We all make music. We hum, whistle, sing, drum our fingers. We play instruments, we sing Happy Birthday. Music is the most human form of communication. But most of us learn early to keep our talent to ourselves. That robs us of the opportunity to form the most basic, joyful bond with other people many of us will ever know. Find Your Voice exists to bring people from diverse backgrounds, perspectives and talents together to make music together. Find Your Voice brings us together to make our music.
ABOUT US
WHO WE ARE
WENDY MORGAN-HUNTER
CHRISTIE STANGER
Christie Stanger has a master’s degree in education and has been working with children, parents, and families for over 25 years. She believes in the power of all the arts to help children become confident, creative, and conscientious human beings.
Wendy Morgan-Hunter is a director, mezzo-soprano/dramatic coloratura, and private voice teacher whose passion is to help people find their voice. Wendy returns after last spring’s New Haven Symphony directorial debut of My Fair Lady. She has directed over 35 productions on both coasts including Annie, The 25th Annual Spelling Bee, Once On This Island, Into the Woods, Guys and Dolls, The Music Man and performed opera, oratorio, musical theatre and jazz across the United States, from New York’s Lincoln Center to Los Angeles’ Greek Theatre, and in Europe. Wendy is the founder of Find Your Voice and currently sits on the Board of Beechwood Arts. She just finished her second term as President of the National Association of Teacher’s of Singing’s Connecticut Chapter, which is an organization for professional teachers of singing, and is on the First Selectman of Westport’s Arts Advisory Council. Wendy was a Teaching Artist with the Educational Center for the Arts where she taught theatre and voice and traveled with them on a teaching/performing exchange to China in 2015. Wendy holds a B.M. in Vocal Arts from the University of Southern California where she was the recipient of the Marilyn Horne Endowment Award and moved to Southern Connecticut from Silicon Valley, California 6 years ago. She and her husband Jeff Hunter, the CEO and Founder of Talentism, LLC, are the proud parents of three grown children Morgan- who works with the Clinton Foundation, John a guitarist with Revel in Peace and a senior at Berklee College of Music, and Alexandra, on leave from Emerson College to further her company Q & A Productions- and the many pets their children have left behind.
Leslie C. Smith, CAGO, is currently serving as Director of Music & Organist at Round Hill Church in Greenwich, CT. Previously, she served at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Birmingham, AL and as Artistic Director of Colla Voce, a local sacred chorale. During her graduate studies at Yale, she worked as Director of Music and Liturgical Arts at The United Methodist Church of Westport and Weston. Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Leslie was a member of Peachtree Presbyterian Church and in 2001 recorded an eponymous Christmas album with the Peachtree Handbell Quartet. She holds a Bachelors in Music for Organ Performance and Dalcroze Eurhythmics from the Cleveland Institute of Music where she studied with Todd Wilson and David Brown, and a Masters in Music for Organ Performance from Yale University with a Certificate from Yale's Institute of Sacred Music, studying with Thomas Murray. Leslie received the Henry Fusner Award for achievement in Organ Performance while at CIM and served as Assistant Director of Music and Organist at Disciples Christian Church in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. In addition, she was Founder and Director of the Case Women’s Glee Club, a sister club to the historic Case Men’s Glee Club. She also served as Assistant Director for “Sing Out!”, a biennial benefit concert for the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center which during her time raised over a half million dollars to help women and families in crisis. When not performing and practicing music, she enjoys crafting (mainly crochet), cooking (mainly baking), and cycling (mainly to work off the baking). While in Birmingham, she started a baking company called Bakesmith and served as Head Pastry Chef of James Beard-nominated restaurant Ollie Irene.