Mary Candler (she/her)
I missed singing.
My whole life was singing. I was the chorus girl in high school. I ran the a cappella group. I did musical theatre in college - as well as a music major. I was a professional musical theatre actor for years.
And just as I was finding my stride in that world, I had one teacher who gutted my confidence. She unravelled me in a way that might have been productive for some artists - but was traumatic for me.
I stopped singing for about 5 years. And it wasn’t even that I just stopped singing professionally, I also wasn’t humming in the shower or singing in the car. I noticed that I wasn’t even listening to music - I was choosing NPR over Spotify…because listening to singers hurt too much.
I found my way back in. One thing that helped was taking lessons again from a teacher whose motto was “Sing from the Heart” because that felt safe and right.
And now, I’m back in it. I constantly sing. I perform. I write. And now I get to help other singers find their way back, too
I named my studio Joyful Singing purposefully. Because training should always center joy. Your love of music and of singing is the whole reason we are doing it. So let’s laugh, and play, and express with freedom and ease and joy. What’s even the point if we aren’t singing from the heart?
That’s my story. Now here’s my bio:
Meet Mary
Mary Candler is an accomplished singer, teacher, actor, and producer. She's also a mom, sailor, dog-lover, and aspiring long-distance swimmer.
She works with singers from varied backgrounds — recording artists, musical theatre performers, karaoke experts — and loves building the voices of complete beginners as much as polishing veteran singers.
Background
Mary started her studio in 2017 in the rich artistic landscape of NYC, moved it to the powerhouse streets of Washington, DC, and now heads toward peace, lobster, and seashore in Portland, Maine. Her studio has flourished across all three cities, and she maintains hubs of clients in each of these major East Coast markets.
Teaching successes
Mary's clients have booked national tours, been accepted into prestigious schools like LaGuardia Performing Arts High School, joined bands, and — just as meaningfully — felt more confident singing in the shower.
Credentials & training
Mary holds a BA in Music from Duke University and an MFA in Classical Acting from George Washington University's Academy for Classical Acting. She studied vocal pedagogy with Justin Stoney and Maddie Tarbox, and is certified through the New York Vocal Coaching Teacher Training and Maddie Tarbox Studios. She maintains a monthly membership with PedHead, staying current on the newest research and pedagogical tools for singing teachers. She is a member of Actors' Equity Association and the Speakeasy Cooperative, a small-business collective of independent voice teachers working to make positive change in the industry — and their own businesses.
Performance credits
Mary has performed across the country in roles including Maria in West Side Story, Amalia in She Loves Me, Rapunzel in Into the Woods, Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Anne in The Diary of Anne Frank, and Emily in Our Town. While in DC, she sang with the Emmy Award–winning Washington Chorus, and was the lead singer in a funk-adjacent band.
Advocacy
Mary is the founder and former Artistic Director of Hedgepig Ensemble Theatre, newly renamed Expand the Canon. She's especially proud of her work advocating for diversity in the classics — you can learn more at expandthecanon.com.
What's next
In Portland, Mary is re-investing in herself as a singer. She's writing a cabaret about her battle with breast cancer, networking with musicians she might collaborate with, and looking to join — or start — her own band.
