Irene Carver, a voice teacher based in Mishawaka, carries a lifelong passion for music education and performance. Despite the barriers of being blind, Carver takes pride in seeing the power of music shaping lives.
“What I love the most about teaching is the progress my students make,” said Carver. “I like when I teach them vocal techniques, such as breathing and how to sing. It is always encouraging and gratifying that I am teaching them in a way that they can understand, grasp, and apply.”
Carver is a native of Columbus, Ohio who found herself immersed in music beginning at six years old. Her musical journey commenced at the Ohio State School for the Blind (OSSB), where she took part in an abundance of musical opportunities.
“Back in the 1960s, there was a mainstream concept of putting people with disabilities into the public school system,” said Carver. “Prior to the switch to Whetstone High School, OSSB gave me lots of exposure to music. I took piano lessons. I sang in what they used to call ‘public school music,’ where the teacher would come and sing for the younger kids. I joined a junior chorus from third to sixth grade. In seventh and eighth grade, I took a bit of music theory.”
After transitioning to Whetstone her sophomore year, Carver found her niche in a junior girls’ glee club and senior ensemble, which featured a mixed and girls ensemble. Her love of folk music unfolded at Whetstone at the age of 15. At this point, Carver began to play guitar and sing the genre of folk.
“I would perform for the Lions Club or banquets,” said Carver. “As one thing led to another, I would perform in different venues and people would hear about me. I started taking voice lessons at 15 because of my desire to be in the senior choir. I knew then that I was interested in going to college for music education. I did not complete college at the time, but began working toward my future.”
Carver joined the workforce shortly after high school where she worked with a dictaphone and did writing for braille magazines. She began her professional music work within the genres of jazz and folk, doing countless performances in Cincinnati. One such performance, in the summer of 1972, led to her meeting fellow musician, Noah Carver, with whom she would end up sharing 50 years of marriage, two children, and several grandkids.
“We got married in 1973,” said Carver. “We performed at different venues, but we mostly worked as a duo. He liked playing lead and I accompanied myself on guitar. We had a good sound. We would work especially for the Continental Restaurant Company where we would travel and play amidst four restaurants. In 1979, we moved to South Bend and performed at countless venues, including on Notre Dame’s campus and the 100 Center. We did art and music workshops in public schools for disabled children. We also performed at The Kennedy Center and The White House during the Very Special Arts International Festival in Washington D.C.”
Carver ended up returning to fulfill her dreams of finishing college, earning her Bachelor of Music Degree in Vocal Performance from 1992 to 1997 and her Master of Music Degree with an emphasis in studio teaching in 2002. The couple moved to Mishawaka in 1991 and, from there, ignited the passions of countless students in pursuing instrument and vocal training.
“I am so glad my family and I ended up in Mishawaka,” said Carver. “Even since we first moved here, it seems to still be a good community. It is very stable and has good, conservative values. Even over in Elkhart, I have had great clientele to work with that come to the school. Those students who come to my home for my private business are very teachable and easy to work with.”
Carver later decided to focus on teaching voice rather than music education. Currently, Carver divides her time teaching voice at the Elkhart School of Music and privately at her home. Her schedule consists of lessons at Elkhart on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays, and lessons at her home on Wednesdays and Fridays. After her husband’s passing in April of 2023, Carver keeps their mutual love of teaching alive in all of her students.
“I spent so much time performing throughout the 1980s that I did only a little bit of teaching guitar,” said Carver. “I knew when I went back to school as an adult that it would make more sense for my degree to focus on working one-on-one with people rather than groups of kids. After I got my degrees, I started teaching voice throughout the early 2000s while still doing public performances with Noah, like at the Mishawaka Summerfest. We built our business of teaching as a couple, and now I keep that going with the Elkhart School of Music and in my home.”
In her free time, Carver is actively involved in her faith and is a current member of Oak Tree Community Church. She recently returned from a trip to São Paulo, Brazil where she participated in an English as a Second Language (ESL) program through New Hope Bible Institute. Carver had the unique opportunity to both teach English music to Portuguese-speaking children and to try a magical chocolate calzone. She also enjoys listening to Grace Global Radio, which features 24/7 Bible expository preaching and teaching. She also is an avid fan of her service dog, Etta, and finds s'mores to be a top-tier snack.