“‘One Voice Can Make a Song; One Life Can Change the World!’ It is my goal as a teacher to help my students find what it is inside themselves that fuels their passions and then to hone their skills to give them the ability to go out into the world and make a difference.”

Title

Assistant Professor of Music

Educational Background

• D.M.A., University of Texas – Austin, TX
• M.M., West Virginia University – Morgantown, WY
• B.M, State University of New York – Fredonia, NY

Year Joined Franklin

2012

Expertise

I am a classically trained opera singer who has performed nationally and internationally in opera, musical theater and oratorio. I have performed in Austria, France, Germany, and all over the United States.

I have been a studio voice teacher since 1991. I received training in vocal pedagogy with Celeste Emmons at SUNY Fredonia and with Darlene Wiley at UT Austin. I have a real passion for the voice and the science of singing. It’s a thrill to work with singers and to help them on their journey of healthy singing of whatever genre of music they choose to pursue.

I also have teaching experience in opera workshop, group voice class, lyric diction, vocal/choral literature and music history.

Why is singing important to a liberal arts education?

Any musical study, be it vocal or instrumental, is important to a liberal arts education because it helps to hone many skills, interpersonal relationships, multi-tasking, musicianship, leadership, and performance practice, to name a few. In my voice lessons and vocal seminar class, we focus quite a bit on performance practice. In whatever a student’s career goal is, be that a teacher, music therapist, Broadway star or CEO, they will be performing on a daily basis. Singing will help them to develop confidence, engagement and communication skills which are all tools they will need as they venture forth from Franklin College on to their chosen professions.

Selected Professional Accomplishments

As a professional singer, tenor, I have had the opportunity to sing all over the world. Some of my favorite roles include Tamino in The Magic Flute, Basilio in The Marriage of Figaro, Judge Danforth in The Crucible, Nemorino in The Elixir of Love and Dickon in Secret Garden. I have also had the privilege of singing the solos in the Mozart Requiem in the Dom Cathedral in Salzburg, Austria, Mozart’s hometown.

I am currently based in Cincinnati, OH, where I am a member of the Cincinnati Men’s Chorus and the Cincinnati Opera. I am also the Director of Music and Worship at St. Paul Community United Methodist Church where I direct the Chancel Choir, Praise Band and Handbell Choir.

I am a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, Phi Mu Alpha (Professional Music Fraternity) and Pi Kappa Lambda (National Honors Fraternity)

What Students Say

“Since my freshman year here at Franklin College, Dr. DeForest has taught me many different ways to strengthen my performance abilities, from vocal exercises that push me to my best ability, to giving me confidence while singing in front of a large crowd. He has a very strong understanding of the human voice and vocal chords, that many students, the longer they take voice lessons, the more they see improvement themselves. He is one of the nicest professors at Franklin College and loves to see all of his voice students succeed. I am very thankful to have Dr. DeForest as my voice teacher, because without him, I wouldn’t be where I am today.” – Paige Lundy ’17

In My Spare Time…

I have a wonderful black cat named Esme that I love dearly and I am a collector of anything frog.