Stetson University Young Singers
The Stetson Young Singers’ program believes every child has a voice and a place to belong. We welcome singers in 3rd grade and older, with all levels of experience, to join a program where students grow not only as singers, but also in confidence, discipline, teamwork, and friendships.
We strive to build professional-level ensembles that challenge and inspire young musicians while creating an environment where students feel supported, valued, and proud of the music they create together. Most of our singers stay in the program for many years because it becomes more than a choir, it becomes a community.
This year's theme: Music of the Americas
Join us on Monday (Apprentice and Young Singers choirs)/Thursday (Discovery choir) nights to see what joining the SYS program will do to help your young singer find their voice.
Click here to view our 2026-27 season overview with important dates and details.
- Young Singers Discovery Choir meets on Thursdays, 5:15-6:15 p.m., Presser Hall, room 132
- Registration fee: $200
- Melinda Fradley, conductor
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- Young Singers Apprentice Choir meets on Mondays, 5:30-6:45 p.m., Presser Hall, room 352
- Registration fee: $250
- Melinda Fradley & Angie Monahan, conductors
- Young Singers Choir meets Mondays, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Presser Hall, room 352
- Registration fee: $300
- Melinda Fradley, conductor
Melinda Fradley is the Artistic Director of the Stetson University Young Singers and teaches at DeLand Middle School, where she leads two thriving choral programs. Known for her warmth, creativity, and dedication to student growth, she previously served as artistic director of the DeLand High School Chorus and began her career teaching elementary music.
Melinda studied music education at Stetson University under Dr. Ann Small and later served for ten years as a conductor with the Stetson University Children’s Choir.
Following Dr. Small’s passing in December 2021, Melinda helped restore the children’s choral program at Stetson, continuing the legacy Dr. Small had worked so hard to build. Since its relaunch in summer 2022, the Stetson University Young Singers have steadily grown into a renewed and treasured musical community.
Under Melinda’s leadership, the Young Singers have collaborated with composers and conductors including Dan Forrest and Sylvester Otieno, as well as organizations such as Lumina Choir, the Girls’ Choir of South Florida, and SING in Savannah. The ensemble has performed with Stetson’s collegiate ensembles and participated in a world premiere with the Stetson Concert Choir and the Orlando Philharmonic. The choir has also traveled to South Florida, Savannah, and Nashville for performances and collaborations.
In 2019, Melinda served as the Jean Faircloth Principal Conductor for the Savannah Children’s Choir and taught as a guest professor at the City University of Beijing in China. She holds a Bachelor of Music Education and a Master of Educational Leadership from Stetson University.
A sought-after clinician, adjudicator, and mentor, Melinda serves as the Florida ACDA Honors Chair and is active in NAfME and ACDA. She sings professionally with Orlando Sings and is a longtime member and past president of The Festival Singers of Florida. Melinda has twice been named Teacher of the Year—at McInnis Elementary School in 1999 and DeLand High School in 2014. She is passionate about helping young people become confident, compassionate, and connected musicians.
A graduate of Stetson University with a degree in Music Education, Mrs. Monahan began her teaching career at Mainland High School, where she taught Chorus and Musical Theatre for twelve years.
Throughout her career, she has worked with choirs and soloists across Volusia County as an accompanist, clinician, and conductor. She has also performed at the Florida Music Educators Conference and, in 2022, directed the first Volusia All-County Ukulele Ensemble.
In addition to her work in public school education, Angie serves as Associate Conductor and Collaborative Artist for the Stetson University Young Singers, working alongside Artistic Director Melinda Fradley. Angie and Melinda have been colleagues and close friends for more than two decades. In recent years, they have joined their expertise and shared passion through the Stetson Young Singers program, helping to grow and strengthen this important musical community. The program is especially meaningful to Angie as a parent, as two of her daughters have participated in the ensemble.
Throughout her career, Mrs. Monahan has collaborated with respected choral artists and educators, including Brandon Boyd, Russell Robinson, Kevin Fenton, Andrew Minear, Tim Peter, Jason Max Ferdinand, Cara Tasher, and David Brunner. She is passionate about helping students build confidence, find their voices, and experience the joy of making music together. She believes music has a unique ability to build community and create lifelong memories for students and families.
Outside of school, Angie is a wife and mother of three. She enjoys supporting her children in their musical and athletic activities, serving on local band boards, performing in her church praise band, reading, solving puzzles, indulging in chocolate, and shopping at TJ Maxx.
Rest of the team:
- Lisa Nall, Collaborating Artist
- Jenny Ridgway, Choir Operations, SYS Alum
- Iris Lancaster, Collaborating Artist, Vocal Coach, Music Teacher
- Ellen Samaha, Rehearsal Assistant, SYS Alum
- Zoey Zancara, Rehearsal Assistant, Music Teacher
- Alex Fisher, Rehearsal Assistant, Stetson Alum
- Jonathan Anderson, Rehearsal Assistant, Vocal Coach, Choral Professor, Daytona State, Stetson Alum
- Sophia Maritz, Rehearsal Assistant, Stetson Music Ed Student
- Eloisy Gonzalves, Rehearsal Assistant, Stetson Music Ed Student
- Grace Wieckowski, Rehearsal Assistant, Stetson Music Ed Student
- Stetson University Oversight of SYS Program: Sara Scarpelli, Director of Community Outreach, School of Music
Dr. Ann Roberts Small, Professor Emerita at Stetson University, was more than a distinguished educator—she was a visionary who believed deeply in the beauty, dignity, and power of children’s voices.
As the founder and artistic director of the Stetson University Children’s Choir, she created not just a program, but a place where young singers were seen, shaped, and inspired.
Her academic journey—from Wheaton College to Auburn University and ultimately Florida State University—prepared her for a life of leadership, but it was her heart for teaching that defined her legacy.
Dr. Small was a guiding force in music education, sharing her knowledge through published work, workshops, and clinics that influenced teachers and singers across the country.
She was a respected leader among her peers, serving as president of the Florida College Music Educators Association and the Association for Choral Music Education, and lending her voice and insight to the American Choral Directors Association, including its Choral Journal. Her work took her across the United States and beyond—conducting All-State choirs, adjudicating festivals, and lecturing at esteemed institutions—yet she never lost sight of what mattered most: the individual child standing in front of her. Under her direction, her choirs sang on some of the most respected stages in the choral world, representing excellence at national and regional conventions.
But her greatest achievement was never the performance—it was the people. Generations of singers carry her influence, not only in how they sing, but in how they listen, lead, and love music. Dr. Small held both the Master-Teacher and Artist-Teacher Diplomas from the Choral Music Experience Institute and served as a teaching associate, shaping not only young singers, but the educators who would go on to shape others. Her legacy is not confined to accolades or titles. It lives on in the sound of children singing with confidence and joy… in the teachers who continue her work… and in the enduring belief that every child’s voice matters.
Questions?
Melinda Fradley, Artistic Director, Stetson Young Singers: [email protected]