SHEARDOWN, Mrs. Annie Fillmore

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Annie Fillmore Sheardown, daughter of John and Olma J. Burdick, was born in Franklin, Connecticut on June 8, 1856, and spent her youth living in Franklin and Norwich, Connecticut.  Passionate about music, she began lessons at a very early age.  By 1880, Annie was teaching music.  She was married to Thomas W. Sheardown for five years during the 1880s, but the couple separated.

Over the course of her life, Annie studied with several teachers, including C. R. Hayden, Emma Seiler, and George Sweet.  Inspired by Seiler's membership in the American Philosophical Society, Annie wrote to the Society's President on November 4, 1891, requesting information about becoming a member.

Annie's April 1892 essay in Werner's Voice Magazine, "The Philosophy of the Voice in Singing," presented several of her ideas about scientific voice study.  In addition, she contributed "The Voice of The Future " to Volume V (November 1893 - April 1894) of Music: A Monthly Magazine, Devoted to the Art, Science, Technic and Literature of Music.  In this essay, Annie advocated for her ideas about studying voice, noting, "There is no royal road to learning, but good intelligent study may accomplish wonders" (162).  She also praised her mentor, Emma Seiler.

By 1900, Annie was living with her father at 400 Franklin Street in Norwich, Connecticut and teaching music.  She passed away on December 6, 1904, and was buried in Norwich's Yantic Cemetery.

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