Vocal Jazz Educator Seminar

June 20-22, 2026

About the Seminar

The 9^th annual UNT Vocal Jazz Educator Seminar will be held on the campus of the University of North Texas and led by UNT Director of Vocal Jazz, Jennifer Barnes and co-led by Stacy Cunningham, Director of Choral Music at Leyden High School.

Click Here for info about combining VJES with Vocal Jazz Summer Workshop

Jennifer Barnes

Jennifer Barnes is a highly sought-after vocalist, educator, clinician and arranger and a Professor of Music at the University of North Texas. As Director of Vocal Jazz Studies, Ms.

Barnes oversees all vocal activities within the Division of Jazz Studies at UNT, including four vocal jazz ensembles and directing the award-winning Jazz Singers. She has previously taught at seven other universities, served as a guest conductor for District and All-State Music Festivals in sixteen states, taught jazz vocal improvisation at the Jamey Aebersold Jazz Camps from 1998 through 2015, and was the invited conductor of the inaugural

American Choral Directors Association Honor Jazz Choir in 2025. Her vocal arrangements are published by Sheet Music Plus, Anchor Music Publications, UNC Jazz Press, KerryMarsh.com, and self-published on her website, JenniferBarnesMusic.com. She was awarded the 2016 Jazz Education Achievement Award by DownBeat Magazine, as only the second vocal educator to receive that honor.Ms. Barnes’s voice has been heard in feature films including Wall-E, Ice Age 2, 3 & 4, Enchanted, Star Trek, and the television show Glee as well as the World of Warcraft video games. She has sung on or appeared in advertising for Chili’s Bar & Grill, Epson, Old El Paso and McDonald’s and released a highly acclaimed solo jazz recording, You Taught My Heart. Jennifer is the alto vocalist in the professional vocal group Vertical Voices (with Julia Dollison, Greg Jasperse and Kerry Marsh).Ms. Barnes earned the Master of Music degree from the University of Miami (FL) and the Bachelor of Music degree from Western Michigan University.

Stacy Cunningham

STACY CUNNINGHAM has been developing Leyden High School’s choral curriculum since 2002. In addition tocurricular offerings, she is responsible for the five extra-curricular ensembles and sponsors the West Leyden International
Thespian Society. She served as director and vocal director for many musicals, sponsored the Turnabout Dance, and mentored many student teachers from numerous colleges.
Under her direction, the Leyden choral students have enjoyed many adventures and successes. Her students have
consistently enjoyed opportunities in the Illinois Music Educator Association (ILMEA) District and All-State Festivals and the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) State, Regional and National Honor Choirs. Leyden’s Vocal Jazz Ensemble (VJE) received 6 Downbeat Student Music Awards: Blues/Pop/Rock Group - Outstanding Performance (2018) & Small Vocal Jazz Ensemble - High School Winner (2019, 2020, 2023, 2024, 2025). She received Leyden’s Fern Award
for Fine Teaching, ILMEA’s Mary Hoffman Award (2019) and was inducted into the Evergreen Park Community High School Alumni Wall of Fame (2019).
Cunningham serves as the ILMEA District 1 Vocal Jazz Representative, the ILMEA All State Vocal Jazz Organizational Chair, and on the Illinois Thespian Board. She previously served as the IL-ACDA Vocal Jazz Chair, on the Illinois High
School Theater Festival (IHSTF) Executive Committee and was the Youth Director for the Greek Orthodox Federation of Musicians Choir Conference. She was the Vocal Director for three All State Musicals: Newsies (2026), The Prom (2025)
and Big Fish (2018). The IHSTF 2018 All State production of Big Fish was the first and only Illinois All State Musical to be selected for Nationals. She has served as the Vocal Jazz clinician for ILMEA Districts 5, 6, 7, and 8 and is extremely
honored to have been selected to serve as the 2024 All State Vocal Jazz Ensemble Director. Cunningham has been co-developing a Musical Theater program at Stage Door Dance Academy (SDDA) since 2017. They co-directed The Little Mermaid, Jr. (2019) wrote SDDA’s first Christmas Musical, Winter Wonderland (2021),
co-directed The Wizard of Oz, Jr. (2022), and continue to write scenes/mini-musicals for their classes. She has also worked on many different school musical productions and for several southside community theaters including the 99th Street Summer Theater Festival, Oak Lawn Park District, Beverly Theater Guild and Beverly Arts Center. Beyond teaching, Cuningham is an active liturgical musician and serves as SDDA’s Social Media Manager. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from North Central College in Naperville, Illinois, where she studied Jazz under Janice Borla and Jack Mouse. While there, she received the Directors’ Outstanding Musician Award. Cunningham served as the Assistant Camp Director for the Janice Borla Vocal Jazz Camp for seventeen years where she studied under renowned jazz teachers such as: Floyd Standifer, Judy Neimack, Madeline Eastman, Suzanne Pittson, Peter Eldrige, Rosanna Eckert, & Jay Clayton. Cunningham recently earned a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from National Louis University

Overnight Camper - $700 which includes:
- Registration fee
- Tuition
- Housing
- Three meals per day (Sunday breakfast-Monday lunch)
  - Everyone is invited to join for dinner and fellowship off campus on the first day of the seminar
- Parking
Day Camper - $525 which includes:
- Registration fee
- Tuition
- Lunch & dinner daily (Sunday lunch-Monday lunch)
  - Everyone is invited to join for dinner and fellowship off campus on the first day of the seminar
- Parking
Continuing Education Units Certificate - $20 (optional)

Overnight campers will arrive on Saturday, June 20 for residence hall check in and camp registration and will depart on Monday, June 22. Camp will end no later than 6:30pm on the last day.
Overnight campers have the option to arrive on Friday, June 19 and/or depart on Tuesday, June 23 due to travel needs for an additional fee of $100 per night.
Overnight campers must provide their own bedding (extra-long twin size), pillows, towels, and toiletries.
Day campers will arrive on Saturday, June 20 for camp registration. Camp will end no later than 6:30pm on the last day.

To register, visit https://app.getacceptd.com/untmusicworkshops. Begin by selecting your Area (Jazz) and Program (Vocal Jazz Educator Seminar ONLY). For technical questions, please visit the Acceptd Help Desk.

Registration Deadline

May 1, 2026
- A minimum number of participants is required for the seminar to run. We will let you know ASAP should the seminar be canceled and provide information regarding a refund.
- The $30 registration fee is non-refundable.

Registration Policy

Payment is due in full at the time of registration.
We are unable to provide partial refunds for unused services including meals and parking.
Participants must be at least 18 years of age to participate.
Enrollment is limited.
- Email to be placed on the waitlist if seminar is full – music.camps@unt.edu.

Requested by May 15, 2026 – Full refund less $130 administrative fee
Requested by June 1, 2026 – Full refund less $230 administrative fee
We are unable to provide partial refunds for unused services including meals and parking.
- We are unable to process refunds requested after June 1, 2026.
- No refunds will be made should a participant be dismissed for violating UNT policy or program rules provided on the first day.

*A more detailed schedule will be provided approximately one week before the workshop begins. The schedule is subject to change, and any changes will be communicated to participants in a timely manner.

Day 1 Schedule
3:00 p.m. Check-in/meet and greet!
3:20 Faculty and seminar introductions
3:30 Listening & Watching for Input
4:30 Vocal Jazz History/Sound Concept/Listening session #1
6:00 Warm-ups/Vocalizing/Technique, Part One
6:30 Improvisation: Introduction & Blues
7:15 Culinary Enjoyment & Fellowship!

Day 2 Schedule
9:00 am Warm-ups/Vocalizing/Technique, Part Two
9:20 Improvisation: Call & Response, Trading, Vamps & Lyrics
9:50 Solo Singing Basics
10:30 Listening Session #2
11:00 Jazz Style: Micro-Dynamics & Rhythmic Intensity
11:45 LUNCH BREAK
1:00 Sound Reinforcement - Basics (1strip on a mixing board)
1:20 Individual mic EQ
1:35 Intro to Sound System
1:45 Mics, Compression, EQ, Mains, Monitors
2:45 Sound check protocol
3:10 Circle-Singing
4:00 Repertoire
6:30 Auditions
7:00 Performance Aesthetics: Let’s watch & discuss!
8:00 That’s a wrap!

Day 3 Schedule
9:00 a.m. Warm-ups/Vocalizing/Technique, Part Three
9:20 Improvisation - Syllables, Made-Up Melody, Sing-along, “shedding changes”
10:20 Retreats, Organizations, Festivals
11:00 Vocal Ensemble Rehearsal by co-teacher
11:25 Vocal Ensemble Rehearsal by Jennifer Barnes
11:45 LUNCH BREAK
1:30 Intro to Rhythm Section
1:40 Piano (Acoustic & Electric)
2:00 Piano - everybody plays!
2:20 Guitar (Acoustic & Electric)
2:50 Bass (Acoustic & Electric)
3:10 Bass Demonstration - everybody plays!
3:30 Drum Set
3:50 Drum Set - everybody plays!
4:10 Rhythm section playing a chart together (Wrap-up with Q & A)
5:00 Q & A - What haven’t we covered?
5:30 Seminar Concludes

Additional questions? Please contact us at music.camps@unt.edu or call (940) 369-6541.