Appleseed Apple Corps, and Harmony College East. Jay is also a 9-year faculty member at the Barbershop Harmony Society’s flagship educational event, Harmony University, where he teaches tuning and conducting.
In addition to teaching and coaching, Jay is an active performer. He earned multiple 4th place international medals with the Sound of the Rockies and also earned a district quartet championship singing baritone with his quartet, Surround Sound, in 2013. Jay is also a certified BHS Music Judge.
Jay’s current research involves the perception and preference of tuning systems in a choral setting. A recently conducted survey of singers at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, suggested that singers prefer the sounds of just intonation more after being instructed on the topic than prior to this instruction. Additional research interests include helping introverts succeed in the music classroom, a topic Jay has presented on at several professional conferences, as well as how imposter syndrome affects musicians and ways we can come to terms with it. Jas is also currently working on a book publication through Hal Leonard titled, “Teaching Barbershop.”
Other professional activities include 60+ conference presentations on a variety of topics surrounding conducting skills, tuning techniques, audition procedures, silent rehearsal planning, and introverts in your ensembles, among many others. He also is an avid arranger and composer, often writing 2-3 songs per month. His recent publications include arrangements of The Ukrainian National Anthem, Da Coconut Song, and Once Upon a Dream. Several more have been submitted for publication.
Jay is in demand as a clinician, judge, coach, presenter, conductor, and adjudicator for festivals, honor choirs, conventions, and competitions around the world. He lives in Vincent, Ohio, with his wife and five daughters.
Dr. Jay Dougherty is the Director of Choral Activities and a tenured Associate Professor at Marietta College in the Mid-Ohio Valley where he directs the Concert Choir, the Treble Choir, a contemporary a cappella ensemble (Floodstage), and the community Oratorio Chorus. He also teaches Choral Methods, Beginning Conducting, and Advanced Choral Conducting. He also serves as the director of the City of Flags Chorus in Canton, Ohio, and as the director of the Alliance Chorus in Columbus, Ohio. Prior to his appointment at Marietta College, Jay taught on the choral faculty at Metropolitan State University of Denver where he directed a 50-voice Men's Choir, the Women's Chamber Choir, and the Auraria Chorale (founder).
Jay holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Choral Conducting (DMA), and a Masters in Choral Conducting (MM), both from the University of Colorado Boulder. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in Choral Music Education (BM) from Brigham Young University, Provo.
He has served as the director of various community and youth ensembles, many of which have competed and earned the highest possible honors and awards. 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, 2014.
Jay also serves the Barbershop Harmony Society in a variety of capacities. He served for a number of years on the Society’s Music and Performance Committee, and was an inaugural member of the OCAC program (Outreach Certified Adjudicators and Clinicians). Jay is a regular coach and clinician for many quartets and choruses around the world (both BHS and SAI), serves on the faculty for many of BHS’s educational events, such as Rocky Mountain Harmony College, Illinois District Jamboree, Seneca Land District Pow Wow, Top Gun Academy, Johnny Appleseed Apple Corps, and Harmony College East. Jay is also a 9-year faculty member at the Barbershop Harmony Society’s flagship educational event, Harmony University, where he teaches tuning and conducting.
In addition to teaching and coaching, Jay is an active performer. He earned multiple 4th place international medals with the Sound of the Rockies and also earned a district quartet championship singing baritone with his quartet, Surround Sound, in 2013. Jay is also a certified BHS Music Judge.
Jay’s current research involves the perception and preference of tuning systems in a choral setting. A recently conducted survey of singers at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, suggested that singers prefer the sounds of just intonation more after being instructed on the topic than prior to this instruction. Additional research interests include helping introverts succeed in the music classroom, a topic Jay has presented on at several professional conferences, as well as how imposter syndrome affects musicians and ways we can come to terms with it. Jas is also currently working on a book publication through Hal Leonard titled, “Teaching Barbershop.”
Other professional activities include 60+ conference presentations on a variety of topics surrounding conducting skills, tuning techniques, audition procedures, silent rehearsal planning, and introverts in your ensembles, among many others. He also is an avid arranger and composer, often writing 2-3 songs per month. His recent publications include arrangements of The Ukrainian National Anthem, Da Coconut Song, and Once Upon a Dream. Several more have been submitted for publication.
Jay is in demand as a clinician, judge, coach, presenter, conductor, and adjudicator for festivals, honor choirs, conventions, and competitions around the world. He lives in Vincent, Ohio, with his wife and five daughters.
