Melissa Grady


Melissa Grady
  • Associate Professor of Music Education
  • Music Education & Music Therapy, Choral
  • Director of University Singers

Contact Info

448 J Murphy Hall
1530 Naismith Drive
Lawrence, KS 66045-3103

Biography

Melissa Grady recently joined the faculty at The University of Kansas as an assistant professor of music education. She received her Ph.D. in Choral Pedagogy from The University of Kansas and both her undergraduate degree in Music Education and Masters in Music Education with an emphasis in Choral Conducting from Wichita State University (Wichita, Kansas).

Before her appointment at KU, Grady served as assistant professor of music education and the coordinator of the music education program at Valdosta State University where she taught courses in choral and general music at the graduate and undergraduate levels. She also previously served as visiting assistant professor of music at Lake Forest College where she taught courses in music education and acted as director of choral activities. During her eleven-year public school teaching career, Grady taught at all levels of music education; elementary general music, middle school choir and general music, and high school choir.

At KU, Dr. Grady teaches courses in choral methods, choral conducting, and conducts the University Singers. An active researcher, her research interests include effects of choral conducting gestures on choir sound, adolescent voices, choir spacing, and hearing dosage and hearing conservation in choir contexts. Dr. Grady’s research is published and she regularly presents at refereed conferences and symposia.

Grady is an active clinician and adjudicator in the Midwest for middle school and high school choirs. She is a member of NAfME and ACDA.