Megan Schuitema is an emerging musician and educator. Hailing from Atlanta, she is currently attending Georgia State University as an undergraduate music education major with a concentration in choral and general music.
From a very young age, Ms. Schuitema has participated in many prominent and elite choral groups and performances, ranging from community choirs, to honor choirs and All-States, to the 2010 Governor’s Honors Program as a voice major. It was through these experiences early in life that she was led to choose music and teaching as a career. As a young student, she was given the opportunity to sing solo and in small ensembles in many of these performances, as well as in various churches and school settings. These opportunities continue to arise as a college student. She has sung in many honor choirs through Georgia State University, such as multiple state and regional American Choral Directors Association Collegiate Honor Choruses and Conducting Master Class Choruses.
Ms. Schuitema is proud to sing in the Georgia State University Singers. Doing so has offered many unique and exciting learning and performing opportunities, such as singing under the baton of the esteemed Simon Halsey at the 2014 Southern Regional American Choral Directors Association conference, performing in joint concerts with elite college choirs such as the University of Georgia Hodgson Singers and the Emory University Concert Choir, and traveling to the Florilege vocal de Tours competition in 2013, where the University Singers took second place in the Mixed Choirs division.
While living in Atlanta, Ms. Schuitema has sung in many church choirs in the Atlanta area as a choral scholar and staff singer. Some of these include Central Presbyterian Church, Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church, Trinity Presbyterian Church, and First Church of Christ Scientist Marietta. In these settings, Ms. Schuitema often sings solo repertoire accompanying services, as well as leading the congregation in hymns.
Ms. Schuitema is also an aspiring music educator. She has in the past taught privately in home, and currently teaches private piano and voice lessons at the Music Studio at Vinings in Smyrna, Georgia. She has a growing roster of students of all ages, and is always looking to teach more. Through Georgia State University, she has had the opportunity to practice teach and clinic at many schools such as Mary Lin Elementary School, Murdock Elementary School, Sugar Hill Elementary School, Henderson Middle School, and Walton High School. Ms. Schuitema is currently part-time student teaching at Springdale Park Elementary School under the tutelage of Brianne Turgeon. In the Spring she will complete her undergraduate education by full-time student teaching at Milton High School working with the various choruses, directed by Drew Bowers.
Ms. Schuitema is currently looking for career positions in middle and high school chorus settings for the 2015-2016 school year, as well as continuing to grow her private voice and piano lessons studio. In the future, after getting a solid base of experience in the teaching field, she wishes to go back to graduate school to complete a masters and doctoral degree in choral conducting.