Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ÊÓƵ

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ÊÓƵ the series: On Main Hall Green With … is an opportunity to connect with faculty on things in and out of the classroom. We’re featuring a different Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ÊÓƵ faculty member each time — same questions, different answers.

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Shannon Gravelle, co-director of choral studies, arrived at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ÊÓƵ in fall of 2024 with a passion for choral music and deep experience in leading accomplished choirs and young talent. 

The assistant professor of music led choral activities at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh for several years and she serves as the Phyllis and Richard Duesenberg Concert Choir Chair at the Lutheran Summer Music Academy & Festival, a four-week immersive music experience for high school students. She previously worked as director of choral activities/coordinator of music education at Meredith College. 

Gravelle holds a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Iowa, a Master of Music from California State University Long Beach, and a bachelor’s degree with a major in music from Luther College.

We caught up with Gravelle to talk about interests in and out of the classroom.

In the classroom

Inside info: What’s one thing you want every student coming into your classes to know about you?

I truly believe your voice matters. That is not a gimmick. What each person contributes to our community is important, and since I teach primarily collaborative learning courses (choir), it matters that every voice is uplifted. Everyone’s contribution has an impact.

Getting energized: What work have you done or will you be doing at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ÊÓƵ that gets you the most excited?

I’m very excited to create more access to choir for all students across campus. The choral program has a rich and beautiful history of amazing music-making—a tradition that has been celebrated nationally—and I look forward to continuing that tradition with a wider community.

Going places: Is there an example of somewhere your career has taken you (either a physical space or something more intellectual, emotional, or spiritual) that took you by surprise?

I always anticipated that I would move all over the country for graduate school and to find jobs that would be good fits. I grew up in Minnesota, and have lived in Arizona, Iowa, Nebraska, and North Carolina. Imagine my surprise when I was offered the position at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ÊÓƵ and realized I would land back in the upper Midwest at a school whose choirs I have seen perform for years at national and regional conventions. What a joyful surprise.

Out of the classroom

This or that: If you weren’t teaching for a living, what would you be doing?  

If I weren’t teaching for a living, I’d love to either be a barista at an independent coffee shop—such beautiful places of community—or an advocate of some kind to empower others.

Right at home: Whether for work, relaxation or reflection, what’s your favorite spot on campus?

I’m new, so I am still discovering all the places on campus. I will look forward to my new office in Fall 2025, but besides that, I love all of the rehearsal spaces. Those spaces are engaging and active. I’m open to recommendations for spaces to check out.

One book, one recording, one film: Name one of each that speaks to your soul? Or you would recommend to a friend? Or both?

The book I’ve recommended to a lot of friends recently is Better Faster Farther: How Running Changed Everything We Know Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ÊÓƵ Women. In addition to being a runner, I have a passion for understanding how barriers within systems came to exist. I’m not really a person who watches many films. And I can’t pick one recording. I recommend live performances for truly formative experiences. Come to a choir concert on campus.

Find more faculty profiles in the On Main Hall Green With ... series here