Dr. Joseph Paul Dease

Music making.
With purpose.

Conducting that brings people together. Teaching that turns musical intention into expressive singing.

Paul Dease conducting the Chamber Choir in concert, fall 2023.
In concert · Chamber Choir · Fall 2023
Director of Choral Activities · Missouri Western State UniversityConductor · Educator · Clinician

The work

From the rehearsal
to the performance.

For singers, conductors, and educators, the work begins with clear musical goals—and the practical steps that make them possible.

01 / CONDUCTING

A shared musical vision.

Guest conducting, honor choirs, and concert collaborations that connect individual singers to the expressive life of the ensemble.

Conducting & ensembles
02 / CLINICS

Hear the next possibility.

Focused ensemble clinics on phrasing, vocal production, diction, and rehearsal strategies that singers can put to work immediately.

Explore clinic topics
03 / TEACHING

Learn it. Then carry it forward.

Practical professional development for music educators, connecting clear instruction, useful feedback, and independent musicianship.

The teaching approach
Paul Dease smiling, wearing red glasses and a cream sweater.

Meet Paul

A conductor.
A teacher.
A builder of choirs.

Paul Dease serves as Director of Choral Activities and Assistant Professor of Music at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Missouri. His work connects choral performance, vocal pedagogy, and the preparation of future music educators.

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From a collaborating musician

"It is rare to encounter a choral conductor whose engagement with period performance practice rises to this level, and I found the experience of performing under his direction both musically satisfying and professionally impressive."

Trilla Ray-Carter
Executive and Artistic Director, Kansas City Baroque Consortium
Following the spring 2026 performance of Vivaldi's Gloria

A guiding idea

Everything all at once,
but one thing at a time.

Music making as learned behavior.

Expressive performance asks singers to coordinate many skills at once. Teaching makes that complexity manageable: identify a specific behavior, give singers a clear task, listen to the result, and provide feedback they can use in the next repetition.

Bring the work to your choir.

Clinics, guest conducting, and conversations about teaching.

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