Melissa Voss
Music Studio Owner & Teacher: Brass, Woodwinds, Piano, Strings & Voice
Music studio owner, Melissa, loves to teach! Experiences include 0-6 years old general music; fifth-eighth grade band; high school band and high school classes for music theory, music history, sight-singing, aural skills and brass ensembles. Melissa's students have been selected to the Iowa All-State Music Festival and the Iowa All-8th Grade Honor Band. Soloists and ensembles have received consistent Division I "Superior" ratings at Iowa state festivals.
Along with teaching, Melissa loves to perform. Orchestral experiences include the Cedar Rapids Metropolitan Orchestra, Orchestra Iowa, Muscatine Symphony Orchestra, St. Ambrose University Orchestra and the University of Iowa Symphony Orchestra.
She currently plays in the Cedar Rapids Municipal Band and has been a member of the Iowa City Community Band, LeMars Community Band, Waterloo Municipal Band and the Siouxland All-America Band.
Musical theatre experiences include South Pacific, Anything Goes, The Sound of Music, West Side Story, A Sondheim Gala, La bohème, Oklahoma, Into the Woods, State Fair, The Music Man and The Nutcracker.
While studying at Wartburg College, earning her Bachelor of Music Education Degree under the direction of Dr. Craig A. Hancock, the band traveled and performed in Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas and Wisconsin. They also traveled outside of the United States, touring Europe: Czech Republic, Austria, Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands and Great Britain. Under the direction of Dr. Myron Welch, earning her Master of Music Degree in Trumpet Performance, the Symphony Band at the University of Iowa performed at Carnegie Hall in New York.
Professional affiliations include the Iowa Bandmasters Association, Northeast Iowa Bandmasters Association and the Iowa State Education Association. Melissa has also served as the Southeast Area Chair of the Iowa Music Educators Association.
In 2015, Melissa was teaching 40 students in the studio. When she hit her goal of 40 students, she hired her first teacher, Ginny Armstrong. Ginny is still teaching through the studio, along with Hsin-Hui.
In 2021, Melissa received a Music Grant from the Peter R. Marsh Foundation for $1000 to use for music education materials for her 6th grade band students. Sixth grade band students performed online for the senior citizens at the Bridge Senior Center in Cedar Rapids and talked with the audience members after each performance about their experience learning how to play a band instrument.
In 2023, Melissa's 6th grade band learned how to control their brain waves by learning about the connections between brain science, mental well-being and music. Christina Farrell, Director of Throughline Arts and Jason Snell, Creative Technologist collaborated with Melissa's 6th grade band to explore the combination of science and music that support students social-emotional wellness. Jason created the ME Station (M = mind, meditation, music, midi and E = EEG, exploration, electricity, enhancement) using EEG Technology and Music to read brain waves. The EEG data from the brain waves of students created electronic music. The neurofeedback technology provided students insight into how the brain works. The students learned simple mindfulness strategies to change their brain state and composed their own instrumental piece to express what they learned about the brain.
In Spring 2023 and Spring 2027, Melissa was the recipient of a Professional Excellence Grant from the Cedar Rapids Community Schools Foundation. These grants provide funding for continued professional development.
In Spring 2023, Melissa was awarded an Excellence in Education Award from the Iowa State Education Association. In a newspaper article, "Beloved middle school teacher’ finds unique ways to nurture students’ creativity and talents," by Grace King, Voss was chosen from a field of top educators nominated by colleagues, students, parents and community members because of the difference she makes in the lives of her students, according to a news release from the Iowa State Education Association.
“This award is truly about recognizing the educators who work hard daily and rarely get the recognition they deserve,” said Mike Beranek, president of the Iowa State Education Association, which works to promote, advance and protect public education and the education profession.
“The nominations we receive are a testament to the dedication and compassion educators have for their students and the communities in which they live. Educators go above and beyond to help shape the lives of the students in their care,” Beranek said. Voss is a “beloved middle school teacher” who finds unique ways to meet her students where they are and nurture their creativity and talents, according to a news release from the Iowa State Education Association.
Last fall, Voss worked closely with a researcher from the University of Iowa and a creative technologist on a multiweek residency to help children recognize how their body, behavior and brain are connected, and how they can learn to control their own mental state.
The ME Residency — which stands for mind, meditation, music, exploration, electricity and enhancement — was aimed at making connections between brain science, mental well-being, music and technology through a series of workshops through a unique hands-on experience.
Students wore a neurofeedback headband and made music with their brain waves with software developed by researchers. The headband measured the electrical activity of brain waves and the software converted that information into music.
The goal was to give children the experience of observing their own brain activity and to try out strategies like deep breathing, visualization and muscle relaxation to change their mental state in a captivating and creative way.
The project involved many extra hours of preparation and learning by Voss and her students. After years in the field, Voss still looks for new and innovative ways to excite her students and elevate their interests and skills. She is a lifelong learner and relishes the challenges and rewards in her profession.
“It’s clear that Melissa’s compassion, dedication and heart all combine to make a tremendous impact in her student’s lives, and we applaud her achievements,” Beranek said. “The Excellence in Education Award celebrates educators like Melissa who are invested in the lives of their students and go beyond what is expected to make an exceptional experience for them.”
The 2023 Excellence in Education Award winner is Cedar Falls High School band director Kyle Engelhardt. As winner of the award, Engelhardt also is the Iowa State Education Association’s nominee for the National Education Association Awards for Teaching Excellence.
Runners-up for the Excellence in Education Award are Erin Frerichs, a teacher leader at Okoboji Community Schools; Jane Gude, an elementary teacher at Spencer Community Schools; and Melissa Voss, a middle school teacher at Cedar Rapids Community Schools.
Melissa has all the qualities of an excellent teacher. She is patient, engaging, understanding and consistently supportive of her students' growth. She is calm and fully in control of her lessons. She is respectful and never raises her voice. She is empathetic to her students emotional needs. It is a pleasure to see her teach.
Melissa is able to meet my son where he’s at on his piano journey, and she’s helped instill a confidence in him to go further! It’s been amazing to watch his skills grow each week along with his appreciation of music and making it! Our family highly recommends Melissa for your one-on-one music lessons.
My girls love their piano lessons and look forward each week they meet. Melissa is a wonderful teacher and has been flexible at helping my girls even with extra pieces to play for church. Her expertise and love for what she does is evident...we can’t say enough good things about Melissa's Music Studio.