School of Music Welcomes Dr. Courtney Crouse to Voice Faculty

The LSU School of Music is thrilled to announce the appointment of Dr. Courtney Crouse as Associate Professor and the Janice Harvey Pellar Endowed Chair of Voice. An internationally active mezzo-soprano, voice teacher, researcher, and arts entrepreneur, Dr. Crouse brings to LSU a vision of education that bridges performance, vocal pedagogy, neuroscience, and creative practice. This makes her a distinctive voice in her field today. 

Prior to joining LSU, Dr. Crouse served on the voice faculty at Oklahoma City University, where she taught voice and vocal pedagogy from 2012 to 2026. A student of the renowned soprano Carol Vaness and esteemed vocal pedagogue Paul Kiesgen, she received her graduate training at Indiana University, where she also served as an Associate Instructor of Voice. For more than twenty years, she has taught singers across the United States and mentored students pursuing careers in opera, musical theatre, academia, commercial music, and arts leadership. 

Dr. Crouse is also an avid researcher with her scholarly work anchored in a pioneering framework that she calls The Singing Brain – an emerging approach to vocal pedagogy that integrates contemporary neuroscience, motor learning, cognition, voice science, and creativity research that helps singers practice more effectively, perform more authentically, and build sustainable artistic careers of their own. Her research interests span neuroplasticity, diffuse and focused learning modes, performance psychology, flow states, and embodied cognition, positioning her at a fascinating intersection of science and artistry that promises to enrich both the classroom and the broader field. 

Beyond the studio and lecture hall, Dr. Crouse is the Founder and Artistic Director of two innovative organizations, ECHO: Amplifying Women's Voices in the Arts and the Dream Incubation Institute. Through ECHO, she creates interdisciplinary performances, educational initiatives, and mentorship opportunities that elevate women's artistic voices and foster creative community. With the Dream Incubation Institute, she leads a program that explores creativity, artistic development, and the neuroscience of learning which solidifies her commitment to reimagining what arts education can be. 

As a performer, Dr. Crouse has appeared throughout the United States in opera, recital, chamber music, and interdisciplinary performance. Equally at home in theaters, recital halls, and cabaret spaces, she has performed with the Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma, the Tactus Ensemble, the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, at Carnegie Hall, Joe's Pub, and with the New York Virtuoso Singers. Her newest solo theatrical work, WOMAN: A Modern Frauenliebe und Leben, reimagines Robert Schumann's iconic song cycle through contemporary perspectives on ancestry, identity, love, motherhood, teaching, and artistic life. It will make its debut at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August of 2026. 

"Joining the music faculty of LSU is the beginning of an exciting new chapter," said Dr. Crouse. "Throughout my career, I have been fascinated by the intersection of artistry, learning, and human potential. LSU provides an ideal environment to continue my research into the neuroscience of creativity and the singing brain while working alongside talented students and colleagues who inspire curiosity, excellence, and innovation. I am eager to build community, create meaningful artistic experiences, and contribute to the already thriving musical culture at LSU, and to start wearing a lot more purple!"

The LSU School of Music is proud to welcome Dr. Crouse to its faculty and looks forward to the artistry, intellectual curiosity, and entrepeneurial spirit she will bring to students, colleagues, and audiences in Baton Rouge and beyond.