Originally from Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, Andrews is director of choral studies at the University of Redlands. Under her direction, the choral ensembles at Redlands have been invited to perform at festivals and conferences such as the National Collegiate Choral Organization Convention, California Music Educators Association Convention, California All State Music Educators Conference, and Festival 500 Sharing the Voices. She is in high demand across North America as a conductor, adjudicator, and clinician.
Andrews has worked with composers Imant Raminsh, R. Murray Schafer, Alcides Lanza, Krzysztof Penderecki, William Bolcom, Joan Tower, Libby Larsen, Christopher Theofanidis, and Gunther Schuller, and eminent conductors Bramwell Tovey, Sir David Willcocks, Bobby McFerrin, Tõnu Kaljuste, Robert Sund, Frieder Bernius, Georg Tintner, Lydia Adams, and Jon Washburn.
Andrews is currently training as a body mapping clinician (Andover Educator). Her areas of research include the study of performance anxiety in musicians, pitch perception, and awareness of the body through conducting. Her publications can be found in sources such as the Journal of Research in Music Education.
In January 2013, Andrews created the University of Redlands Youth Choir as a training program for both children from surrounding communities and music education students at the University. The program, now in its fourth year, has grown in numbers allowing the creation of a Training Chorus (ages 4-7) as a feeder ensemble for the Youth Choir (ages 8-14).
Having completed her doctorate and master’s in choral conducting at McGill University, Andrews studied with Professor Iwan Edwards, Dr. John Baboukis, and Dr. Julian Wachner. While at McGill University, she taught musicianship, instrumental conducting, and choral conducting. She completed a Bachelor of Music in oboe performance and a Bachelor of Music Education at Memorial University of Newfoundland, where she studied conducting with Dr. Douglas Dunsmore.
Andrews has also taught music in several public schools (kindergarten to grade 12) throughout Canada and England.
PARTICIPATION
Ear Cleaning exercise for children and families.
R. Murray Schafer’s books Ear Cleaning, HearSing and A Sound Education present a variety of pedagogical exercises. The title Ear Cleaning comes from Schafer’s belief that before one can begin musical ear training, they must experience ear cleaning. He wrote, “I have tried always to induce students to notice sounds they have never really listened to before, listen like mad to the sounds of their own environment and the sounds they themselves inject into their environments”.