Shauna L. Howard, Soprano

American soprano Shauna L. Howard is inspired to make the world a more loving & beautiful place with music, dance, and fiber art. She has adopted various visual and performing art forms to spread a global message of arts advocacy, leadership, cultural appreciation, and compassion. Born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, she grew up singing gospel music in her family’s church home. She performed in her high school chorus and local community choirs. In high school, she was often invited to perform the national anthem at CIAA and NCAA basketball games where she wowed audiences with her warm & mature voice.

Shauna L. Howard is a vocalist & a music instructor. She has worked as an adjunct voice teacher at the Community College of Allegheny County of Pittsburgh, PA, giving private and community voice lessons to adults and children. She was introduced to music therapy by teaching music appreciation to residents of Pittsburgh’s senior care facilities and working as a children's choir director emergency shelters. It was in Pittsburgh where she debuted as the soprano soloist with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the Patrick Polk Community Singers. She also sang for various Mt. Ararat Baptist Church choirs and was a chorister with the Pittsburgh Festival Opera’s 2004 musical theater production of Carmen Jones.

In 2008, Ms. Howard accepted a scholarship to continue her studies in classical voice at Temple University where she studied with sopranos Dr. Lorie Gratis & Sheryl Woods and the renowned mezzo-soprano Florence Quivar. She sang with the Temple University Concert Choir and was a chorister with the university’s production of La Boheme in 2009. She worked as the soprano section leader for six years: three years respectfully at St. Luke’s Church of Philadelphia and Christ Church of Philadelphia. She is a freelance vocalist, singing both with various entertainment production companies and with international recording artists Josh Groban, Patti LaBelle, Helmut Lotti, Helena Fisher, Andrea Berg, and Nana Mouskouri.

Shauna L. Howard is an arts advocate. She holds a passion for the new, the daring, the vulnerable, and the underdog in her art and advocacy. She has helped artists and arts administrators bridge the gap between the creativity and business by providing holistic and sustainable strategies to promote their vision clearly to their audience. In her discretionary time, she enjoys supporting diversity & inclusion initiatives, Alzheimer’s research, positive psychology academia, international travel, cultural exchange, writing, playing with dogs, and salsa dancing.