Stephanie Adlington
Singer/Songwriter Stephanie Adlington was born and raised in Grafton, West Virginia. Beginning her musical journey at a very young age, Stephanie could hear and sing harmonies practically before she could talk. As a high school student she spent summers at Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Mellon University working towards her performance dreams. After high school she was accepted to the world renowned Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY. After only 2 years Stephanie would leave Eastman to attend one of the most respected schools of music in the entire world, the Royal Academy of Music in London, England. At the Academy Stephanie truly began to learn her craft, and eventually she would find the voice that is distinctly her own. She left the Academy with a Bachelor’s degree in Music, a post-graduate degree in Musical Theatre, an LRAM certification allowing her to teach voice, and broader view of the world and its wonders. While in London Stephanie recorded radio jingles for both Capitol Radio London and Invictor Radio and performed live studio broadcasts for BBC Radio. In the midst of all of this, the legendary Michael Dunford auditioned Stephanie for a singing part in a musical he had been working on. As a result of the Dunford audition, Stephanie was asked to perform and record lead vocals for the wildly successful band Renaissance. Formed from the ashes of the Yardbirds (the band best known for introducing Jimmy Page to the world), Renaissance had already experienced tremendous success for over 20 years. Their “comeback” would feature Stephanie replacing original vocalist Annie Haslam. Stephanie would go on to record two critically acclaimed albums with the band, The Other Woman and Ocean Gypsy. She would also appear on the band’s compilation, A Trip to the Faire. In addition to her ongoing performances, Stephanie is currently an adjunct commercial voice instructor at Belmont University.
Lessons Offered: Commercial Voice
Laura Alexander
Born and raised in Ottawa, ON, Canada, Laura Alexander came to Nashville by way of Boston, MA and Berklee College of Music. She graduated with two Bachelor of Music degrees: one in Vocal Performance (specializing in jazz, rock and country) and a second in Music Production and Engineering. Since then, Laura has continued her studies in vocal pedagogy and arts medicine and regularly attends workshops to expand her knowledge and keep up with the latest in voice science.
Laura has been immersed in the music industry for 30 years. Her eclectic background combines work as a commercial singer (incl. studio sessions and touring) with work in publishing and performing rights. She has also performed with Nashville’s Circle Players and Franklin’s Pull-Tight Players and had the honor to sing first soprano in the Nashville Symphony Chorus under the baton of Kenneth Schermerhorn.
Laura enjoys teaching students in contemporary styles such as jazz, country and musical theatre as well as classical. In order to be a strong commercial or classical singer, it’s important to have a good understanding of the physiology of the voice so you can maximize your abilities and keep your voice healthy and strong throughout your life. Laura is there to assist students in reaching their goals safely while maintaining and developing their unique sound. Laura is also a member of The Voice Foundation (TVF) and the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS).
When Laura’s not teaching voice, she’s either jumping in with her husband’s band Backlit, singing with the Brentwood Baptist Choir under the direction of Belmont grad Travis Cottrell, trying to keep up with her two teenagers (and dog), or singing the national anthem for her beloved Nashville Predators.
Lessons Offered: Commercial/Classical Voice
Alie Fruchterman
Alie Fruchterman is a classically trained vocalist and teacher in Nashville, TN. She holds a Master of Music degree in Classical Vocal Performance from Belmont University, as well as a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance and Choral Music Education from Christopher Newport University. Equally at home on the stage as she is at the head of a classroom, Alie has enjoyed a vibrant and varied musical career that has included operatic lead roles such as Adina in Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore; soloing with the Nashville Symphony Chorus in Samuel Barber’s The Lovers; being awarded second place in NATS regionals in the graduate division; and serving as the Belmont Graduate program Nashville Opera Fellow from 2016-2018. She pulls from this performance background to inform her teaching, be it as the director of a budding choral program, as a Music Together family music class teacher, or as a private lesson instructor at Belmont Academy.
Alie loves to share the joy of music with people of all ages, from birth to school-aged and beyond. She believes that singing can be a part of all of our daily lives, and that everyone has a voice that deserves to be heard! Alie’s private classical voice students will work with her to build a foundation of healthy and efficient vocal technique, focusing on generosity of breath and freedom of tone, so that they will have the tools they need to reach their singing goals.”
Lessons Offered: Classical Voice
Mary George
Mary George is an Adjunct Instructor of Music in the Belmont University School of Music. She teaches applied classical voice. She has been a vocal coach since 1978.
Mrs. George received both her Master of Music degree and Bachelor of Music degree (Studio teaching, performance and pedagogy) from George Peabody College for Teachers of Vanderbilt University. Mrs. George has completed post graduate work at University of Minnesota, Scarritt College, Northern Illinois University, Louisiana State University, and Peabody Conservatory of Music. She has participated in vocal master classes with Martin Katz, Eleanor Steber, Bidu Sayao, Thomas Grubb, Theodore Uppman, and Ned Rorem.
Mrs. George has sung in the Nashville music industry and the surrounding areas for 30 years. She has worked extensively in the recording industry as well as performing multiple times with the Nashville Symphony, twice under the direction of Maestro Kenneth Schermerhorn.
Mrs. George has received several awards and honors including Outstanding Women of America (1992), Who’s Who in Education (1992), Who’s Who in Entertainment (1992), two-time finalist in the Metropolitan Opera Auditions, three-time winner in the NATS Regionals. She belongs to the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), and the American Association of University Professors.
Lessons Offered: Classical Voice
Robert May
Robert May is a singer and composer based in the Nashville area. Having lived in Manhattan up until summer of 2023, Robert’s performance experience has ranged from lending his voice to the off-Broadway show The Trial of Martin Luther in 2016, to performing his original songs in Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center. Most recently, Robert had the pleasure of arranging and singing traditional spirituals alongside members of the New York City Ballet for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s “MetLiveArts” series. He was also recently seen singing a small role in Martinů’s The Key of Dreams with the American Symphony Orchestra in Carnegie Hall.
In addition to his solo work, Robert was also active in the professional choral scene in New York and has sung with top choral ensembles including the New York Virtuoso Singers, Pro Arte Singers, Bard Festival Chorale, and MasterVoices.
As a composer and arranger, Robert orchestrated music for a student-run production of Büchner’s play, Wozzeck, at The Juilliard School in 2015, and his barbershop quartet arrangement of “The Lusitania Went Down” was performed in the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission Ceremony at the National WWI Museum and Memorial in Kansas City in April of 2017.
When Robert is not singing or composing, you can find him studying ancient Hebrew or exploring Nashville’s beautiful parks with his wife and three sons.
Lessons Offered: Voice