About Christine Shay Tang

I have been a musician for as long as I can remember.

When I was in kindergarten, I used to make up my own songs and would scarf down my dinner so I could entertain my parents with my own dazzling dinner show. I carried around a tape recorder wherever I went, in case inspiration hit me and I had a new song in my head.

Growing up, I took every opportunity I could to learn more about music. I began taking piano lessons when I was 4, violin lessons when I was 9, and I would spend my childhood afternoons in my basement singing songs from "Annie" and "The Sound of Music" at the top of my lungs.

In high school, I joined my school choir, performed in musical theatre productions, played in the symphony orchestra, and was drum major in the marching band. The music wing at my high school was pretty much my second home for four years. During that time, I began taking private voice lessons and began to receive recognition at regional and state competitions for my singing. I even ended up winning a trip to Europe in a music competition. (You can hear a recording of me singing at my senior recital by using the media player).

My growing passion and interest in singing led me to the University of Michigan School of Music, where I started out majoring in Vocal Performance and studied with mezzo-soprano, Freda Herseth. During my years at U of M, I enjoyed performing in university and community productions. (You can hear samples of my singing from my college days by using the media player).

While in college, I also pursued my other great love: teaching.

When I was in middle school, I used to walk over to the nearby elementary school and volunteer in teachers' classrooms. As a high school student, I organized a Music Exploration Day for a nearby urban school. Once I was in college, I spent much of my free time working for non-profit organizations and local schools. I volunteered in classrooms, worked at a day care, tutored illiterate adults, served as a camp counselor, was an equations coach, substitute taught, and served as an executive director of a summer camp.

Given my growing interest in teaching and working with children, soon after entering U of M, I decided to get an elementary education degree. For a few years at U of M, I juggled student teaching commitments in the daytime and opera rehearsals at night. I was busy, but I was LOVING EVERY MINUTE!

As my love of singing and teaching grew, starting my own voice studio seemed like a natural next step.

At first, my humble studio consisted mainly of neighbors and friends of my parents. Soon, word of mouth began to spread and my studio expanded. By the time I finished my undergraduate degree, I had about a dozen voice students.

When I graduated from the University of Michigan, I began teaching 3rd grade in the Bloomfield Hills School District. I taught 3rd grade for seven years and 2nd grade for one year. I also taught one year of Kindergarten music and 5th grade music. During the summer, I worked with at-risk students on writing and mathematics. Passionate about school improvement, I served as a leader in my school and in my district, helping other teachers to learn new ways of teaching students about computers, writing, math, and reading. Wanting to learn more about school improvement, I pursued a Masters Degree in Curriculum and Teaching from Michigan State University.

Recently, after 5 years, I left my position as the Visible Thinking & Sustainability Coordinator at Eastover Elementary School. I worked there part time, providing curriculum support and guidance to the staff. I worked with them on how to encourage higher-level thinking in students, and I also helped the school-wide goal of improving the educational environment. I am currently still serving the Bloomfield Hills School district by being a board member of the Bloomfield Hills Schools Foundation and by serving on the Global Education Team.

While I began my teaching career, I also continued my professional singing career.

I performed in the Detroit Opera House chorus and began performing at local events. I often perform at weddings, which is my favorite type of event to sing for! I also help out local choirs by being a guest soloist/chorus member during the holiday season. My vocal studio has continued to grow and some of my former students ended up starting their own professional singing careers! In fact, I may even be taking a voice lesson from one of my former students soon!

Although many of my students are now professional singers or music educators, several of my other students chose NOT to pursue music professionally, but still sing and perform today in community theatre, in a local band, or at church. I love knowing that even though they did not choose a professional career in music, their lessons helped to instill a lifelong love of singing and performing!

During all of those years of professional development, my personal life was changing, as well.

I married my high school sweetheart, whom I had known since the 2nd grade. We now have two beautiful daughters, and I am convinced that they are going to be sopranos, just like their Mommy!

It can sometimes be a little hectic, switching between being a teacher/singer/mom/wife, but I wouldn't have it any other way! I'm loving life right now and I spend my days doing what I love, surrounded by people that I love!

Performances

Headshots