TARA MARLENA LABERGE, DMA ARTIST/EDUCATOR/ADMINISTRATOR
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EDUCATION

BEd – After Degree - Secondary Music Specialist – University of Calgary                                       2021    
                            
DMA - Vocal Performance – School of Music - University of Minnesota, Twin Cities                      2011

Dissertation:
Crossover: A review of the history, pedagogy and practice of Musical Theatre for the classical singer
Supervisor: John David DeHaan/Adriana Zabala
*Secondary and supporting coursework completed in the Theatre and Dance Departments*


MMus – Vocal Performance – School of Music - University of Minnesota, Twin Cities                   2005

BMus – Vocal Performance - Awarded with Distinction - University of Victoria                    2001

Diploma in Music Performance – Voice - Dean’s List - Mount Royal University                             1998

Teaching/Research Interests
Longevity and vocal health in young singers, vocal pedagogy, history of the musical theatre voice, intersections in music and theatre, interdisciplinary creation, vocal literature, opera as theatre

K-12 TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School                                                                                                               Current
Grade 7-9 Musical Theatre, Drama, English
Grade 10-12 - Musical Theatre, Choral Music
Co-curricular: Middle School Choir


Calgary Board of Education – Substitute Teacher                                                                                 2021

Foothills School Division – Substitute Teacher                                                                                       2021

Saint Paul Conservatory of Performing Arts - St. Paul, MN                                                                  2010
Voice Faculty for Vocal Performance Track - Grade 9-12 (State of Minnesota Special Teaching License)

POST-SECONDARY TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Ambrose University – Calgary, AB                                                                                                           2015-2024
Adjunct Professor – Music and Theatre
Courses: (* Designed and Taught)

*Applied Voice – Undergraduate voice and music majors
Voice and Speech for the Actor
*Art and Faith – Course #1 300-1825, Course #2 1825-2018
​*Vocal Production 1 & 2 – Musical Theatre
*History of Western Music – Musical Theatre

 
Rocky Mountain College - Calgary, AB                                                                                            2013-2015
Adjunct Professor – Music and Theatre
Courses: (*Designed and Taught)
*Applied Voice
*Vocal Pedagogy
Advanced Musicianship
*Christianity and Art
 
Augsburg College - Minneapolis, MN                                                                                 2009 (Occasional)
Substitute Sessional Instructor
Music c
ourses: Applied Voice
 
STAGE DIRECTING/MUSIC DIRECTING
 
Strathcona–Tweedsmuir School
The Prom                                                                                                                                                         2024
The Little Mermaid                                                                                                                                         2023
25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee                                                                                                 2022
Matilda                                                                                                                                                              2021
Music Director
 
Ambrose University – Ambrose Arts                                                                                                                2018
Amahl and the Night Visitors – A collaborative production including faculty, guest artists,
community members, and students

Stage Director
 
Storybook Theatre Summer Intensive Program                                                                                                           
Bring it on                                                                                                                                                         2019
Into the Woods                                                                                                                                                2018
West Side Story                                                                                                                                               2017
Grease!                                                                                                                                                              2016
RENT(Assistant Stage Dir.)                                                                                                                             2015
Les Misérables                                                                                                                                                2014
Music Director/Teaching Faculty
 
Storybook Theatre
Sister Act                                                                                                                                                          2019
Junie B. Jones The Musical                                                                                                                           2018
You’re a good man, Charlie Brown/A Charlie Brown Christmas                                                             2017
Pinkalicious                                                                                                                                                      2017
Beauty and the Beast                                                                                                                                     2016
Music Director
 
Theatre@Rocky                                                                                                                                                       2014
33 Swoons
Sound Design
 
Theatre@Rocky                                                                                                                                                        2013
Agnes of God
Music Director/Assistant Stage Director
 
Storybook Theatre Summer Theatre School                                                                                                 2013
Excerpts from CATS and Old possum’s book of fantastical cats
Stage Director/Music Director/Arranger
 
Minnesota Opera                                                                                                                                                      2010
Project OPERA - opera scenes at the Ordway Center for Performing Arts
Stage Director
 
Minnesota Fringe Festival/Opera BOB                                                                                                      2010
Riders to the Sea – Ralph Vaughan Williams
Stage Director/Producer
 
University of Minnesota Summer Musical Theatre Intensive                                                   2008, 07, 04
Musical Theatre Scenes
Stage Director/Teaching Faculty
 
Sabes Jewish Community Center Summer Theatre                                                                               
13                                                                                                                                                                         2010
Fiddler on the Roof                                                                                                                                          2009
Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat                                                                                         2008
Music Director/Teaching Faculty
 
Rosetown Playhouse                                                                                                                                      2008
Teddy and Alice
Music Director
 
University of Minnesota Opera Theatre                                                                                                      2006
Le Nozze di Figaro     
Associate Stage Director - responsible for directing the production
(Graduate and Undergraduate voice majors) after initial staging rehearsals/concept development


ADDITIONAL TEACHING EXPERIENCE 

Mount Royal University Conservatory                                                                                                                2017
Voice Teacher – Private vocal lessons (covered maternity leave)
 
St. Francis Highschool Musical Theatre – Calgary, AB                                                                             2015
Adjudicator - Provided feedback on final term performance, and
worked with the students on musical theatre singing and performance techniques

 
Storybook Theatre – Calgary, AB                                                                                                                  2015
Musical Theatre Workshop Instructor – Acting, vocal production, and
stagecraft for 12–17-year-old students
 
Prince of Peace Elementary School – Chestermere, AB                                                                          2013
School Residency - Wrote and produced a short play with 44 grade 3 students.
Teaching included acting, voice, script writing, and development of emotional vocabulary
 
Encore! Junior High Festival of Drama – Calgary, AB                                                                         2019, 18, 13
Musical Theatre Workshop Instructor – Musical theatre vocal pedagogy,
audition techniques, and song preparation
 
Private Voice Studio - Victoria, Calgary, Minneapolis                                                               2000-Current
 
Adjudicating - Voice, Speech, and Musical Theatre
2025 - Brooks Music Festival - Musical Theatre
2024 – Lethbridge – Contemporary Voice
2021 – Yellowknife Music Festival (Online Adjudication)
2020 – Calgary NATS
2019 – St. Albert, Calgary Stampede Youth Talent Showdown Semifinals
2018 – Grand Prairie, Calgary NATS
2017 – Yellowknife, High River, Peace River, Calgary NATS
2016 – Drumheller, Provost, Calgary NATS
2015 – Brooks, Camrose and District, Medicine Hat
2014 - Olds and District, Stettler and District, Airdrie, Red Deer
2013 - Lacombe, Wetaskiwin
 
Lectures
Vocal Health and Physiology for Young Actors – Online seminar                                          2020
Lecture given as part of the Storybook Summer Intensive Program
 
Vocal Health and Physiology for Teachers - 3 hour lecture                                                     2017
Backbeat Music Group
 
Vocal Health and Physiology – 3 hour lecture                                                                              2017
Peace River Performing Arts Festival
 
“The Healthy Voice” – 1.5 Hour Seminar                                                                                         2016
Cowtown Opera - Physiology and Vocal Health for Actors and Singers
 
“The Healthy Voice” – 1.5 Hour Seminar                                                                                         2016
Physiology and Vocal Health for Actors and Singers
Fire Exit Theatre
 
UNIVERSITY & PROFESSIONAL SERVICE/ADMINSTRATION
 
Southern Alberta NATS Chapter - Secretary                                                                      2018/2019
 
Ambrose University – Season Planning Committee                                                        2018/2019
 
Scripts on Fire – Fire Exit Theatre – Adjudicator                                                                           2017
 
Administrative Fellow – University of Minnesota School of Music –                          
Admissions/Recruitment                                                                                                           
2008-2011
 
Assistant to the Artistic Director - Northrop Memorial Auditorium –                    
University of Minnesota                                                                                                       2003-2008       
 
Advisory panel – Re-build of Northrop Memorial Auditorium                                      2007-2008
 
Soprano Soloist - University of Minnesota Special Events                                             2004-2010

 AWARDS & HONOURS

Jason Lang Memorial Scholarship                                                                                                        2020
Calgary Arts Development – Individual Projects Grant                                                               2016
A Very Small Arts Fund – Special Projects Grant recipient                                                          2010
University of Minnesota – Administrative Fellowship, Admissions & Recruitment       2008-2011
Alberta Foundation for the Arts - Individual Projects Grant                                            2004, 03,01
Canadian National Music festival - Alberta Voice Representative                                               2002
Alberta Provincial Music Festival - Provincial/National Class-Voice – Winner                      2002
Calgary Kiwanis Music Festival Rose Bowl – Winner - Most Outstanding Performer           2002
Calgary Kiwanis Festival Mozart Competition – Second Place                                                 2002
Bethany Care Center Founders Bursary - Excellence in Academics                                  2002, 01
British Columbia Music Festival – Provincial/National Class-Voice – Second Place             2001
Greater Victoria Performing Arts Festival Rose Bowl – Winner - Voice                                   2001
Leeder Memorial Scholarship – Academic & Artistic Excellence – University of Victoria     2000
Evelyn McLaughlin Memorial Entrance Scholarship – University of Victoria                          1999
Canada West Performing Arts Scholarship                                                                                         1996

MEMBERSHIPS/PROFESSIONAL AFFLILIATIONS
                                                     
National Association of Teachers of Singing - Full Member
Theatre Lyra (Calgary, AB) – Founding Member
Opera BOB (Minneapolis, MN) – Founding Member
Equity Member Candidate – United States
Fire Exit Theatre – Former Creative Team
 
ADDITIONAL TRAINING/CLASSES

Music
Vocal Jazz Performance Workshop - Calgary, AB
What every singer needs to know about the body – Andover Workshop with Kimberly Barber
NATS Winter Workshop 2017 – Sing the Body Electric – San Diego, CA USA
Jeanette Lovetri – Introduction to Somatic Voicework – Edmonton, AB
Weiner Meisterkurse für Musique - Edith Wiens - Vienna, Austria
Opera Nuova Young Artists Program - Edmonton, AB
Victoria Conservatory Summer Vocal Academy – Victoria, BC
Victoria Conservatory Opera Studio – Victoria, BC
Linfield Vocal Institute - Richard Miller - Oregon, USA
Piano as a second instrument- University of Victoria
Grade 8 Piano - Royal Conservatory of Music
 
Theatre and Dance
Shakespeare for Actors - The Shakespeare Company - Richard Beaune
Decidedly Jazz Danceworks - Intermediate Ballet, Jazz, Musical Theatre, Latin
MFA course: Advanced Theatre Directing - Lou Bellamy - Artistic Director - Penumbra Theatre

BFA course: Advanced Characterization (4th year acting) - Barbara Kingsley
PhD course: History & Theory of Western Theatre - 20th Century to WW ll - Dr. Michal Kobialka
MFA course: Principles of Arts Management - Kathleen Hanson
BFA courses: Jazz (2, 3, 4) Ballet (2) & Pilates for Dancers
Guthrie Theatre - Guthrie Advanced Monologue Study - Matthew Vaky – Minneapolis, MN
The Kennedy Center - Leadership exchange in Arts and Disability
 
Education
IB Arts Category 1/2 - Arts                                                                                                               2023
Information toolkit for beginning teachers – Classroom management                          2021
Alberta Teachers’ Association
Engaging All Students—Creating Authentic Learning Environments                            2020
Alberta Teachers’ Association PD
Using Overarching Activities to Enhance the Curriculum                                                 2020
Jennifer Williams - President Social Studies Council ATA
Thinking about Learning: Metacognition and Mindfulness                                               2019
Alberta Teachers’ Association PD
 

ARTIST

EDUCATOR

ADMINISTRATOR

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