A native New Orleanian, Joel Dyson is a force on and off the stage. She began singing in her father’s church at just four years old. Dyson’s love for music led her to the New Orleans mecca of art, The New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, paving the way to Rochester, New York, where she excelled academically, receiving numerous awards, scholarships and performance opportunities at the Eastman School of Music. Dyson has had the privilege of studying under high esteemed vocal gurus such as Germaine Bazzle, Phyllis Treigle and Dr. Robert McIver to whom she attributes her success. Dyson has appeared in a vast array of performances and venues, representing global cultures and prestige, such as the New Orleans Opera Association, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and her role as Ti Moune in the Tony Award Broadway production, “Once on this Island”.  Dyson’s devotion to performance work and community inspired her to become an arts education advocate and leader. She is the founder and CEO of Beyond the Stage LLC, offering private theatre, piano and vocal lessons to children; as well as differentiated creative arts programming for youth in New Orleans.