Introducing New Faculty - Steve McGhee

 

Steve comes to us with a wealth of experience in helping people grow into their best singing selves, both individually and within ensembles. In getting to know Steve, we loved hearing about the innovative and justice-oriented ways he's approached performances in the past and his ability to see music as a vehicle of growth for both the performer and the audience. Despite entering Roeper—and our music program—in a time of turbulence, Steve has been able to be a steady presence: self-assured yet humble, determined yet patient. We are thrilled to welcome him to our faculty.

Steve’s responses to our questions:

 

I’m the new vocal music teacher for the Middle and Upper Schools. I’ll be leading our four existing vocal groups and teaching a course on vocal technique this semester. I’ll also be the music director for Roeper’s musical theatre productions starting in the new year, working closely with Alex Pedica.

 

 

Graduation days are very significant milestones for everyone and finishing my doctorate at the University of Michigan felt like a huge one for me. Another memory was much more unexpected: two years ago, my friend Brian Giebler called me with the news that our first album was nominated for a Grammy. As it was during the pandemic, we weren’t able to attend the ceremony in person, but it really was thrilling to be nominated! 

 

 

I’d love to live in Sweden for a year, both in populated and rural areas. Some of my ancestors came from there, and I’d like to learn more about the land they inhabited, their language and culture, and how environmental activism and conservation efforts have been so successful there. 

 

 

I was raised by my single mom in Chester County, Pennsylvania, which is outside of Philadelphia. As an only child in a mostly rural area, my life at school made up most of my social life. And within each school, it was within musical groups, plays, and musicals where I discovered a deep and lasting feeling of belonging. That has remained true ever since. I have an expansive ‘chosen family’ of great friends and colleagues. I also have a cozy household with my two-year-old cats, Milo and Sven.

 

 

Music takes up a lot of my time and bandwidth, even outside the classroom; I attend a lot of performances and give many myself. I also enjoy baking, craft projects, board and video gaming, reading, and walking/hiking. 

 

 

I think of music as a language, and I enjoy helping others learn to understand and communicate with it, developing fluency in singing, reading, writing, and playing instruments. I’m especially passionate about developing musical ability without allowing shame to take over while building the skill. 

   

 

The commitment to the student’s individuality and freedom while working to increase their abilities was the first thing that I appreciated about Roeper. I think self-knowledge should be a big part of education and can increase everyone’s quality of life. Artistic development is an individual path, even as we work together on building skills and enjoy lots of collaboration.