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Jo Ellen Miano

jo ellen miano

Jo Ellen Miano is Associate Professor at SUNY Plattsburgh, where she is Director of Choral & Vocal Activities. A conductor and voice teacher, Miano enjoys producing or music-directing staged productions. In April 2007, she conducted two performances of the concert version of South Pacific, a collaborative project between the Music Department and Essex Theatre Company. This production featured two-time Tony-Award winner George Hearn and Leslie Hearn in leading roles, as well as students, faculty & community members, who performed to sold-out crowds in E. Glenn Giltz Auditorium. Past productions in which Miano has been involved include SUNY Plattsburgh's Renaissance Madrigal Dinner (director & producer), Amahl and The Night Visitors--Menotti (music & stage director), Chicago and City of Angels (music director). She conducted the March 2006 performances of the SUNY Plattsburgh all-campus musical production of URINETOWN The Musical. From 1998-2007, Miano was the director of Champlain Valley Oratorio Society (now called Champlain Valley Voices) and Choral Union.

Miano is an active choral and eurhythmics clinician and offers workshops locally and nationally at both the public school and university levels. Her longtime interest in the relationship between music and physical movement prompted her study and certification in Dalcroze eurhythmics at Carnegie Mellon University. Her certification thesis, “Using Eurhythmics to Deepen Musical Understanding in Youth and Adult Choirs,” examines how the rhythmic movement component of Dalcroze Eurhythmics can be used with choral warm-ups and for exploring musical concepts during rehearsal. Miano presented eurhythmics application sessions for both elementary and high school levels at the 1998 New York State Winter Conference of NYSSMA. She has enjoyed conducting NYSSMA Zone 6 All-County choruses, as well as Zone 4 and Zone 6 Area All-State Mixed Choruses. She will conduct NYSSMA Zone 6 Area All-State Mixed Chorus in November, 2009. She conducted the Mixed Chorus of the Vermont Northwest District Musical Festival in April, 2009. She conducted the mixed chorus of the Champlain Valley District III Music Festival (Burlington, VT, January, 2005) and returned there as guest conductor in February, 2008. Miano participated in the initial New York State School Music Association 1998 P.E.A.K. Festival, a state project that focuses on the creative process within the elementary classroom music program.

Miano also collaborates with many dedicated area school music teachers. Most recently she worked with area school children on the modern premiere of the Mozart Mass with Toy Instruments, an 1802 arrangement (Paul Wranitsky) of Mozart's Mass in C Major for conventional and toy orchestra. On the same concert she also worked with a children's chorus for the performance of Rutter's Mass of the Children.

Miano holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Boston University and a Master of Music degree in conducting from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

courses for fall 2009

Applied Voice--private lessons for credit. There is a $150 music fee per credit per semester for lessons.
College Chorale--MUS391 meets Mondays and Wednesdays from 2:00-3:15 pm in Myers 300
Cardinal Singers--MUS397 meets Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:00-3:15 pm in Myers 324
Fundamental Musicianship--MUS120 meets Monday/Wednesday/Friday from 9:00-9:50 am in Myers 112.
Senior Seminar--MUS485 was taught by J. Miano in Spring 2009.
Topics in Music: Opera Literature & Film--MUS310 last taught by J. Miano in Fall 2008. Topics will be offered again in Fall 2009 by Daniel Gordon.
Choral Union--MUS395 meets Monday eves from 6:45-9:00 pm in Myers 300. Directed by Dr. Karen Becker. Contact Dr. Becker about singing in this group. First rehearsal is the first Monday of the semester.

course advisement period--october 2009

Advisement for course selection for Spring 2010 runs in mid-October.  If you are one of my advisees,
please go directly to the course advisement page to sign up for your advisement time online.

I also serve as advisor to students who are considering the major, minor or concentration in music, but have not auditioned yet. Once you successfully complete your audition for one of these programs, you will be assigned to a permanent music academic advisor (one of our full-time music faculty). If you do not have a music advisor assigned to you, feel free to request an advisement time with me, using the course advisement page.

Please see me if you are interested in taking applied lessons in any instrument or in voice. I can speak with you about how to get into one of our applied studios and I can help you get connected to an applied teacher, if you have specific questions for him or her.

If you have general questions about the music program, contact the Music Department Chair, Dr. Rick Davies, by email and he can either answer your questions online, or he will direct your questions to a specific faculty member, if appropriate. Or he may decide that it would be better for him to meet with you in person.

office hours

It's best to make an appointment for your office hour visits, since sometimes I need to spend extended time with individuals. Certainly, you may just try "walk-in," but if another student has reserved time with me, you may have to wait.

If you use the contact me link, I will know you are writing to arrange to see me, so it will prioritize your email among the many that come in!

You may reach me by email using the contact me link above.

Monday 11:15 am -12:15 pm

Tuesday 9 -10:50 am

Wednesday 10 -10:50 am

3:30 - 4:30 pm

Thursday 3:30-4:30 pm

and by appointment--I am around campus a lot, so I'm sure we can find a time to meet.

concert service schedule

Applied Students: Go to concert service schedule for full information on how to volunteer.