Shelley has been a voice teacher for over seventeen years. She holds a Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance from Yale University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa.  

Shelley's teaching is rooted in the classical style, which promotes healthy singing through proper breathing, posture, and relaxation. She specializes in classical and Broadway theater repertoire, but her students enjoy performing folk, jazz, and other styles of music as well. She also specializes in foreign languages and is very detailed and organized. With her love of piano, Shelley enjoys teaching beginners a good solid technique in a positive and rewarding environment. Since piano has been an integral part of her life and teaching, she looks forward to introducing youngsters to the wonderful world of the keyboard! Along with voice and piano, Shelley has devoted eleven years of teaching Kindermusik® to newborns - seven year olds. Many of her Kindermusik families have grown through and 'graduated' into her private studio. Shelley cares about her students and invests her time helping them reach their full potential. She believes anyone can play or sing, whether five or seventy-five, and is rewarded each and everyday when she helps students achieve their personal goals.   

Shelley's past and present students have performed in the American Girl "Circle of Friends" show in Chicago, the Theater Building Chicago, Drury Lane, and have sung leading and supporting roles in their school and other theater productions. They have and are singing with Young Naperville Singers and in their school's traditional, chamber, and show choirs. Some of her students are now studying at DePaul University, Indiana University, the University of Illinois, and Calvin College.

Shelley's leading operetta and operatic roles include Rosalinde in "Die Fledermaus", Louisa Giovanni from Grieg's "Song of Norway", and Cornelia in "Julio Cesar". Her numerous solo appearance repertoire includes Handel's "Messiah" (alto and soprano), Vivaldi's "Gloria" and "Dixit Dominus", Bach's "Magnificat" and numerous cantatas, Mozart's "Requiem" and "Vespers", Mendelssohn's "St. Paul", "Elijah", and "Auf Tiefer Not", Haydn's "Nelson Mass" (d minor mass), and Copland's "In the Beginning". As a choral musician Shelley has sung with the Chicago Symphony Chorus under the baton of Georg Solti, Daniel Barenboim, Pierre Boulez, and Margaret Hillis. A true highlight was singing at Carnegie Hall and sharing the stage with Luciano Pavarotti, Kiri Te Kanawa, and Leo Nucci.

"Without music, life is a journey through a desert." Pat Conway