Aiming for mastery and research are important, as are balancing theory and praxis. I must know my field deeply and how it connects to everything around it in order to teach well. This is why I never stop learning, both formally and on-the-job. Everyday, I use the knowledge and skills gained from my own B.M., M.M. and Advanced Certificate in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy and my two years of intense full-time acting training at the Actors Studio. Great teaching is grounded not only in mastery of specific disciplines, but also in a sincere desire to move the field forward. I pursued a Ph.D. in order to conduct original research in my profession, and to fulfill my calling to better serve the faculty and administrators engaged in training artists. My research focuses on how post-secondary institutions in the arts balance traditional technique and innovative practice. A framework for understanding stasis and change in these settings has been developed and may be applied to different types of institutions (conservatories, programs in colleges and universities, etc) for future inquiry.

Work on "the self" is at the center of arts education and continues to inspire me each and every day. I am incredibly fortunate to have taught and led aspiring artists and esteemed colleagues at New York University, the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and within my private studio. Helping a student to overcome an obstacle and learn that they can do something that they never imagined they could be capable of, seeing the sparkle in their eyes and smile on their face inspires not only them, but also everyone around them, that anything is possible. When the breakthrough happens, the energy and feedback in the room is palpable. I believe that this is the true calling of a teacher in the performing arts: to empower each student in such a way that they believe that they can, and by doing this, the way in which they see the ever-changing world of challenges around them is viewed in an entirely new way – of possibility.  This empowers everyone who experiences and witnesses it to keep reaching and to believe that transformation is possible. As Dean of the School of Visual & Performing Arts at College of the Canyons in Los Angeles, I have been privileged to foster an environment in which transformative education is possible for an incredibly diverse population of students and faculty. 

~ Jennifer Smolos, 2022