Dr. Liliana Guerrero is an assistant professor of Voice at the Butler School of Music, where she teaches Vocal Pedagogy and Applied Voice. The daughter of Mexican and Cuban immigrants, her research focuses on advocating for Latin-American voices in classical music and she has received fellowship funding for this from the Society for American Music. She is a frequent lecturer and panelist on the topic of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the voice studio and serves as a member of the NATS DEI Task Force as well as the organizer for the NATS Latinx/Hispanic Teachers Affinity Group.
Tell us about the classes you’ll be teaching this year.
I teach applied voice and vocal pedagogy. I love teaching vocal pedagogy and demystifying the act of singing. It is incredibly fun to show the students how the vocal folds function, what makes us have unique timbres, and how to apply that science to their own singing. We also do fun activities in pedagogy, like creating larynx models out of playdough and registration mapping. Watching them blossom as artists and future teachers is very rewarding.
What attracted you to the Butler School of Music and The University of Texas at Austin?
I appreciate UT/BSOM's commitment to diverse perspectives. My students come from varied lived experiences, and all of them are encouraged to bring their perspectives into the classroom. I also love the energetic buzz of creativity and possibility when you walk into BSOM. Everyone is passionate about their craft, and students come into the classroom with curiosity and an eagerness to improve. I was a First Gen student, so I also appreciate UT's commitment to Hispanic students from immigrant families. Did you know that UT is a federally designated Hispanic Serving Institution? I didn't have a lot of guidance from people who looked like me when I started out in academia, and I am proud that I can provide that kind of culturally responsive perspective to students here at UT.
How did your professional pathway lead to your focus?
As a freshman in college, I would have told you I hated teaching and only wanted to sing at the Metropolitan Opera! But at the graduate level, I had assistantships that allowed me to enter the art of teaching voice. The mentoring and guidance that goes into cultivating a young artist hit me instantly. I'm an eldest sibling, so I already have a penchant for counseling people younger than me. I realized that, though I love performing and still do it regularly, teaching is how I feel fulfilled in my calling to help others on their journey through life. I've always had a deep passion for social justice, activism, and community impact. As a doctoral student I learned I could meld my love for music and social issues through commentary, public practice, and education. How lucky am I that I get to do that in Austin, where I can be part of important legislative discussions!
What’s something that students and colleagues should know about you?
I love learning! If I could be a professional student, I would! But I suppose that is what being an academic is all about. I am incredibly privileged to have a job where I am asked to be an artist, researcher (or as I think of it, professional learner), and mentor to others. It is truly an amalgamation of all the things I care about. If I could go back to school right this second, I'd get a master's degree in counseling. So many of my interests are at the intersection of who we are as humans, how we perceive ourselves, and how that self-perception is used to either connect with or protect ourselves from others, both on stage and in everyday life. Knowing yourself is critical as an artist! If we don't know who we are, it's difficult to have something to say. I lived like that for many years before I started combining cognitive and behavioral techniques I learned in therapy with the way I visualize myself as an artist. I try my best at all times to be a trauma-informed voice pedagogue, and I highly value the relationship between social-emotional learning and cultural competency in the classroom.
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not teaching/researching/working?
I have two chihuahuas and one cat. I jokingly refer to myself as the Kris Jenner of chihuahuas - I am a big stage mom. My two chis actually entered a Doggie Drag competition on Saturday and won second place! You can follow them on Instagram (they have over 10K followers!) at @lucyandfanny.