Jamea J. SalePhD

Executive Associate Director, Choral Foundation; Director, Institute for Healthy Singing & Voice Research

Dr. Jamea J. Sale is the Executive Associate Director of the Choral Foundation and Director of the Institute for Healthy Singing & Voice Research.

A native of Colby, Kansas, she earned the Bachelor of Music Education in K-12 Vocal and Instrumental Music from Kansas State University in 1987, the Master of Music Education in Vocal/Choral Pedagogy at the University of Kansas in 2012, and the PhD in Music Education (Vocal/Choral Pedagogy and Research Design) from the same institution in 2022.

Dr. Sale’s research is dedicated to the developing voice of the female adolescent singer. She is engaged in a longitudinal study of voice change in adolescent females — a collaboration among the Institute, Allegro Choirs of Kansas City, the Zhuhai Classical Children’s Chorus, and Dr. Melissa Grady of the University of Kansas — documenting the vocal development of 100 young female singers. She is also examining the development of natural vibrato among female adolescent singers and working to validate a tool to track the female adolescent voice during change.

She has been a member and soloist with the William Baker Festival Singers and the Summer Singers of Kansas City since 2002. Her roles have included Student Intern, Choral Assistant, Education Director for the Institute for Healthy Singing (2016), Executive Associate Music Director (2017), and Director of the IHS&VR (2018). In 2024 she received the Arts Advocate Award from The Arts Council of Johnson County.

In March 2023 she extended outreach to Kapkemich, Kenya, contributing to music education programs in local schools. Fellows of the IHS&VR continue that work through annual instrument drives and bi-annual visits.

Certified in Preschool Musikgarten Education, she led experiential music programs for parents and toddlers for five years, served as Assistant Choral Director and Vocal Coach at St. James Academy High School in Lenexa, and as Voice Specialist for AllegroKC.org from 2012–2020. Through JameaSale.com (established 2011) she teaches healthy voice use for singers and speakers of all ages, with particular attention to vocal recovery.

In 2023 the Institute began a collaboration with voice specialists at Ascentist Healthcare focused on preventative voice care. Dr. Sale is a member of the American Choral Directors Association, The Voice Foundation, the International Society for Music Education, the Pan-American Vocology Association, NAfME, and NATS.

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