Patrice Williamson
Memphis,TN
Summary
Award-winning vocalist and music educator with over two decades of experience, specializing in advanced vocal techniques that emphasize maintaining a speech-level larynx position for a seamless, connected tone across the vocal range. Expertise in creating a mixed voice adaptable to all musical styles, complemented by performances at prestigious venues such as the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York and international stages in Singapore, Italy, and Brazil. Proven track record in developing college-level curricula and producing large-scale student performances that foster technical skill and artistic expression. Committed to inspiring students and audiences through innovative teaching methods and captivating performances.
Overview
26
26
years of professional experience
Work History
Professor
Berklee College of Music
Boston, MA
01.2011 - Current
- Individual vocal training every semester for 18+ voice principals, concentrating on building strength, flexibility and endurance specifically tailored for each student’s unique skill set
- Covering fundamental singing techniques through the core curriculum, using exercises from Vaccai, and including classical English and Italian songs, blues, jazz, pop/rock, R&B, and musical theater
- Coaching vocal performance majors preparing for recitals, emphasizing storytelling, stage presence, song choices, program concepts, and instrumental arrangements
- Instructing performance labs in Jazz, R&B and Pop with a focus on listening and learning song assignments, all framed within the historical context of these musical genres
- Offering workshops on band leadership, including key selection, establishing rhythm and tempo, crafting introductions, integrating tag endings, enhancing nonverbal communication, developing clear lead sheets, and microphone techniques.
- Providing jazz improvisation masterclasses covering melodic variation, scat syllables, swing rhythms, chord and scale tone applications, and common harmonic progressions
- Co-producing "Singer's Night," a twice-yearly voice department show, with a cast of 12 singers to create themed performances centered on a specific artist or a variety show
- Assessing Berklee applicant auditions both locally and globally, evaluating performance skills, sight-reading, improvisation, rhythmic interpretation, and ear training
Author/Instructor
Berklee Online
01.2023 - Current
- Cover the course content, which includes lessons about celebrated jazz vocalists, music theory, and improvisation with online students weekly
- Evaluate video performance assignments
- Offer comments on the skills used in the lesson for the week
Faculty
Tufts University
Boston, MA
01.2012 - 01.2021
- Provided one-on-one voice instruction to both music and non-music majors, emphasizing vocal health, breath control, clear pronunciation, accurate pitch, and overall musicality
- Led masterclasses concentrating on song interpretation, microphone use, and methods for overcoming performance anxiety
- Prepped students for semester recitals, assisted them with song selection, and developed their repertoire to include various genres
Faculty
Wellesley College
Wellesley, MA
01.2003 - 01.2009
- Prepared a 10-member vocal jazz ensemble (music and non-music majors) for a semester-end performance by teaching them SSA and SAA arrangements
- Concentrated on vocal harmony, precise singing of individual parts and vocal blending
Faculty
Berklee at Umbria Jazz
Umbria, Perugia, Italy
01.2016 - Current
- Teach three vocal jazz classes daily, exploring the work of celebrated jazz vocalists, along with jazz singing techniques like song delivery and improvisation
- Direct the vocal jazz choir, select the music, hold auditions to select soloists, instruct students on the music for the performance at the clinic's conclusion
- Provide private vocal coaching to clinic attendees who want to improve their singing skills and musical understanding, as well as mentor and guide students auditioning for Berklee College of Music
- Offer masterclasses covering lyric interpretation, storytelling, vocal technique, and improvisation
- Perform with Berklee professors at the Umbria Jazz Festival
Instructor
Memphis Jazz Workshop
Memphis, TN
01.2024 - Current
- Meet with high school students weekly
- Study the core elements of music: rhythm, harmony, and song form.
- Examine the history of jazz and its significance in the evolution of Black American music.
- Practice improvising with both lyrics and scat syllables
- Prepare the vocal ensemble for the end-of-term concert with three-or four-part harmony arrangements of jazz standards
Private Studio
Boston, MA
01.2000 - 01.2020
- Taught individuals of different ages and skill sets, from 14 to 70 years old
- Lessons focused on singing easily and without strain
- Prioritized American popular music including The Great American Songbook, Classic R&B/Soul and pop
The New School of Music
Cambridge, MA
01.2001 - 01.2011
- Delivered voice lessons to individuals and groups, working with students ranging from novice to advanced
- Highlighted vocal technique, supportive breathing, clarity of speech, and vocal projection in weekly lessons
- Developed a curriculum to expose students to various musical genres, including jazz, R&B, pop, rock and musical theater
- Provided coaching to at least ten students for individual performances
- Performed at Cambridge elementary schools as part of NSM's Music Outreach program
Education
Artist Diploma - Jazz Studies
New England Conservatory of Music
Boston, MA01.1998
Master of Music Degree - Jazz Studies
New England Conservatory of Music
Boston, MA01.1994
Bachelor of Music Degree - Classical Flute Performance
University of Tennessee
Knoxville, TN01.1989
Skills
- Piano
- Classroom technology: GarageBand, Finale and Canvas
- Strong communication skills
- Public speaking
- Class instruction
- Lesson planning
- Curriculum development
- Group and individual instruction
- Collaborative team player
- Online teaching experience
Master classes/Workshops
- SJA Music Institute – Seoul, South Korea
- Conservatório Souza Lima – São Paulo, Brazil
- Philippos Nakos Conservatory – Athens, Greece
- Tokyo School of Music – Tokyo, Japan
- Koyo Conservatory – Kobe, Japan
Festivals
- Beantown Jazz Festival, Boston, MA
- Left of the Charles Festival, Cambridge, MA
- New Delhi Jazz Festival, New Delhi, India
- Umbria Jazz Festival, Perugia, Umbria, Italy
- Tanglewood Jazz Festival, Tanglewood, MA
- Marblehead Jazz Festival, Marblehead, MA
Affiliations
- Jazz Education Network
- National Association of Teachers of Singing
Conference Performance/Presentation
- Jazz Education Network National Conference 2020
- Berklee Teachers on Teaching, Annual Conference 2017
- “The Music of Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass”
Performance Experience
- Boston area venues: The Regattabar, Scullers, Wally’s, Ryle’s, Acton Jazz Café, The Mad Monkfish, Boston Symphony Hall, Jordan Hall, The Gardner Museum, Berklee Performance Center, Granoff Music Center, Kresge Auditorium, The Beehive, Fenway Park
- New York venues: Blue Note Jazz Club, Joe’s Pub
- Memphis area venues: Lafayette’s Music Room, Alfred’s on Beale, Germantown Performing Arts Center, The Green Room, Crosstown Theater, Scheidt Performing Arts Center, Ned R. McWherter Cultural Arts Center (Jackson, TN)
- Singapore venues: Harry’s Boat Quay, Somerset’s Bar, Jeremy’s Jazz and Blues Café
- Boston and Memphis Radio/TV: WGBH, WERS, WHRB, WZBC, WYXR
Honors and Awards
Nominee, Best Jazz Vocalist, Mississippi Music Awards: 2023, Recipient, Berklee Urban Service Award, “Performer of the Year” Community Concert Series: April 2016, Nominee, Best Jazz Vocalist, Kahlua Boston Music Awards: 1999, 2000, Winner, "Best of Boston" Award for Best Jazz Vocalist from Boston Magazine, 1997
Recordings
- As leader:
- Patrice Williamson, Comes Love, Boston, MA 2017
- Patrice Williamson, Free to Dream, Boston, MA 2002
- Patrice Williamson, My Shining Hour, Boston, MA 1998
- As a contributing artist:
- ESP Vocal Trio, They All Laughed, Boston, MA 2014
- Pamela Hines, New Christmas, Boston, MA 2012
- ESP Vocal Trio, First Cut, Boston, MA 2008
Selected Press and Reviews
- https://online.berklee.edu/takenote/pomodoro-technique-and-your-music-practice-routine/
- https://online.berklee.edu/takenote/how-to-prepare-a-setlist/
- https://www.wbur.org/news/2019/04/18/patrice-williamson-jazz-ella-fitzgerald
- “Patrice Williamson isn't a singer, she's a one-woman jazz sampler...” –Christopher Loudon, JazzTimes
- “Williamson's voice is warm and satisfying...” –Marcela Breton, JazzTimes
- “...her Sarah Vaughan-esque phrasing is perfectly appropriate.” –Don Heckman, Los Angeles Times
- “...a smooth, honey-colored voice and intonation as flawless as Ella Fitzgerald's.” –Rick Anderson, The All-Music Guide to Jazz
Collaborations
- Donald Brown
- Terri Lynn Carrington
- Sean Jones
- Joe Lovano
- Danilo Perez
- Peter Eldridge
- Kim Nazarian
Timeline
Instructor
Memphis Jazz Workshop
01.2024 - Current
Author/Instructor
Berklee Online
01.2023 - Current
Faculty
Berklee at Umbria Jazz
01.2016 - Current
Faculty
Tufts University
01.2012 - 01.2021
Professor
Berklee College of Music
01.2011 - Current
Faculty
Wellesley College
01.2003 - 01.2009
The New School of Music
01.2001 - 01.2011
Private Studio
01.2000 - 01.2020
Master of Music Degree - Jazz Studies
New England Conservatory of Music
Bachelor of Music Degree - Classical Flute Performance
University of Tennessee
Artist Diploma - Jazz Studies
New England Conservatory of Music