Dr. Lara Brooks

Dr. Brooks is a Lecturer of Voice at The Ohio State University where she teaches Classical, Musical Theatre, and CCM voice. As an Estill Figure Proficiency teacher, she is currently working towards being an Estill Master Trainer.

Dr. Brooks holds her Doctor of Musical Arts in Jazz Studies and her Masters in Classical Vocal Performance and Literature from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and her Bachelor of Music Education and Bachelor of Music Vocal Performance from Central Michigan University.

Dr. Lara Semetko-Brooks is a versatile soprano known for her silvery voice and energetic presence on the stage. She has performed with Opera Kansas, Michigan Opera Theatre, Lyric Theatre @ Illinois, The Forum Theatre, Greensboro Light Opera, in such roles as Mabel in Pirates of Penzance, Tytania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Eurydice in Orphée Aux Enfers, Clara Johnson in Light in the Piazza, Belle in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, and Lilli Vanessi in Kiss Me, Kate.

As a contemporary voice specialist, Dr. Brooks frequently presents workshops regarding flexible voice technique and cross-training of vocalists. Sessions ranging from “Crossing Genres: A Classical Singer’s Guide to Jazz”, “I’m Not Singing Opera Today”, to “Healthy Belting Techniques for Classical Singers” have been presented at The International Congress of Voice Teachers in Stockholm, Sweden, The National Association of Teachers of Singing, Kansas Music Education Association, Jazz Education Network, SHSU Art Song Festival, and to universities and high schools throughout the Mid and Interior West. She is passionate about teaching functional voice and allowing vocalists to explore all styles of music. Her research interests lie in updating educational curriculum to meet the demands of the industry for Vocal Athletes.