I've been so excited to share this blog post since I took Mrs. Morison's headshots back in the middle of March!
Usually, I'm fairly prompt about getting images onto the blog after session, but there was a special reason why I had to save this.
Jane is the recipient of a 2019 Arts Achievement Award! (So, I had to keep that a secret until it was publicly announced in A! Magazine).
Here's what the article said about Jane:
Morison is the artistic director of the Mountain Empire Children's Choral Academy. Under her leadership, the organization has grown to include a Children's Choir and a Chorister Choir in Emory, Virginia, as well as a junior high choir for mixed voices in Johnson City. She has conducted twice at Carnegie Hall, directed MECCA choirs at American Choral Directors Association regional and state conferences and directed at the Festival of the Aegean in Greece. She is on the faculty at Emory & Henry College, King University and the Virginia Suzuki Institute.
What an impressive lady... who I get to call my director!
She does an amazing job with her choirs! She can play the piano so well! Her aural skills are phenomenal! I could continue all day!
Enjoy some of my favorites from her special headshot session!
Remember when I said she's conducted at Carnegie Hall (twice)? Her baton is actually from Carnegie Hall! She doesn't like to brag about it, but I think it's so cool.
I love working with musicians because I get to hear them work their magic while doing my job! Who else gets to enjoy live performances where they work?
There's definitely a little difference between taking pictures of your friends and clients around your age and photographing your professor. I'll be honest, when Jane asked me to do these, I was a bit intimidated. However, her session was just like being with a great friend. We talked about everything from her outfit choices, how her family helped her prep for her session (and would later help her pick which picture to submit for publication), and repertoire for the other ensembles we're apart of. It was truly a lovely time.
Side note: The piano in the Emory & Henry Chapel is gorgeous, and I just had to take a detail shot of it.
See you soon,
Caitlin S. Cornett