Jane Schurter, Owner & Instructor

• BS-Music from Illinois State University
• MA-Education from Greenville University 

Jane created Smolen Music Studio in 2002, and rebranded to Ossia Music Studio in 2024. She currently teaches an active studio of voice and piano students. Jane’s area of research is private music instruction, specifically attitudes and approaches of teachers to differentiated instruction in a private music setting.  

Mentoring and encouraging private music teachers is a privilege and delight. Specializing in mentoring young teachers, Jane focuses discussion on metacognition  to manage student perceptions, and on how to include elements of identity appropriately into instruction, and practically managing expectations of lessons.  Jane emphasizes beginning with the end result in mind as a specialty, utilizing curriculum maps for planning, and flexibility within structure for student understanding. 

A soprano, Jane cantored at St. Benedict Parish, and sang with Ravenswood Orchestra in Chicago. Jane was the Director of Music at Immanuel Bible Foundation where she managed the Sacred Music Lending Library, founded and developed the Van Leer Music Series, and directed Immanuel Chorale. Jane was the administrative coordinator for the Illinois Wesleyan School of Music from 2014-2021, coordinating events, supervising and mentoring student workers, and managing the day to day operations for the school including budgets, facility work, course schedules, and adjunct contracts.  

Active in the local arts community, Jane is a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), and Bloomington/ Normal Music Teachers Association (BNMTA).  Jane serves on the boards of the Pratt Music Foundation, and Illinois Shakespeare Festival Board.  She previously held leadership roles in the National Federation of Music Teacher’s Orpheus Club.  Jane has been a presenter at the Central Region National Association of Teachers of Singing Conference and Bloomington Normal Music Teachers Association, and has been a collaborator for presentations at Illinois Music Educators Conference.