Madeline McNeill

Madeline McNeill is a singer, director, composer, and philosopher who roots her theoretical work in ideas that the mind is embodied, particularly focusing on how the breath and vocal musculature contribute to processes of cognition. Her original works combine opera, jazz, and choral singing with philosophical storytelling to tackle current issues including technology and AI. Madeline recently received a Spokane Arts SAGA Grant to produce a project called “Bodies in Conversation,” a multi-media performance with film, live musical performance, and a philosophical play. Past works include: “Choral Labyrinth,” an outdoor immersive choral event; “Ariadne,” a philosophical story with music; “Music Valley,” an epic poem about friendship and gentrification during the pandemic; “Musings of A Bodyworker,” a documentary film directed by Francis Grace Mortel; “So It Begins,” an art film in collaboration with Factory Town filmmakers; and her book “Is There a Soul?” a dialogue between two women discussing theories of the embodied mind. In 2022, Madeline participated in Really Spicy Opera’s online residency for composition. She recently became Music Director at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Spokane. Madeline is a graduate of Western Washington University with a BA in Music.