Callandra Youngleson

Callandra (Cal) Youngleson is an award-winning jazz vocalist, composer and educator originally from South Africa, based in Chicago. She has performed internationally collaborating with some of South Africa and America's greatest jazz and popular musicians. Cal is a proud graduate of the University of North Texas College of Music having completed her Master of Music degree in Jazz Studies in 2019 where she was also a jazz voice teaching fellow. Whilst at UNT, she had the opportunity to tour and perform across Chicago, New York and Dallas performing next to artists Kurt Elling, Johnaye Kendrick, Michelle Nicolle and the Swingles. She  also received Downbeat student music awards in her time performing with the UNT Jazz Singers.

Cal adores the variety and diversity that a life in music can bring. As a session vocalist, her voice is present on voice overs from educational platforms to radio recordings. She has composed and arranged for award-winning short film, live orchestra, string quartet, meditation music and animation.

One of her main passions is sharing her infectious love for music, creativity and finding your own voice. She is currently the jazz voice teacher and vocal jazz ensemble co-director at the Chicago Academy for the Arts and runs her own private teaching studio. Cal has also been a teaching artist for the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic and a music instructor with Ensemble Music Schools.

Cal is passionate about performing and collaborating with different musicians from around the globe. You can catch her performing with numerous jobbing bands in Chicago including the Bluewater Kings Band and Funk Almighty as well as with various jazz groups in and around Chicago with some of the city’s brightest musicians. She is also a proud member and co-founder of the Somaluna vocal quartet who  recently featured on the Kansas City Jazz Summit in April 2025.

The best music teachers I have had have embraced a spirit of exploration, curiosity and playfulness. They don’t answer my questions but create puzzles and games that help me discover the answers I am seeking. It is so important in music to never stop playing or losing the ability to be playful and explorative. Teaching, in my opinion is not one sided, but rather a coming together of minds and experience to collaboratively learn new things and develop new ways of understanding concepts. Jazz, being a music of intellect but also creativity requires constant innovation and playfulness, creativity and inspiration and that is how I aspire to be as a teacher: to bring constant joy and wonder to the learning environment and to be open to all kinds of learning and methods of growth