 Stephanie Jensen-Moulton '94
"When I began my musical training at Hollins, I had no idea that a long career path was winding out before me. I came to Hollins intending to major in English, but quickly took on a double major in music and French. Senior year, my voice teacher, Judith Cline, advised me to apply for master's degree programs in voice performance. She deftly assisted me in choosing the right repertory, and I had five top schools from which to choose when the auditions were all over. After completing my master's of music degree at Boston University, I moved to New York and performed with small opera groups and the chorus of the New York Philharmonic. I also had a job at the Juilliard School in the educational outreach department, where I worked to bring Juilliard musicians and dancers into New York City's public schools.
"Throughout my career, Judith Cline has been an advisor and mentor. At my 10-year reunion, she talked with me about my next move: a Ph.D. in musicology, with a concentration in women's studies. Very few singers end up as music scholars, but Judith is one of them. Her scholarly work, which goes hand in hand with her vocal artistry, has been an inspiration to me as I follow a similar path of writing and singing. Judith also has a wonderful perspective on balancing career and family, a juggling act we all must face at some point. She was one of the first people I contacted when two of my articles had been published, one on gender in hip-hop, and one on music and disability. This year, I joined the full-time musicology faculty of the Conservatory of Music at Brooklyn College, where I teach music classes in the core curriculum and graduate seminars such as "Women in American Music." Now, mentoring constitutes a major part of what I do, and it all started at Hollins."
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