"I had the privilege of knowing JoEllyn as a music teacher in the classroom and as a private vocal instructor throughout my time in high school. To say that JoEllyn positively impacted my life would be a HUGE understatement. I had always wanted to take voice lessons and JoEllyn went above and beyond to make it possible for me. In my voice lessons with JoEllyn, she taught me many musical skills that I never even knew I needed. She pushed me to be the best musician I could be and I still carry those skills with me to this day. My biggest takeaway from working with JoEllyn would be building my confidence. JoEllyn helped me get over my performance anxiety by encouraging me to sing solos in school and in her voice recitals. She truly fostered my passion for music and helped me figure out what I wanted to do in life. She was instrumental in helping me prepare for my college auditions and gave me all the skills I’d need to pursue a career in music. Now I am a high school choir director working with students of my own - truly a full-circle moment. I can only hope to inspire students the way JoEllyn has inspired me. I have always admired her talent and how involved she is in numerous musical organizations. The thing I admire most about JoEllyn is her kindness. She has the biggest heart I’ve ever seen and has definitely changed my life for the better. If there is one thing that’s certain about JoEllyn, it is that she will make you feel seen and loved, and she will always be there to support you. She has made me a better musician, but more importantly, she has made me a better person."
~ Marissa Martinez B.M.; Former Student and Auburn High School Choir Director; Rockford, IL
“JoEllyn is a gifted musician with extraordinary vocal talents. Her performances of contemporary solo repertoire are exquisite. She is a joy to work with and I look forward to every opportunity to make music with her. She has unending enthusiasm for her students and their successes are a grand testament to JoEllyn's teaching skills.”
~ Eric A. Johnson D.M.A.; Founding Artistic Director of Cor Cantiamo and Director of Choral Activities, Northern Illinois University.
“Operation Welcome You Home has been honored to have JoEllyn sing the National Anthem at many of our Missions. JoEllyn sings with her heart and with her beautiful voice it is the most emotional rendition of the Anthem we have experienced. Words cannot express our gratitude and appreciation for her tremendous and heartwarming performances for our Military Heroes!”
~ Donna Morsovillo; founder, Operation Welcome You Home, NFP
“Ms. Caulfield brilliantly performed my song cycle, A Winter Come, during my residency at Northern Illinois University. This six-song cycle on poems by Howard Moss, former long-time poetry editor of the New Yorker, has become a standard in the repertoire of contemporary art songs and I have heard it performed many times since its premiere in 1967.”
“Ms. Caulfield’s rendition was among the finest ever. She exhibited a gorgeous voice and superb musicality throughout her performance. Her vocal artistry is remarkable.”
~ Morten Lauridsen; Distinguished Professor of Composition, USC Thornton School of Music; NEA-Designated “American Choral Master” Recipient, 2007 National Medal of Arts
"I’m a 26-year-old professional musician who took lessons from JoEllyn Caulfield for 6+ years. I studied with her from 7th-12th grade and even went back on college breaks for additional help. Her teaching style was always rooted in support and I really felt cared for whilst being driven to practice and gain the highest success possible. Her dedication was a main reason I decided that music could be a full-time career possibility, despite deciding to get a college degree in another discipline. I now teach my own voice and piano students on weekdays and perform regularly on the weekends. JoEllyn helped build my foundation in music and I’m eternally grateful! We still keep in touch today and I truly think that I wouldn’t be where I am today without her."
~ Rachel Goodman; Former Student, Professional Musician and Educator
"I have known JoEllyn for many years, both as a voice teacher and vocalist, and she is exemplary in both areas. As a choral director, I have sent many of my students to her over the years for private voice instruction. She is a fantastic vocal technician, and the breadth and depth she demonstrates of vocal technique and repertoire have helped many of my students further develop their voices and realize their own potential. Even more importantly, though, JoEllyn establishes strong relationships with her students and always guides her instruction from a place of empathy and personal connection. As a performer, she has an amazing facility and control of her soprano, and frequently is called upon to tackle some very challenging solo work, which she handles with precision, power, and expressiveness. There are few musicians out there who are gifted as both educators and performers, but JoEllyn is easily one of them."
~ David Pfenninger; Gregory Middle School Choir Director and Professional Singer
"Both of my daughters were students of JoEllyn’s for seven years each! We consider her like family. JoEllyn is remarkably skilled as a teacher and a performer. From an early age she had thought my daughter had a classical voice and encouraged her to remain singing in that genre and she had a pivotal role in how my daughter is now pursuing her Master’s Degree in Vocal performance as a classical coloratura soprano. JoEllyn was steadfast in not only teaching them vocal skills but she was very focused on them learning in a healthy way. We owe so much to her."
~ Erin Brodnick; Parent
"I had the pleasure of studying with Jo while in middle/high school, from 2014-2020. I am now a junior music education major at Luther College and am heavily involved in vocal performance and opera here, and I strongly accredit the prestigious Brudos opera prize I was awarded to her. She gave me an extremely strong foundation not only in vocal technique and performance practices, but music literacy and confidence. I left every lesson with Jo feeling like I had not only learned something musically, but about myself. She is the most supportive and positive musical figure I have had throughout my entire musical career. I still come home and take lessons with Jo on breaks, and continue to learn so much about the voice and vocal pedagogy. To this day, she cares about me not only in my musical career, but as a human being. Jo inspired me to pursue performance and education, because she is the prime example that it is possible to be exemplary at both. She is a brilliant pedagogue and teacher, and I don’t know where I would be without her guidance. I owe so very much to Jo!"
~ Jami Dietz; Student and Future Music Educator
"I worked with JoEllyn from 10th-12th grade, and feel that she gave me an excellent foundation to pursue collegiate voice studies and a subsequent career as a private voice teacher and performer. The teachers I worked with in college and graduate school remarked on the skills I learned while I studied with JoEllyn, and the advanced nature of the repertoire we worked on. I am grateful that JoEllyn worked on music with me that I would continue to use as my performing career progressed. I learned “Quia respexit” from Bach’s Magnificat as a junior in high school, and later performed it with orchestra as a graduate student.
One of the things I appreciated most about JoEllyn’s teaching was her kindness and her warmth. I have since encountered some teachers who believe that in order to teach effectively, they should be very harsh with their students. Thankfully, this was far from my experience with JoEllyn. Singing is quite a vulnerable endeavor, and JoEllyn always made me feel supported and encouraged. I believe this showed me what I should look for in subsequent teachers, and influenced the way I interact with my own students today."
~ Maggie Wolfe M.M.; Former Student, Professional Singer and Educator
“I met JoEllyn for my first voice lesson when I was 13 years old. The very first song she ever helped me learn was for a Solo & Ensemble competition that I had never participated in before. I was singing, “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly?” from My Fair Lady. Little did I know that she would help me unlock something so special and so wonderful, I would still be making music 17 years later.
JoEllyn was, and continues to be, a brilliant and diligent teacher to her voice students. Her instruction to me as a teenager prepared me to be not only a great student and performer in my college years, but also as I continue to sing into my adulthood. Creative and highly intuitive, JoEllyn pays close attention to her students and assesses their skills with careful planning and personalized exercises. I’ll never forget balancing textbooks on my belly to build breathe support, or staring at my own reflection in a mirror as I learned to lift my upper lip - all while she mimicked me over my shoulder. These key building blocks have guided me as a performer and a singer, and now as a vocal coach myself. If you are ever given the opportunity to sing alongside JoEllyn, do so. I guarantee you will learn something wonderful.”
~ Chloe Bluml-Gracias B.A.; Former Student, Performer and Administrator for Opera on Tap Chicago
"As a student of JoEllyn’s from middle school and in college, I can say that she’s both an extraordinary mentor and an amazing vocalist. Everytime I’ve heard her sing, she has always been able to show just what it means to truly be dedicated to her craft. She makes it her sole duty to bring the best out of her students while also making sure to push them out of their comfort zones so they can explore their talents even further. I don’t recall ever leaving a single lesson feeling scolded or disappointed!"
~ AJ Cruz; Student and Chorister