MaryAnn McSweeny-Buhr

   

MaryAnn McSweeny-Buhr is owner of McSweeny’s School of the Performing Arts where she teaches private voice lessons and is music director of the Fort Dodge Area Children’s Chorus.  McSweeny-Buhr was selected to be honored in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers in 2007, 2006, 2005, 2000, 1998, and 1994.  She was invited to be the guest conductor of the Fort Dodge Area Youth Honor Choir in 2001 and 1997, is an area Iowa State Fair Talent Search Judge and a National Association of Teachers of Singing, Student Auditions Judge.  Buhr is a professional music educator with over ten years of public school experience and twenty-nine years of private school experience.  She is a graduate of Mankato State University and Loras College, and holds a bachelor’s degree in music and a master’s in educational leadership and administration.  Buhr has pursued additional graduate work at the University of Iowa, the University of Northern Iowa, the University of Wisconsin, Moorhead State University and Marycrest College.  Mrs. Buhr has taught vocal music at the elementary, junior high and high school levels as well as applied voice at the college level.

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Mrs. Buhr considers herself to be a lifelong learner and has been a student of Michael Ricciardone, New York City, former Associate Coordinator of Vocal Studies at New York University Steinhardt School of Education, and Dr. Jonathan Retzlaff, Associate Professor of Voice at the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester, New York.  She served a two-year term as President of the Lewis & Clark National Association of Teachers of Singing Chapter (2016-2018).   In 2013, MaryAnn assumed the responsibility as coordinator of the Youth Honors Recital co-sponsored by the Fort Dodge Area Symphony and McSweeny’s School of the Performing Arts.  McSweeny’s School of the Performing Arts was the host of this yearly event from 2013-2020.   

 

Her students are frequent semifinalists and finalists in the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) competitions, continue to be consistent recipients of college vocal music scholarships and are frequently cast as musical leads in area school and community musical theatre productions.  Younger vocalists and instrumentalists are encouraged to pursue musical excellence through participation in area Bill Riley State Fair Talent Search Shows during the summer with vocalists consistently qualifying to perform at the Iowa State Fair with a Grand Champion Sprout awarded in 2018.  Former voice students are currently pursuing music at the college level, teaching music at the elementary, junior high, high school and college levels, pursuing vocal performance careers and teaching voice privately. 

 

MaryAnn and her husband Michael live on an acreage near Fort Dodge and are the parents of three young adults including Sean, living in Los Angeles, California, co-owner of two music studios; Patrick, living in Fort Collins, Colorado, a business owner; and Michaleah, a licensed insurance agent and office manager for American Family Insurance in Fort Dodge.     

 

For further information about McSweeny’s School of the Performing Arts contact MaryAnn McSweeny-Buhr at 515-576-3636 or send MaryAnn an email at maryann@mcsweenysschool.com.