The Sound of Belonging | Jessica Gallagher-Steuver | TEDxClevelandStateUniversity

Group singing can be both a joyful activity and an emotionally vulnerable one. In this TEDxClevelandStateUniversity talk, Jessica Gallagher-Steuver, conductor of Windsong, Cleveland's feminist chorus, looks at the sense of belonging that can grow from singing together in a radically affirming environment. Gallagher-Steuver is a music educator, choral conductor, performer and clinician, and a visiting assistant professor of music education at Baldwin Wallace Conservatory. Her research covers queer studies in music education, the social and emotional benefits of choral singing, vocal health in older adults and community music-making.

• Belonging and vulnerability in group singing
• Windsong, Cleveland's feminist chorus and its social justice focus
• Research on the social and emotional benefits of choral singing
• Queer studies in music education and community music-making

Singing is a joyful, human activity. It can also be incredibly vulnerable. Jessica Gallagher-Steuver, conductor of Windsong, Cleveland's Feminist Chorus, will highlight the unique sense of belonging that can come from group singing in a radically affirming environment. Jessica L. Gallagher-Steuver is a music educator, choral conductor, performer and clinician. She is a visiting assistant professor of music education at Baldwin Wallace Conservatory and has taught at Cleveland State University and Case Western Reserve University. Gallagher-Steuver is artistic director of Windsong, Cleveland's feminist chorus, a nonprofit organization focused on music and social justice. In 2025, she founded the Journal of Queer Choral Studies, the official academic publication of GALA Choruses. Her research focuses on queer studies in music education, the social and emotional benefits of choral singing, vocal health in older adults and community music-making. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx