Amanda Powell, musician and educator, loves learning and teaching about the world through music. While studying opera performance at Shenandoah University, Amanda began her work with the Global Ministries division of the United Methodist Church as a musician with The Youth Mission Chorale. During this three-month mission trip to South East Asia, she witnessed and became passionate about the power that music has to connect people from different cultures. Since then, Amanda has continued her world travel, collecting sacred music and stories along the way. She has performed and presented workshops for a number of regional and national church events including a gathering of global music song-leaders at Princeton Theological Seminary, the quadrennial 10,000 women gathering of United Methodist Woman, for the American Guild of Organists and at the 2011 UCC General Synod. Amanda has served as liturgist and music leader with the World Council of Churches, The United Church of Christ Church House and the General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church. Upcoming events include serving as music director for the United Methodist Young Women’s National gathering as well as a faculty position for the Presbyterian Association of Musician’s bi-annual gathering at Montreat Center, NC.
Amanda moved to Cleveland, Ohio from Massachusetts in 2008 where she was Choral Director at Wilbraham & Monson Academy. She has served as Music Minister and musician at a number of local churches including Christ United Methodist, Northampton, MA and Trinity Episcopal, Upperville VA. Currently, Amanda leads music for two diverse worship services at Federated. She directs the Ensemble at the 8:45 service and leads a team of musicians for the 11:45 Alive360 service that uses music and liturgy from around the world as a part of the worship experience. Amanda also directs Federated’s youth choir FORTE. Beyond her music ministry, Amanda enjoys a career as a singer. She sings with Cleveland’s Baroque Orchestra, Apollo’s Fire and also enjoys singing jazz. She especially loves spending time with her twin daughters, Sofia and Luisa.