Shanan Ashlee Colvin

A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin School of Music, Shanan has taught as a choir director, musical theater program co-director, private voice and piano instructor, summer-camp counselor, and has served as a substitute teacher exclusively for music teachers. Most recently, she led classes at Prelude Music, a Music Together affiliate. While teaching at Hobby Middle School in San Antonio, Shanan’s choirs consistently earned Sweepstakes ratings at UIL competitions as well as Outstanding Performance and Best-in-Class ratings at private festivals. Her students repeatedly received Superior ratings at Solo & Ensemble competitions. Shanan was named Northside ISD’s First-Year Teacher of the Year and Y100’s Teacher of the Week in her first year as a public school choir director.

When Shanan left the classroom to start her family, she always anticipated a return to teaching full-time. The decision to homeschool her two boys has changed the direction of that plan and her research on alternative methods of education has solidified her belief that she can still combine her two passions in life, music and teaching, outside of the traditional classroom.

Shanan loves performing just as much as she loves teaching and even had the privilege of playing the title role of Aida as a member of the Army Community Theater in Hawaii. Her performance earned her a Po’Okela award for Best Leading Female in a Musical. She has also performed in the musicals Bye-Bye Birdie, Oliver, and Curtains and has sung as a member of the University of Texas Chamber Singers, Texas Choral Consort, Cumberland Oratorio Singers, Cross Creek Chorale, Chorus Austin and the Houston Choral Society, the latter of which she performed with as the alto soloist for the group’s performance of Handel’s Messiah.

When she is not singing or keeping her boys busy (and out of trouble) you can find her running, reading or spending time with her husband. You can follow their adventures on her Instagram page What We Learned Today.

To schedule a virtual or in-studio lesson with Shanan, please visit the scheduling page. Online choral sectional rehearsal requests should be made by filling out this form. Learn more about Da Capo’s subscription box for kids here.