First Dr. Lonel Woods Peace and Love Award Presented to Crane School of Music Alumnus Shavon Lloyd of Middletown, N.Y.
Shavon Lloyd of Middletown, N.Y., is a recipient of the 2022 Dr. Lonel Woods Peace and Love Award from the Julia E. Crane Alumni Association.
The Julia E. Crane Alumni Association recently honored Shavon Lloyd of Middletown, N.Y., with the 2022 Dr. Lonel Woods Peace and Love Award during Reunion 2022.
Named after Crane School of Music Dean Emeritus Dr. Lonel Woods (Hon. ’21), who passed away in 2021, this award is presented to alumni who demonstrate an extraordinary commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in their workplace and/or community. This is the inaugural presentation of this award, fittingly presented to a former vocalist in Woods’ studio.
About the recipient:
Shavon Lloyd ’19 is considered by many faculty members at The Crane School of Music to be one of the School’s most talented and gifted alumni in recent history. In his time as a Crane student, Shavon served as a vocal soloist for choral, instrumental and opera ensembles; a student conductor for the Hosmer Choir, the School’s largest vocal ensemble, and a composer of pieces debuted by Crane ensembles. He is a two-time first-place awardee of the National Association for Teachers of Singers Competition, won first place in the Classical Singer Musical Theatre Competition for Pre-Professionals, and was a multiple merit scholarship awardee from the Crane School of Music.
After graduating from Crane, Shavon adopted a music teacher position at the Indian River High School in Philadelphia, NY. His teaching style is student-centered, with an emphasis on Dalcroze eurythmics and Kodály pitch pedagogy. Shavon’s students have participated in NYSSMA All-State and solo festival experiences with considerable success. Recently, Shavon curated a culturally relevant curriculum for general music classes, which includes instruction in sound production and music theory.
Shavon has participated on several state committees regarding diversity, equity and inclusion for the music profession and is a highly sought-after authority on culturally responsive teaching and inclusive repertoire practices. This year, Shavon was the guest conductor for Oswego County’s All-County High School Chorus and the keynote speaker for the Dorian Choral Retreat at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa.
As a composer, Shavon uses his artistic voice to create pieces that respond to social justice issues, reimagine new settings for traditional spirituals and evoke the depth of human emotions. His recent work, “Goodbye, My Friend,” was composed for Dean Emeritus Dr. Lonel Woods (Hon. ’21), of whose studio Shavon was a member. The piece was performed at a concert held in Dr. Woods’s memory at Crane and conducted by Shavon himself.
Shavon has accepted a full scholarship to The Julliard School to begin pursuit of his Master of Music in Vocal Performance this fall.
About The Crane School of Music:
Founded in 1886, SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music has a long legacy of excellence in music education and performance. Life at Crane includes an incredible array of more than 300 recitals, lectures and concerts presented by faculty, students and guests each year. The Crane School of Music is the State University of New York’s only All-Steinway institution. For more information, please visit www.potsdam.edu/crane.
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