John Murelle has proven himself as a vital part of the New England teaching community. His students frequently are some of the most prepared and vocally organized high school students around!

“It was a pleasure to work with John Murelle on a seasonal concert, Holiday Duets, at the Cahoon Museum. His performance, in our main art gallery, created a moment that can only be described as magical. From his assistance in organizing the details, planning and promoting, the experience was truly superb. Our guests are still talking about it! I highly recommend John’s work; his professionalism and level of quality with his music are top-notch.”

“Falmouth Jewish Congregation hosted an outstanding performance in word and song entitled “The Jewish Voice in American Song.” Scholar Stuart Hecht joined with baritone John Murelle and pianist William Merrill to illustrate the various ways in which Jewish songwriters found self-expression and explored their Jewishness in the American new world.

The result was phenomenal: a program that informed and educated and truly moved the audience. John Murelle displayed command, versatility, energy, and sensitivity to each individual song and blended beautifully with William Merrill’s accomplished piano accompaniment. The sell-out crowd hung on every word of the narrative and songs and were visibly moved by this thoroughly moving and professional performance.”

“Please extend our heartfelt thanks to your voice studio students who performed most recently at our library; it was a professional, energetic, and charming program. After all, what is Disney,if not charming? Indeed, your students captured that charm: they were in-character and clearly having fun. the caliber of your students’ performances was excellent! It was a special day for us, having the library’s halls filled with the joy of music.

And it was a pleasure to work with you to arrange the program: you and the level of professionalism you bring to your performances are a tribute to your field.

Making cultural programs available to the community is an important role for libraries. With their performance at the Osterville Village Library, your students made an important cultural contribution singing for the public’s pleasure.

Thank you for such a wonderful program and special day. We would look forward to hosting you, again, in the near future.”

The Voice of Music: The Studio of John Murelle

“In the village of East Sandwich is a place where singers, young and old, are learning music from a man who has devoted his life to singing and teaching voice. John Murelle is the real deal. He hosted an Open House last weekend at his studio, a cozy, inviting room on the second floor in East Sandwich on Route 6A.

John extended a warm greeting to his many visitors, who were entertained by John Salerno playing lively tunes on the piano. At one point, pianist Lucy Banner joined him for an impromptu duet. A drawing for two private voice lessons was offered along with homemade cookies.

Several years ago I met John through the New Church in Yarmouth Port, where we led summer services for the Swedenborg Church that were arranged by Walter Chapin. John sang solo baritone and sometimes a duet with soprano Joan Kirchner. The magic of their music remains in my memory, though sadly these summer services are no longer held. Later I heard his students sing at First Night in Chatham and was impressed by the caliber of their voices and the variety of music they sang.”

“I am pleased to have the opportunity to write a recommendation for John Murelle’s appointment at Cape Cod Community College. I have known and observed John’s work for at least twenty years. I am a friend of Mr. Murelle. However, I come to write this recommendation as a daughter of a vocal music professor at Ohio State University and as the president for 16 years of a university that has a nationally recognized School of Music. So, although I am not a musician, I am an appreciator of fine music and the teaching of vocal music.

I have attended many of John’s concerts, his student concerts and even taken a lesson in voice from him myself. Mr. Murelle sets high standards for himself and his students, and he works and supports his students to achieve those goals. This becomes obvious in the quality of his students’ and his own performances. Both my husband and I are academics. As such, we have had the opportunity to get to know some of the students personally by helping them through the college selection process. During those meetings we also had a chance to learn about John through their eyes. They have nothing but praise for his professionalism, his artistic mastery and his continued support of their dreams.

To that end, he has had great success in placing students in highly-regarded, collegiate music programs. I am also impressed with John’s versatility. He takes on genres from jazz to classical, from German lieder to Italian opera. This provides the students with a breadth of understanding of music. And all of this is done in a highly professional style and approach. John is an extraordinary talent and is passionate about his art. He transfers this to his students.

I recommend John Murelle to Cape Cod Community College without reservation. You would be fortunate to have this talented instructor and musician on your faculty.”

“As Executive Director of the Cape Cod Conservatory of Music & Arts, I have been able to observe John and admire his obvious dedication to his students. His passion and energy shine through when engaging students in their lessons and the results speak for themselves in the quality of his students’ performances at recitals, secondary education, audition and performance work. John is a true professional.”

“What a teacher! Not to mention the person!

My daughter found John Murelle late into her junior year of high school. With his guidance and mentoring, she was able to navigate her way through college music school applications and auditions with ease.

John is a challenging and demanding teacher, but also a thoughtful and patient one. He encouraged my daughter to study classically, and in doing so she is learning to use her voice to its full and natural capabilities — learning not only the mechanics of singing but the artistry as well. With the many recitals John puts on with his students, they gain experience not only singing different musical genres and styles, but also in performing.

His dedication and passion have fostered a love of classical music in my daughter (whose main focus had always been musical theater). John has made such a difference in her life, and has proved to her what she can accomplish with hard work and dedication. This fall she will be attending one of the top voice performance schools in the country.”

“It is my great pleasure to write to you about the evidence of fine teaching that I have seen from John Murelle’s students. I have had the pleasure of working with several of them. I have one (a sophomore) in my studio now. I can say he was one of the best-prepared students I can remember having as a freshman in 40 years of college teaching. His technical preparation for college study was excellent with a good start on learning breath management, an understanding of resonance and a sense of vocal sound. He had, in addition, an excellent work ethic and understanding of style and performance. He had performed in public often and understood even as a freshman what it means to prepare for that responsibility. The number and variety of public performances that John offers his students is exceptional. I am grateful to John Murelle for sending us such fine students and the significant contribution he makes to our profession.”

“The Barnstable Senior Center had the pleasure of hosting a concert for the first time by the students of John Murelle on August 23rd, 2011. The concert was When You Wish Upon a Star, The Songs of Disney. I have not seen an audience so engaged and enthralled. Having been at the Center for three years, it is the first time I have seen a standing ovation and we have a performance here at least once a month. The following day everyone was asking when they would return for another show. We are all looking forward to seeing John and his students perform again at the Barnstable Senior Center.”

“Kudos to John Murelle and his voice students, whose wonderful concerts are known to many. Mr. Murelle not only brings pleasure and entertainment to feed the soul, he also makes very sure that people who attend these wonderful events are aware of the needs of the hungry families here in Sandwich. At each student concert he takes up a collection to support The Sandwich Pantry. These are the things that help us to carry out our mission to see that no family that we can reach will go hungry .Thank you, John. We are grateful to you for your efforts.”