University of Limerick Alumni Spotlight: Renée Yoxon

Tuesday, 2 July 2024

In the latest instalment of our Alumni Spotlight series, we speak to University of Limerick graduate Renée Yoxon, who studied MA Songwriting.

From hours in the recording studio to discovering their career-path as a gender-affirming voice teacher, international student Renée discusses how they forged their 'dream career'.

Tell us a bit about yourself?

My name is Renée Yoxon, my pronouns are they/them, and I'm a nonbinary gender-affirming voice teacher from Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

In my work, I create online courses that help trans people create a voice that gives them gender euphoria. I have been teaching gender-affirming voice since 2019 and teaching singing since 2010.

What course did you study?

While at the Irish World Academy, I studied in the MA Songwriting program in 2018/2019.

Why did you choose to study at UL?

In 2018, I graduated from the B.Mus. Jazz program at McGill University and in my final year of the program, I was craving the space to pursue my own style of music making.

I learned about this programme from my fellow programme graduate, Edel Meade, and when I learned how open and interdisciplinary the programme was, I knew right away that it was exactly what I needed for my songwriting practice.

What were the highlights of your course?

My favourite aspect of the course was my collaboration with the dance department. I have chronic pain, and it had been years since I had been able to express myself with dance. My advisor in the dance department, Jenny Roche, was extremely supportive and helped to access creativity that I thought had been lost to me forever.