Assistant Professor
Ph.D., University of Wisconsin
Office: 815-753-2435
E-mail: mdoherty@niu.edu
Dr. Doherty is a children’s music specialist and has taught in Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois at the K-12 and university levels. She is in demand as a conductor of middle-school and high school choral festivals, including the 2008 IMEA District VIII elementary and middle school honor choirs. She received her Master of Music degree and her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction in Music Education degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and her Bachelor of Arts degree from Luther College (Iowa). As a child, Dr. Doherty sang in the world renown Glen Ellyn Children’s Chorus under the direction of Dr. Doreen Rao. She also sang in the esteemed Nordic Choir, under the direction of Weston Noble. She is the former Artistic Director of the Northeast Iowa Area Youth Chorus as well as the former Interim Director of Music Education at Luther College.
Most recently, Dr. Doherty held the post of Director of Music Education and Associate Conductor of the Chicago Choir Academy, a Charter School in Chicago. This choir school, founded by the Chicago Children’s Choir, is the only public choir school of its kind in the country. During her time with the Academy, Dr. Doherty prepared 120 young singers to perform with the Chicago Symphony in a production of Benjamin Britten’s Noah’s Flood. In addition, her fourth grade choir performed the opera Stone Soup, by Chicago composer Philip Seward. At the request of Lyric Opera of Chicago, the choir was recorded.
Dr. Doherty’s research is on vocal health issues experienced by music teachers and she has presented her work both nationally and internationally. Most recently, Dr. Doherty presented a session on vocal health at the national MENC convention, in the spring of 2008. At NIU, Dr. Doherty teaches both undergraduate and graduate students in Foundations of Music Education and Elementary, Middle School and Choral Methods. This fall, she started a Children’s Choir at NIU, under the Community School of the Arts. Her choir has already received invitations to perform both on and off campus, and is open to all interested singers age 8-13 in the De Kalb-Sycamore area. For more information, please visit the CSA website http://www.niu.edu/extprograms/Arts/ensembles_choral.shtml.
Dr. Doherty was guest clinician/director at the 2008 IMEA District 8 Jr. High/Elementary Festival