Jamie Sutta

Jamie Sutta, Founder and Executive Artistic Director of Vocal Youth Miami, is a passionate music educator and nonprofit leader whose work centers around using the power of vocal music to build connection, confidence, and community. For Jamie, singing and teaching have always been transformative tools — a way to help young people discover who they are and how they can use their voices to make a difference in the world.

Jamie began her teaching career in 2003 after earning her bachelor’s degree in Choral Music Education from Florida State University on a full scholarship. At Ocoee Middle School, she developed a dynamic choral model that emphasized both personal and musical growth. Under her direction, four ensembles earned consistent “Superior” ratings at Florida Vocal Association Music Performance Assessments for three years. Her work with students on a viral music video at Ocoee was later featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

As a performer, Jamie has sung nationally and internationally — including with the FSU University Singers as one of the first American choirs to perform in Vietnam post-war. She has shared the stage with legends like Ellis Marsalis, Billy Taylor, Tierney Sutton, and Maria Conchita Alonso, and performed with the band GDO Soul at venues from the World Economic Forum in Davos to NBA star Chris Bosh’s wedding. She holds a master’s degree in Vocal Jazz Performance from the University of Miami.

In 2011, Jamie founded Vocal Youth Miami (formerly The Children’s Voice Chorus) to make high-quality, inclusive music education accessible to all youth. What began as a small neighborhood chorus has since evolved into a thriving, county-wide initiative — now reaching hundreds of young people annually, with bold plans to serve thousands more in the years ahead. Under Jamie’s leadership, the organization has performed at Carnegie Hall and Super Bowl LIV, collaborated with Grammy-winning artists including Enrique Iglesias and Julian Marley, and was named the Exemplary Model Music Program by the Florida Music Educators Association in 2024.

At the heart of Jamie’s work is a commitment to helping youth feel seen, valued, and empowered to raise their voices — and become changemakers in their own lives and communities.

‍