Hi! I'm Kanisha Kellum (she/her), a Missourian, now living in Asheville, NC who is a performer, music director, educator, and voice teacher.

 

I recently moved to North Carolina to begin teaching at Western Carolina University as Assistant Professor of Vocal Performance & Pedagogy. I will be teaching Applied Voice to BFA Musical Theatre students. I will be accepting private voice/acting students remotely soon.

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I received my BFA in Musical Theatre at Southeast Missouri State University in 2020. During my time in undergrad, I was introduced to the world of music directing and vocal coaching. It really helped me become a well-rounded theatre artist and it has become an additional love and passion for me. After graduation (and a global pandemic), I started working in the arts full-time as a choir director, arts administrative assistant, voice teacher, performer, music director, and teaching artist. *phew* 

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Recently, I graduated with my MFA in Musical Theatre Vocal Pedagogy at Boston Conservatory at Berklee. I decided to go for my masters because I wanted to be a more efficient performer, voice teacher, and music director. During my time in grad school, I taught Voice for Non-Majors, music directed productions in the Theatre Division, made my opera debut in Whaling Women by Jodi Goble, was a section leader in Conservatory Choir, and was a collaborative pianist for musical theatre voice studios.

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I am in the process of publishing my graduate thesis "Black People Feel: A Mixed-Method Study on Representation, Belonging, and Bias for Black Musical Theatre Students and Voice Teachers in U.S. BFA Musical Theatre Programs" so stay tuned for that!

 

Outside of teaching, I am focusing a bit on researching the "Black experience in musical theatre" but I also love to have board game nights, attempt an escape room, read comic books, and figure out the next fandom I'll obsess over for 3 months. If you would like to discuss the MCU or any other theatrical endeavors, Get in Touch with me!

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I am an active member of NCNATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing), Maestra, Inc., Musicians United for Social Equity (MUSE), and Musical Theatre Educator's Alliance (MTEA).