THE TRAINED PROFESSIONAL
Carol Clary earned the Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Southern California in vocal performance, and Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Music from California State University. She has also studied at the Vienna Conservatory in Vienna, Austria and also the National Opera School in Montevideo, Uruguay. She is a graduate of the Los Angeles Civil Light Opera Workshop and having studied with Lisa Popeil, is a Voiceworks’ Associate . She has studied with Ann Baltz in the Opera Works program and is a Certified Provider with Bone Conduction of The Listening Program. She is a long time student of the Alexander Technique. And she has studied acting with Nina Foch and Richmond Shepherd among others. She is a long time member of National Association of Teachers of Singing and the College Music Society
Carol is fully trilingual in English, Spanish and German and delights in teaching students in those languages. She is especially competent to teach and coach repertoire, style and pronunciation in those languages as well as the traditional repertoire of French and Italian art song.
Vocal teachers include: Esther Andreas, Pollyanne Baxter, Nelly Pacheco, Berton Coffin, Fred Carama and Janice McVeigh. Master class participation: Julianna Baird, Martin Katz, Erika Koeth, Norman Shetler, Eleanor Steber, Christian Smith, and Martial Singher. Dance and Movement training: Carmelita Maracci Studio, Paul Gleason, Pam Hartman and Francis Marsden.
THE TEACHER
Dr. Clary began teaching singers more than 45 years ago. Besides individual students, she has taught choirs and especially enjoyed teaching vocal technique and performance classes at the University of Southern California, California State University Los Angeles, Glendale College, East Los Angeles College and Long Beach City College. And for more than 30 years she also taught children to sing in the Los Angeles Unified School District.
THE STUDENTS
Students range from singers preparing to enter opera careers in the United States and Europe to singers and dancers performing on Broadway in the private studio. Carol also has worked extensively with so called “monotone/hopeless” singers successfully. She also enjoys teaching non-classical styles and has taught jazz, country and rock singers during her career.
THE PERFORMER
Performing experience include opera roles with the touring outreach for the Vienna State Opera, and leading roles in musical theater with Whittier Civic Light Opera and San Gabriel Civic Light Opera as well as soloist and section leader positions with several large churches in the Southern California area. She has also sung in the chorus of the Los Angeles Opera Company as well as solo roles with smaller companies such including the historic Guild Opera. Carol has also enjoyed singing folk music from the United States as well as Nueva Cancion/Nueva Trova music of Latin America, with several groups.
THE WHOLE PERSON
Carol is grateful for a wonderful life, beginning in rural Oklahoma and settling into urban Los Angeles as a preteen. She caught the adventure bug while in college studying music and Latin American studies and travelled to Central and South America on two short fellowships. Upon graduating with a B.A. in music and a California Life Teaching Credential, she was contracted to live and work in Montevideo, Uruguay for three years. There she won some singing competitions and worked as a translator, interpreter and community organizer. Upon returning to the United States, while working as a bilingual elementary teacher, she performed solo roles with several local theater companies and opera workshops and won or placed in several prestigious vocal competitions taking the professional name, Carol O’Clary. These performance experiences led to encouragement to pursue a three-year quest in Austria to establish an opera career. The Austrian experience led to an additional career as wife and mother, after marrying a Viennese husband. Arriving back in Los Angeles, she returned to teaching elementary students and voice classes at local universities, colleges and primary schools while continuing to perform opera, musical theatre, operetta, sacred and folk music. Academia called, and she was encouraged to pursue further music studies and completed the Doctor of Musical Arts Program at USC.
Carol, AKA Mom and Grammy, is blessed with a wonderful biological daughter, son-in-law and grandson. Carol is honored to be called “Ghost Face Mom” by two Taiwanese “foster” daughters”. Later, Carol became “Mama Gringa” to a Brazilian/Argentine “nephew” and his family. In 2006, Carol married a very intelligent and funny Scotsman and became Dr. Honey. Along the way, she has become Dr. Mom and Dr. Sister from by some affectionate voice students, as well.
This rich life has given her broad experience knowing and teaching many wonderful people. She has sung many vocal styles and taught in many different venues. Her life has been a lovely learning and teaching experience. Carol is grateful to have experienced many related educational experiences that have given her many tools to reach students and performers at all levels of singing and with different talents and challenges.
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