Chicago

Matthew Brennan (he/him) has been a proud ArtSmart mentor in his hometown of Chicago since the 2019-2020 school year. He holds a Master of Music degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music and a Bachelor of Music degree from Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music. He works regularly as a soloist and ensemble singer in and around Chicago with ensembles including Chicago a cappella, Music of the Baroque, the Chicago Symphony Chorus, and Constellation Men’s Ensemble. His teaching is infused with the belief that growing as a musician means growing one’s sense of empathy, which serves us as performers and, more broadly, as humans.

Mentoring Philosophy
A good mentor creates a safe, nurturing, and supportive environment that lets a young singer blossom into their most authentic, expressive self. At the same time, a good mentor helps students set personal goals for growth and holds those students accountable to themselves.

“Practice makes permanent.”

Ryan Daly (they/him) has been an ArtSmart Mentor since 2022. Based in Chicago, they are an active performer and educator both in the Chicago area and across the country. Heard with companies like the Opera Festival of Chicago, Opera Omaha, and Shreveport Opera, some of Ryan’s favorite roles include Don José in Carmen, Tito in La Clemenza di Tito, and Tamino in Die Zauberflöte. Ryan holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from Abilene Christian University and a Master of Music degree in Opera from Temple University. As a teacher, Ryan has had students accepted into conservatory-level programs for musical theater and voice, including Roosevelt University, Columbia College, and Temple University. Professionally, former students of Ryan’s have performed with regional companies like the Hershey Theater and the Maples Repertory Theater. When they’re not teaching, Ryan enjoys tending to their many houseplants.

Mentoring Philosophy
I believe the most important trait in a mentor is the ability to listen with empathy. Singing is a beautiful way to express and access emotions, and creating a safe space to experience that is incredibly important to me.

“Failure is an opportunity to learn, not something to fear.”

Kansas City native Aaron Short (he/him) has been an ArtSmart Mentor for three years. Aaron has sung leading and featured roles with many national and international opera companies and symphonies, including Dallas Opera, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Nashville Opera, Chicago Opera Theater, Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Lyric Unlimited, Knoxville Opera, Knoxville Symphony, and the Festival Lyrique-en-Mer in Belle-île, France. Aaron is an alumnus of Wichita State University and Manhattan School of Music and is finishing a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Voice & Opera Performance at Northwestern University. Aaron has taught private voice lessons since 2016, most recently at North Central College in Naperville, IL. His goals as a teacher revolve around the individuality and uniqueness of every student and their vocal instrument. He endeavors to foster good instincts and build confidence and self-sustaining habits that his students can rely on outside of the studio and into the future. 

Mentoring Philosophy
A good mentor should always meet the students where they are, and strive to demonstrate the value of setting specific goals both within and outside of singing. The voice is a gift, and I want to help all my students cultivate that gift, and never forget the joy that brought them to music in the first place.

“Those who wish to sing always find a song.” – Swedish Proverb