The popular music program in ASU's School of Music, Dance and Theatre is excited to welcome Typhanie Monique Coller as a clinical associate professor of popular music and voice.

Coller is a performer, educator and recording artist with more than 25 years of experience in contemporary genres, specializing in improvisation. In addition, she has established careers in jazz recording, songwriting and bandleading, and has served as director of a variety of popular music and jazz ensembles.

“We are thrilled that Typhanie Monique Coller will be joining the popular music faculty,” said Heather Landes, director of the School of Music, Dance and Theatre. “She brings a breadth of knowledge and performance experience, vocal science and pedagogical expertise, and an emphasis on performance practice to our curriculum, all of which complement our current offerings.”

Most of Coller’s academic experience has been in small private institutions, she said, so the innovative energy, campus culture and resources at a large institution sparked her interest and desire to be part of a community like ASU. 

“After learning about ASU and the popular music voice position, I was attracted to the multifaceted curricular offerings and thoughtful vision of the program, all of which aligns with my experience as a performer, educator and entrepreneur,” Coller said. “Connection is important to me. Upon meeting students and faculty in the program, there was a familial palpable synergy that I was drawn to — a creative, open and collaborative spirit.”

Coller said she was inspired to be a performer after attending a Tina Turner and Lionel Richie concert when she was young. After graduating with a degree in music business and concentrated study in jazz, she moved to Chicago to pursue a performance career. She credits being immersed in Chicago’s vibrant and diverse music scene for more than two decades for honing her skills as a professional performer and priming her pedagogical practices for transitioning into education.

An in-demand educator and vocal coach, Coller served on the adjudication panel of the 2015 Thelonious Monk Vocal Jazz Competition. She has studied privately with legendary vocalists Bobby McFerrin, Sheila Jordan and the late Mark Murphy. A lifelong student of the art of singing, Coller is certified in voice science and somatic voicework.

As an educator, Coller is passionate about the advancement of 21st-century teaching practices and visionary leadership.

With more than 12 years as an educator and coordinator in popular, jazz and vocal studies programs, Coller said she hopes to contribute to the growth and expansion of course offerings, cross-departmental collaborations and international programs and workshops in the popular music program. 

Coller’s four critically acclaimed, independently produced albums have captured the ears of Chicago jazz critics and thousands of dedicated fans. She has shared the stage with jazz’s elite, including Joe Lovano, Chris Potter, The Manhattan Transfer and Mavis Staples. Coller has graced jazz’s most distinguished venues, including Chicago’s Jazz Showcase, the Green Mill, Old Town School of Folk Music and City Winery, the Sheldon Concert Hall in St. Louis, the Kitano and Smalls jazz clubs in New York, the Jazz Kitchen in Indianapolis, Dazzle in Denver, the Union of Composer’s Club in Moscow, Russia, Picasso in Kiev, Ukraine, and the Dakota in Minneapolis. She has performed at major outdoor festivals including the Chicago Jazz Festival, Vogue Design Festival in Moscow, Russia, SummerFest, Taste of Chicago, Isthmus Jazz Festival and Third Ward Jazz Festival. 

She was also a co-writer of "Lemonade," a song made famous by Olivia Rodrigo of the Disney Channel’s “Bizaardvark” TV show, with over 18 million views.   

“I am thrilled about the opportunity to contribute my love for improvisation, collaboration, voice science, popular music styles, artistic exploration and holistic pedagogy practices to the music students and community at ASU,” Coller said.