Shayla Blake studied at Stetson University and Texas Tech University in the studios of Geoffrey Gilbert, flute and William Westney, piano.  She attended Stetson University’s Summer Orchestral Institute, and was a winner in Texas Tech University’s Undergraduate Concerto Competition. She completed her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in piano performance, placed 1st Runner-up in the Texas Tech University Graduate Concerto Competition and was awarded the job of Graduate Teaching Assistant.

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After decades of teaching flute and piano in her private studio, Shayla currently teaches Piano, Flute, Songwriting, Choral Arranging and serves as a collaborative pianist at Louisiana Tech University’s School of Music.    Shayla Blake has conducted and accompanied choirs and instrumental ensembles of all ages and is in high demand as a collaborative pianist in her area.  As a composer/arranger, her choral and piano compositions are published by Choristers Guild, Lorenz, Shawnee Press, Hal Leonard, Alfred, Heritage Music, Easy Choir Music.com, Fred Bock Music and have been featured at TMEA and performed internationally, including the Vatican.  Recently, her piece, "Seashell, Tell Me Your Tale," was included in the J.W. Pepper "Selected Choral Concert Music from Women Composers" and Fred Bock Music featured her in a 2019 article, “Powerful Women Composers.” She has received three Publisher’s Awards from the Joseph Martin Choral Composer’s Symposium.  In 2020, Shayla was awarded a Fellowship at Hambidge Center for the Arts and completed a residency there.  She was selected to perform her piano composition, “Aspire,” at the Women in Music Festival at the University of Mississippi for Women in 2022 and the piano/brass ensemble arrangement of the piece plays daily in the Louisiana Tech University Aspire Plaza.  

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In partnership with her husband, Mack, they have produced five custom recordings, largely of original music and are a popular singing duo in their area.  

 

In collaboration with the Louisiana Tech University School of Nursing, Shayla serves as Director of the North Louisiana Parkinson’s Chorale, providing musical therapies to Parkinson’s patients. She has served as a past volunteer Regional Coordinator for Nashville Songwriters Association, is a member of the National Flute Association, the American Choral Directors Association and ASCAP.