Dr. Lyn Ransom founded VOICES in 1987 as a non-profit, professional music organization. She was born in Pittsburgh and grew up in central Indiana playing and teaching the violin and composing music. She has studied violin with Steven Staryk, voice with Eva Likova, piano with Dady Mehta, viola da gamba with Enid Sutherland, sitar with Vilayat Kahn, and conducting with Helmut Rilling and Elmer Thomas. She has been a faculty member at several universities including Cincinnati College - Conservatory of Music, Westminster Conservatory of Music of Rider University, and Iowa State University, where she taught early childhood music and conducted choruses.

She has been a guest conductor in Russia, Germany, England and the eastern U.S. and has prepared choruses for several orchestras including the Philadelphia Orchestra, Riverside Symphonia, and the Pittsburgh Symphony. In 1992, Dr. Ransom was given an award for outstanding contributions to cultural life by the Princeton, NJ Arts Council.

Dr. Ransom served for six years on the repertoire and standards committee for the Eastern Division of the American Choral Directors Association. As an advocate for new music, she has conducted over 30 premieres of choral works. Since its beginning in 1987, VOICES has sponsored education programs, including exchange concerts with school choirs, workshops for schools, and a composition program for children ages 5-12. Dr. Ransom is the Director of Program Development for the Center for Music and Young Children.

She has presented conference sessions for the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the National Guild of Community Music Schools of the Arts, Early Childhood Music and Movement Association, the American Choral Directors Association, Music Educators National Convention, The Conductor's Guild, and many state education conventions.

In March 2007 Dr. Ransom was one of the honorees for Tribute to Women 2007. Tribute to Women honorees are women who have made significant contributions to their professions, communities, educational institutions, or organizations, and whose accomplishments reflect the mission of the YWCA: to eliminate racism and empower women.

Dr. Ransom holds an A.B. Degree in Music from Oberlin College and Conservatory, an M.A. from Eastern Michigan University in voice performance and choral conducting, a M.M. from the University of Michigan in choral music education, and a D.M.A. degree from Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music in conducting. She is the author of several books published by High/Scope Press including Children as Music Makers, Learning through Movement, and A Sequence of Musical Concepts. She enjoys children, cross country skiiing, and playing fiddle, and she can't wait to have grandchildren to see how children really develop!

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