Maria Sherla Najera
Vocal Pedagogy and Performance, Music Education and Community Music Education and Service Learning.
Assistant Professor, current chair of the Music Education Department and an adjunct faculty member of the Voice Department of the College of Music, University of the Philippines. ** on study leave June/July 2023 onwards
Department:
Music Education
Education:
Master of Music, Music Education (University of the Philippines Diliman)
Bachelor of Music, Voice, cum laude (University of the Philippines Diliman)
She teaches methods for voice class, vocal pedagogy and practicum and performance, music education foundations, music education leadership, graduate thesis, and community music-service learning under the National Service Training Program (NSTP).
Performances:
She performed as soprano soloist in Handel’s Messiah for 3 years of the College of Music University of the Philippines, essayed the role of Belinda in Henry Purcell’s opera Dido and Aeneas and Maria Clara in Felipe Padilla Sr.’s opera Noli Me Tangere. She performed as soloist and chorister at the UP Abelardo Hall, Paco Park Presents, Philam Life Auditorium, Cultural Center of the Philippines and International Bamboo Organ Festivals, among others. Her repertoire includes early music, opera arias, art songs, and kundiman and contemporary commercial music. She has been invited as guest performer in the country and abroad in Malaysia and Singapore.
Research:
Presented papers on Music Education For All: Open School of Music, co-author, APSMER 2019, 12th Asia-Pacific Symposium for Music Education Research. (Macao, July 2019); Strike a Chord: Harmonizing Music with Service , APSMER2017 (Malaysia July 2017) Empowering Lives through Community Music: A 3-Year Study of an Informal Music Education of Children in Payatas, Philippines, 3rd AsiaEngage Regional Conference (Manila November 2016); Community Music Service Learning in Payatas, 1st Colleges and Universities Public Service Conference , Open University (University of the Philippines Los Banos November 2015); Music in Mission: Community Music for Nation-Building Antibes 13th International Academic Conference organized by The International Institute of Social and Economic Sciences IISES (Antibes, France. September 2014); Researches on vocal resonation and vowel migration in 2009 for collaborative projects and author in 2005 of the UP-OVCRD funded research on vowel formants and perception of sung vowels. Salzburg Seminar Fellow, Instrumental Value: The Transformative Power of Music, (Austria, April 2011).
Public Service:
She is the music director and conductor of the Daniw Choir- Kalinangan Youth Foundation since 1997; Rural Service Projects RSP Medical Mission and Youth Leadership Workshops Gerona, Tarlac 2015-2017; Balanga, Bataan 2006-2007; Volunteer, Music and Movement, indigent kids of Park 7 Katipunan, organized by UP Klub Tala in collaboration with UP Music Education, 2008; Event Director, Yan ang Pinay: Young Filipina Achievers 2011 featuring Miro Capili, youngest 3 time Palanca awardee; Reese Fernandez Young Laureate award Rolex awardee for Social Enterpreneurship and Sunshine Plata, world-renowned coffee painter; Open School of Music, Free Music Lessons for the UP Barangays 2017-2018, 2018-2019; Voice Training for UP Parish Youth Choir members 2013-2016;2018; Community Music Education for PAOFI & CCMFI, Payatas 2013-2014. Program Leader, Leap to Lead, University Students Leadership Seminar. Kalinangan Youth Foundation, Inc-LEAD Youth Leadership Training- Mentor since 2013.