Teaching
A native of Peoria, IL, Dr. Jamie-Rose Guarrine holds a bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Illinois Wesleyan University, and received her MM and DMA in Vocal Performance from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Mead-Witter School of Music as a Distinguished Collins Fellow where she studied with Jim Doing.
Jamie-Rose is an alumna of some of the country’s most prestigious young artist programs; the San Francisco Opera’s Merola Program, the Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Program, Wolf Trap Opera as a Filene Artist, and as a Resident Artist at the Minnesota Opera. While a student in Madison in 2001, she joined the American Guild of Musical Artists for her first union engagement with the Florentine Opera in Milwaukee. With over twenty years of experience in the field, Dr. Guarrine brings a rich and varied performance background to her teaching, and has adjudicated competitions and presented masterclasses to young singers throughout the United States. In 2015, she joined faculty of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she serves as Associate Professor of Voice and teaches a studio of undergraduate and graduate voice students.
Dr. Guarrine is a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singers, and an alumna of the 2016 NATS Internship Program. An active adjudicator, she currently serves as the NATS Massachusetts District Governor.
In addition to her UMass Amherst professorship, Dr. Guarrine is a faculty Artist-in-Residence at the Sarteano Choral Workshop which takes place in an idyllic Tuscan town each summer. A festival for vocal chamber musicians, choral conductors, music educators, and choral singers, Dr. Guarrine teaches individual lessons, a mini-intensive day, as well as a daily Voice Class which addresses technical topics and strategies for singers at various points in their vocal career; discussing vocal topics educators encounter in the classroom, technical strategies for working with various voice types, and promoting general vocal health in a choral setting. The SCW festival is a wonderful opportunity for music educators to spend time and care nurturing their own vocal performance goals, vocal health, and technique, after spending the school year giving so much of themselves to their teaching. SCW attendees can apply for graduate and professional development credits through the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Teaching Philosophy
Dr. Guarrine encourages hers students to be global citizens with a broad and diverse appreciation for the arts. She takes a holistic approach to her teaching, advising, and mentorship, considering the unique interests and career pursuits of students; whether it be as a performer, an educator, or any number of the multi-faceted entrepreneurial careers linked to the vocal art form. She offers the practical knowledge and experiences gathered from pursuing and achieving a performance career in a highly competitive field, and therefore empathizes with the rigors of Young Artist auditions and the competition circuit. She believes in fostering entrepreneurial skills, paying particular attention to the student’s unique interests and how they can best utilize their strengths in this current economic climate. Guarrine Studio Alumni are working as classical and crossover artists, professional choristers, public school teachers, college professors, church musicians, voice-over actors, and arts administrators, and have received recognition at the Metropolitan Opera Laffront Competition, multiple levels of the NATS National Student Auditions, as well as secured scholarships to pursue their continued studies.