Conductor, Off The Street Club & In-School Program; Social-Emotional Learning Specialist
Heather Stewart directs the Garfield Park/Off The Street Club Neighborhood Choir as well as School Program choirs for Uniting Voices Chicago. She also serves as the chair of Social-Emotional Learning for the organization, where she researches and designs curriculum that integrates SEL skills into Uniting Voices programming. Heather has provided professional development and has guest lectured on topics related to SEL in music for K-12 school districts and at colleges/universities, including Northwestern University. She was also a featured speaker at SXSW EDU in 2024. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Education degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Masters of Music Education from Northwestern University.
Prior to joining UVC in 2018, Heather pursued many formative roles as an educator and musician in diverse schools and cities across the country. She taught general music, bands, choirs and gained extensive experience working as an autism therapist and teacher in special education classrooms. One of Heather’s most treasured roles was that of director of the Academy of Music and Arts for Special Education (“AMASE”) Community Choir during her time at Northwestern University.
Throughout her many experiences, Heather found her distinct love for choral music education and became a decorated conductor, having coached her choirs to many highest-rated “Superior”-level performances at state and regional competitions across Texas. Heather has performed with esteemed ensembles such as the Isthmus Vocal Ensemble (WI), Madison Chamber Choir (WI), Alexandria Choral Society (VA), and Alexandria Symphony Chorus (VA). She studied choral conducting with Dr. Bruce Gladstone and Grammy Award-winning choral conductor Dr. Donald Nally.
Heather believes that everyone has the potential to inspire and change lives through singing. Not only is Heather passionate about empowering singers through voice science education, but she is also passionate about teaching social justice through music with healing-centered and culturally responsive pedagogies.
