Vocal Essence of the Southern Tier (VEST) was born from a simple yet powerful belief: everyone deserves the opportunity to sing—regardless of age, background, experience, ability, or prior experience. As a conductor, educator, and lifelong advocate for equitable access to music, I have witnessed the profound ways choral singing transforms lives. Singing in community fosters connection, confidence, healing, and joy—but too often, access to high-quality ensemble singing is limited, especially for those outside traditional school or church programs. VEST was created to fill that gap and to reimagine what inclusive, intergenerational, community-based vocal music can look like.

Dr. Morgan Jolley, Artistic and Executive Director, founded VEST as a way to transform her life’s journey into a shared mission. VEST is more than an ensemble—it’s a movement for equity, inclusion, and human connection through music. Morgan’s past fuels our future. Her story—of resilience, learning, and community—now belongs to every singer who joins us, every parent who watches their child grow in confidence, and every person who finds healing in harmony.

Inspired by Gandhi’s call to “be the change you wish to see in the world,” Dr. Jolley created VEST not just as a program, but as a living reflection of that change. At the heart of this work is the conviction that every voice matters. Our ensembles celebrate a wide range of musical traditions—from sacred and secular choral repertoire to contemporary a cappella and global styles. We welcome singers of all skill levels and identities, centering access, equity, and joy in everything we do.

We believe in lifelong musical engagement—from early childhood through older adulthood—and we reject the false choice between inclusivity and quality. At VEST, artistic excellence and radical welcome go hand in hand. Every rehearsal, workshop, and performance is an invitation to grow, connect, and create something beautiful together—fueled by joy, respect, and a deep sense of community.

My journey into music—and ultimately to founding VEST—was forged in adversity. I grew up in a home marked by instability, emotional hardship, and a lack of resources. In that chaos, music became my lifeline. As a teenager, chorus and band gave me more than an outlet; they gave me purpose, structure, and a place where I felt safe and seen. Singing became my refuge, a constant in a world that was anything but. I knew by age 15 that music—especially choral music—was not just something I loved; it was my calling. Persevering through even more adversity with the help and love of family and educators, I began college at the University of Florida at the age of 18. 

However, my life has never proven to be linear. After two years I left UF, facing realities of adulthood and motherhood, and gaining other skills as a mother, wife, and later manager of teams in the computer industry. It would be five years before I returned to the dream of becoming a choral music educator.

In 2004, as a 25-year-old mother of three young children (ages 1, 3, and 5), I re-enrolled in college at the University of South Florida—to pursue a degree in Vocal Music Education. Every day balancing coursework, caregiving, a 100-mile daily commute, and a deep desire to build a better life for my family through music. I graduated in 2007, and though I didn’t realize it at the time, skills I learned from mentors in general and choral music coursework would later become foundational to my inclusive and accessible approach to music education.

My first teaching position was at a Title I middle school in semi-rural Florida, where many of my students were navigating the same kinds of challenges I had once faced— worrying about food or safety, and struggling to stay afloat. For them, music class wasn’t always a priority. But I was determined to show them that it could be a sanctuary, a tool for healing, and a way forward.

This was the beginning of what became my personal mission: Music for All. I designed a curriculum infusing what is now defined as Culturally Responsive Teaching (Gay, 2000) and created multiple entry points into musicking, redefining what it meant to be “successful” in music. I emphasized emotional safety and identity expression as much as vocal technique. I watched students transform—not just as musicians, but as people finding confidence, joy, and belonging.

In 2010, my mission expanded when I was invited to help open Weeki Wachee High School. As the Fine Arts Department Chair, I advocated for a broader, more inclusive vision of music education. We offered not just band and choir, but also electric guitar, musical theatre, keyboarding, and music appreciation. These programs thrived—not because we raised the bar of exclusivity, but because we widened the door of opportunity.

Students from all walks of life found themselves reflected in our musical community. The choral program flourished not only in size and accolades, but in spirit. It became a space where students felt seen, valued, and empowered to express themselves through a wide range of genres and musical styles. I didn’t yet have the academic language to describe it, but I now recognize that I was practicing Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (CRP) (Ladson-Billings, 1994).

Later, in formal studies and professional learning communities, I came to understand CRP not just as a teaching strategy, but as a philosophy of validation. It taught me to intentionally center students’ cultural identities, to affirm their lived experiences, and to use music as a bridge between personal meaning and academic rigor. CRP taught me that relationships are the foundation of learning, and that excellence and inclusion must walk hand in hand. It gave a name to what I had always intuitively believed: that when students feel seen and respected in the classroom, they thrive—in music and in life.

Nearly twenty years later, I am still in touch with many of those students. Some still sing. Others simply remember the feeling of being welcomed and seen. Many communicate that they now not only sing to their own children, passing on the gift they once received in my classroom, but also employ many of the extrinsic skills that singing in an ensemble brings to their personal and professional livelihoods. These relationships are living proof that music—when taught with equity, care, and intention—can and does change lives.

As I pursued graduate studies—first at Florida State University with a Masters in Music Education and later a Ph.D. in Music Education at USF—I deepened my understanding of voice science, cognitive neuroscience, and global Folk and Traditional and vernacular vocal practices including in Contemporary Commercial Music. My dissertation, which explored vocal fatigue and cultural perceptions of vocal health in choirs from Kenya and the U.S., taught me to interrogate my own assumptions and genre-bias regarding vocal technique, genre, and “correctness.” This work solidified my commitment to Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy (Paris, 2012). I’ve since studied and presented on these themes internationally, including in China, Kenya, as well as the United States, always centering the belief that diverse traditions belong in our choral spaces. 

Since 2016, I have taught and mentored future music educators at Queens College (CUNY), Ithaca College, the University of South Florida, SUNY Potsdam, and the ZheJiang Conservatory of Music, bringing my K–12 experiences into the college classroom. I integrated inclusive repertoire, embodied pedagogy, and reflective practice into the choral and general music curriculum. The opportunity to conduct and perform with those outside of the

From children’s choirs to community ensembles to semi-professional choruses, I’ve built and led groups where people could find their voice—musically and personally. The answer to dismantling genre-based hierarchies in choral music lies in a “yes, and” approach—one that values and integrates multiple vocal traditions without displacing the Western European model. This means providing singers with opportunities to work with culture-bearers and trained vocal professionals across diverse styles, while also drawing on research-informed vocal strategies to ensure that all explorations of the voice are grounded in healthy, sustainable technique. By embracing a both/and framework, we equip singers to expand their expressive range, honor multiple cultural identities, and approach vocal music with both respect and curiosity.

I am proud to call the Southern Tier of New York my home. After relocating to the Corning–Elmira region in 2022, I was encouraged by the many enriching music opportunities available for adults—but also struck by the lack of vocal music options for children and youth outside of schools and sacred institutions. That’s where Vocal Essence of the Southern Tier (VEST) steps in to fill the gap.

VEST has filed to become a nonprofit organization dedicated to building barrier-free access, musical excellence, joy, wellness, and community through equitable diverse choral and vocal music experiences. We serve people of all ages, skill levels, abilities, socio-economic statuses, and backgrounds.  The Southern Tier is rich in spirit and resilience, yet often underserved when it comes to robust, intergenerational arts programming. VEST seeks to become a cultural anchor—connecting individuals across counties, generations, and communities through the shared experience of ensemble singing. 

We are committed to expanding our ensembles to reflect the rich musical traditions of those who call this region home, while also fostering meaningful musical connections with the world beyond. Our programming includes a wide range of vocal styles—from sacred and secular choral works to contemporary genres and global music practices—because every voice matters, and every style has value. This diversity reflects our core values: inclusion, artistic excellence, and lifelong engagement in vocal music.

Our vision extends beyond musical excellence alone. VEST is committed to becoming a regional center for health and wellness through the arts. Research continues to affirm that group singing supports mental health, builds social bonds, and strengthens both cognitive and wellness functions. We are actively cultivating partnerships with creative arts therapists, NeuroArts practitioners, and speech-language professionals to explore and elevate the therapeutic, expressive, and developmental power of the human voice.

Though we are still in our early chapters, we are building toward a future of sustainable impact. Our goals include launching multiple intergenerational ensembles, developing strong educational and community partnerships, collaborating with local music educators, and offering workshops, performances, and wellness-centered programming that nurture the whole person. We aim to create a brick-and-mortar musical center that partners not only with educators, but also with healthcare providers, therapists, and other arts organizations throughout the region.

With each voice that joins us, our community grows stronger. With each song, we affirm our core truth: music belongs to everyone. We invite you to be part of the vision—and to inVEST in this vibrant, inclusive vocal music community where everyone is welcome, every voice is valued, and every person has the opportunity to grow their skillset as life-long singers.