Tahira Clayton

“Fostering a community that teaches about cultures, emotions, and establishing empathy for our fellow human is truly the reward of a music education.”

B.A., University of North Texas

Voice faculty member Tahira Clayton was born in Shreveport, Louisiana and grew up in Dallas, Texas. She began her musical studies at a very young age and was drawn to the power of the voice. In high school, Tahira was performing in the Grammy Award Winning Plano Senior High A Cappella choir. “There was nothing I felt more drawn to in life than the voice and how it functions.”

As a performer, her favorite music is jazz, rock-soul and R&B. Her favorite composers include Betty Carter, Bill Evans, Lil Hardin Armstrong, Cole Porter, Chopin, Bach, as well as her own original compositions. Her major influences include Carmen McRae, Erykah Badu, and Nina Simone. She enjoys playing in a quartet setting with piano, upright bass, drum set, and voice.

As a teacher, Tahira has a very innate approach to communicating the art of music. She exposes younger minds to song interpretation as well as vocal and performance technique. “Music is the vehicle in which we can teach about humanity. Learning notes and rhythms is very important, but fostering a community that teaches about cultures, emotions, and establishing empathy for our fellow human is truly the reward of a music education.”

When Tahira is not busy performing or teaching she also enjoys cooking, reading, traveling, and nature explorations.