Bio

Layla is a first-year Masters student at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, studying voice with Dr. Margaret Baroody and Denyce Graves-Montgomery. Layla is a recent graduate of Birmingham-Southern College, studying Vocal Performance with Dr. Jeff Kensmoe. During their time at BSC, Layla served as the president of the BSC Concert Choir, under the direction of Dr. Lester Seigel. She was also the President of the Association of Music Students and a member of the Hilltop Singers Vocal Jazz Ensemble. While at BSC, Layla was seen onstage in Barab’s Little Red Riding Hood as the Mother/Grandmother, The Last Five Years (Jamie Wellerstein), Hoiby’s Bon Appetit (Julia Child), and Poulenc’s La Voix Humaine (Elle).

Layla previously studied Vocal Performance at Emory University with Dr. Abigail Santos-Villalobos & Benjamin Pruett. Layla was the president of Mu Phi Epsilon, treasurer of Oxford Jazz, and vice president of the Oxford Chorale. They were employed as the Choral Librarian and Social Media Coordinator for the Emory Concert Choir, under the direction of Dr. Eric Nelson, and worked closely with the Symphony Orchestra and Wind Ensembles, serving as a chorus manager under the direction of Dr. Paul Bhasin. As a part of Theater Emory, she was seen onstage as Mollie Plummer in Rodger’s No Strings. They were also seen onstage in Arcadia (Hannah Jarvis), W;t (Vivian Bearing), The Women of Lockerbie  (Madeline Livingston), and The Tempest (Prospero).

Layla also served as the Choral assistant for the Spoleto USA Chorus in 2022, where they also performed in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony.

In Birmingham, Layla was involved with the Canterbury United Methodist Church Choir, the Alabama Symphony Orchestra Chorus, and assisted in founding the Birmingham Treble Chorale. You will most likely find her at your local jazz night or debating the evolution of Mad Scenes.