Adjunct Faculty
Areas of Expertise: Voice
Sarah K. Decker, soprano, is an honors graduate of the Greatbatch School of Music in Houghton, New York, where she earned a Bachelor of Music in vocal performance. Undergraduate teachers include Shirley M. Close, Dr. Benjamin R. King, and post-graduate, Dr. Susan M. Boardman, professor emeritus, the Pennsylvania State University.
As a vocal pedagogue, Decker maintains a private voice studio in Williamsport and places importance on continuing her education to best serve her students. A member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, she was one of fourteen recipients of the 2018 Joan Frey Boytim Award for Independent Teachers, a fellowship awarding attendance to the NATS National Conference in Las Vegas. The summer of 2019 was spent learning pedagogy for contemporary commercial singing styles at the CCM Vocal Pedagogy Institute at Shenandoah University, prompting further work with faculty member Jessica Baldwin in a Teacher Development Group designed specifically for classically-trained teachers who work with CCM singers.
No stranger to the stage, Decker’s versatility as a performer blends genres, eras, and performing situations. Favorite collegiate operatic credits include Mozart’s Impresario (Frau Silberklang) and Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah (title role). A supporter of local theatre, she impressed as Marian Paroo in the Community Theatre League’s The Music Man and more
recently as part of Christ Wesleyan Theatre’s Beauty and the Beast. Additional community endeavors include singing as a soloist with the Williamsport Symphony Orchestra, Williamsport Civic Chorus, the Williamsport Music Club’s Annual Messiah, Victorian Christmas tours, and as a recitalist in the greater Williamsport area.
On a personal note, Sarah recently developed a love of songwriting. Whether sitting at the piano or strumming on her ukulele, she enjoys the freedom and creativity fostered through the development of new music for herself and for the community. This new endeavor led her to launch a summer music class of original material, City Harmony, for young musicians. This spirit of discovery influences not only her writing, but her teaching and performing.