Voice Emphasis
Daily Festival Activities Include:
- Festival Choir Rehearsal
- Masterclass with Guest Artist-in-Residence
- Sectionals led by faculty
- Evening Activities – Performances and Entertainment
Faculty
Dr. Simon Hill
Dr. Simon Hill (he/him) is the Director of Choral Activities & Voice at Southwestern College where he conducts the A Cappella Choir, SC Singers, teaches private voice, and collaborates on musical theater productions as music director. He has also taught undergraduate and graduate courses in conducting, choral methods, advanced choral techniques, music and worship practicums, and directed a wide range of collegiate ensembles and liturgical choirs. Simon has worked with choirs throughout the U.S. and has led choirs in performances throughout Costa Rica, Latvia, and Estonia. He holds degrees from the University of Washington (DMA), Southern Methodist University (MM, MSM), and Friends University (BA). In addition to his activities at Southwestern, Simon is also the Resident Music Director at Roxy’s Downtown in Wichita.
Dr. Hill’s primary area of choral research is in critical pedagogy and collegiate choral-community partnerships. Community is at the core of choral music making and when a choir critically engages with the world beyond itself, the choral ensemble can be a vehicle for transformation. His work as a critical pedagogue is dedicated to exploring how the actions of choral artists intersect with other fields, communities, and societal realities. This has included working with choirs to draw connections between the choral arts and environmental justice, developing a trauma-informed arts curriculum, and presenting on LGBTQIA+ representation in choral music. Additional research interests include musical theater repertoire as choral repertoire and the use of theater and dance in the training of novice conductors and expressivity.
Simon’s vision for collegiate choral music in the 21st century is one where the choral experience takes varied forms and goes beyond a singular methodological approach. One of the approaches he is committed to developing further is where performance takes the form of community action and concerts serve as a shared reflection. Simon believes that choral music in higher education can be done in multiple meaningful ways and it is high time that they are considered and pursued. This is the work he is undertaking alongside the students at Southwestern College and he hopes you will consider joining them in this transformational work! If you are a current or prospective student interested in singing with the choirs, or you are a community member with an interest in choral community partnerships, please reach out to Dr. Hill directly at simon.hill@sckans.edu.
