Meet Halie Milligan | Voice teacher & current student studying music education

We had the good fortune of connecting with Halie Milligan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Halie, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I chose to pursue music because it is something that I have always loved. I have sung for as long as I can remember and when It came time to choose a pathway in college, I knew music was the right career for me. It wasn’t until I met my college choir teacher, that I knew I wanted to pursue music education. She inspired me with how much she cared about her students, and how much she cared about creating lifelong musicians, whether they decided to stay in music professionally or not. I watched the impact she had on every student she worked with and I want to have that same effect on my own students one day. Music is universal. It is an outlet for emotion, a getaway from the overwhelming world around us. I want to be a music teacher who can provide an educational, fun, and safe place for my students, so they can have lifelong memories with music as well.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am a singer and musician. I’ve always had a goal of being a professional singer, but I changed my career path when I decided I wanted to personally work with people as a vocal coach. I am going to school for my Bachelor’s degree in choral music education to hopefully become a middle or high school choir director. I am currently a private voice coach at a studio in Santa Clarita. I am so proud of how quickly I have been building students (with the help of my studio of course), and I am proud of being just one semester shy of my degree. Getting to where I am right now has not been easy. I’ve been working full time at Starbuck’s to pay for my schooling in addition to taking 12 to 16 units of classes each semester. I have also just recently got a second job as a private voice teacher, so managing my time has been the biggest challenge for me. I’ve found that being really organized and using every second of spare time to work on the next project is key. I’ve also realized that the support of my family and boyfriend is invaluable to my mental health. I wouldn’t change this crazy schedule though. I have learned time management, how to prioritize my tasks, and how to push through any mental or physical exhaustion I experience. I want the world to know that if I have a 16 hour work day or a 6 hour work day, I always give 100% of my attention, knowledge, compassion, and encouragement to everyone one of my coworkers, colleagues, and especially my students.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I live in Santa Clarita, so we are pretty close to a lot of fun places. I would definitely say the closest themes parks are on the itinerary. We have a Magic Mountain close by, and if we drive just a couple hours away, there is Disneyland, California Adventure, Knott’s Berry Farm, and Universal Studios. All of which are surrounded by great restaurants. Dinner at Larson’s steak house is a must, and Yamato’s Japanese cuisine is delicious. It’s a hibachi style restaurant so you get to eat dinner and enjoy watching the chef. For the outdoorsy people, I would say the hiking trails at Hart Park, Towsley canyon, Vasquez rocks, and Placerita Canyons are fun to visit! I would also take them to MB2 raceway. They have Axe throwing, arcade games, mini golf, and of course go carts.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are multiple people I would love to shout-out. First being my family. They have always been my biggest supporters in my journey through music. They push me to keep performing, studying, and loving music, even when times get tough. I wouldn’t be where I am today without their continual support. I would also like to shout-out my community college choir teacher. She showed me the true impact you can have as a music teacher, that music isn’t just about notes on a page, but about creating an emotional outlet and safe place for everyone involved. Thank you to everyone who has helped me on this musical journey so far.

Instagram: https://instagram.com/halie.milligan?igshid=MDE2OWE1N2Q=