Clinicians

Dr. Joshua Bronfman is Director of Choral Activities at Sam Houston State University, where he directs the SHSU Chorale and teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in choral conducting and choral literature. He is Artistic Director of Cantare Houston, a professional chorus based in Houston, Texas. He is creator and host of Choral History, a podcast dedicated to conversations with choral conductors from around the world. Prior to his appointment at SHSU, Joshua spent a decade as Director of Choral Activities at the University of North Dakota, Artistic Director of the Grand Forks Chorales, and conductor of the Grand Forks Master Chorale. He is an active clinician nationally, directing honor choir festivals at the middle, high school and collegiate levels. His published articles and presentations on choral music and choral music education have reached state, regional, and national audiences.

Dr. Jennaya Robison is in demand as a conductor, clinician, and soprano throughout the United States. She currently serves as the Artistic Director for the National Lutheran Choir (Minneapolis, MN) where she is the third artistic director in the organization’s 37-year history. Robison most recently served as Director of Choral Studies in the Conservatory at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and has held previous positions at Luther College, Decorah, Iowa. She has held state, regional, and national leadership roles with the American Choral Directors Association. Robison has conducted and taught courses in choral singing and global connection in the United States, Namibia, South Africa, and Germany and currently serves as the Artistic Dean of the Zephyr Point Summer Music Festival at Lake Tahoe, Nevada. She has served as an invited conductor and clinician for numerous all state festivals and honor choirs throughout the United State and has presented at national, regional, and state ACDA, NAfMe, and NATS conferences. Her choral series is published with Pavane Publishing, and she serves the editor of the National Lutheran Choir series through Morningstar music. Additional arrangements and compositions are published by Kjos Music, Morningstar Music, and Galaxy Music.

Dr. Tony Thornton is Professor of Music and Doug and Nickie Burns Endowed Chair in Choral Music at Oklahoma State University, where he serves as the Director of Choral and Vocal Studies. He is Artistic Director of the Sarteano (Italy) Chamber Choral Conducting Workshop. Thornton received his Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education and Voice from Westminster Choir College, his Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting from Louisiana State University, and his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Choral Conducting and Historical Musicology from the University of Arizona. Thornton has worked with over 400 mixed, treble, and tenor/bass choruses in public and private schools, colleges, churches, community ensembles, and professional organizations in 25 states, Japan, and throughout Europe. As a member of the Westminster Choir, he performed at the Spoleto Festival in Italy and the United States, and he has recorded with Leonard Bernstein, Riccardo Muti, Robert Shaw, Claudio Abbado, and Zubin Mehta. He sang for seven years as a member of the Robert Shaw Festival Singers. He is Past President of the Massachusetts chapter of the American Choral Directors Association, and he was Collegiate R&R Chair for the ACDA Eastern Division from 2020-2022.

Evaluators

Heather Orr, Master of Arts, is in her 29th year teaching and 23rd year as the Montgomery High School Head Choir Director. She holds a Master of Arts in Vocal Pedagogy from The Ohio State University and a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance from Heidelberg University. Choirs under Orr’s direction, have been invited to perform at the Texas Music Educators Association Convention in 2018, 2010, and 2005 and will be performing again in 2024. In addition, they have performed at the National ACDA Conference in 2021 and 2011, as well as the SWACDA Divisional Conference in 2022 and 2018. Orr’s choirs consistently earn Sweepstakes at UIL Competitions and choirs under her direction have been recognized with First Place at the Madrigal Festival in San Antonio, Madrigal Festival in Dallas, and Celebration of Excellence in Houston. Orr has been recognized with the UIL Sponsor Excellence Award and Fine Arts Teacher of the Year Award for Montgomery County. She frequently serves as presenter, clinician and adjudicator. Orr’s professional affiliations include TMEA, TCDA, ACDA, NATS, MTNA, and TMAA. Heather resides in Montgomery, TX and has been married to Will Orr for 30 years. They have four children, Abby, Carly, Christopher, and Claire, all of whom are active as musicians.

Clay West, Master of Arts, is an Adjunct Professor on the choral faculty of Sam Houston State University and conducts Belles Voix. He is an honors graduate of Howard Payne University, earning his Bachelor of Arts in Music, and was named a Presser Scholar. West continued his studies at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary as a student of C. David Keith and Sam Houston State University as a student of Allen Hightower. He also holds a Master of Arts degree in Theology from Andover Newton Theological School. West taught public school for eleven years and was named a Claes Nobel Educator of Distinction. Under his direction, choirs consistently received superior ratings at UIL and various festivals, performed nationwide, including Carnegie Hall in 2019, and established themselves as a notable program in Texas. In addition, numerous students earned placement in TMEA all-state ensembles, and many became future educators. West has served as a rehearsal conductor for the Houston Symphony Chorus and in various roles in the leadership of TMEA. West is an active UIL and festival adjudicator and clinician. West maintains active memberships in the Texas Music Adjudicators Association, Texas Music Educators Association, American Choral Directors Association, and the Texas Choral Directors Association.

Clinicians

Joshua R. Brown, DMA

Director of Choral Activities

Chair of Music Education

Assistant Professor of Music

Ouachita Baptist University

Arkadelphia, AR

Joshua Brown joined the faculty at Ouachita as Director of Choral Activities in 2019 where he teaches courses in choral music, conducting, music education and voice. Dr. Brown previously served as director of the University of North Texas Men’s Chorus, artistic director of the Coppell Community Chorale and director of choirs at Coppell High School and Abilene High School. His choirs have performed at the White House, Texas Music Educators Convention and Southwestern American Choral Directors Convention. He also has served as in a leadership capacity in TMEA Regions 16, 20 and 31 and regularly serves as a choral adjudicator, clinician, or accompanist. Additionally, Dr. Brown serves as music director at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas and has served as a worship leader for numerous churches. Dr. Brown earned a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in choral conducting with a related field in vocal pedagogy from the University of North Texas, a master’s degree in choral conducting from Baylor University and a Bachelor of Church Music degree from Dallas Baptist University.

Jeffery Goolsby

Jeff Goolsby, DMA

Director of Choral Studies

Assistant Professor of Music

Abilene Christian University

Abilene, TX

Jeffery Goolsby is Director of Choral Studies at Abilene Christian University, where he leads a program dedicated to artistic excellence, transformational musical experiences, and high-impact community engagement. He conducts the university’s premiere choral ensemble, the A Cappella Chorus, conducts the University Chorale, and oversees three student-led contemporary a cappella groups. The ACU choral music program engages students from diverse academic, social, racial, and economic backgrounds. More than half of the program is comprised of non-music majors.

Dr. Goolsby teaches courses in choral conducting and choral methods and supervises the choral music education program. Prior to joining the ACU faculty, he taught for ten years in successful high school choral music programs in the Dallas and Houston areas. Choirs under his direction have performed at notable venues in the United States and abroad. He is in demand as a clinician, consultant, and adjudicator throughout the state and has served in numerous regional and state capacities with TMEA, ACDA, and UIL. He holds degrees in choral conducting and music education from Texas Tech University, Louisiana State University, and Abilene Christian University, where he was named a University Scholar. Professional affiliations include ACDA, NCCO, TMEA, TCDA, TMAA, and Pi Kappa Lambda.

Betsy Cook Weber

Betsy Cook Weber, DMA

Madison Endowed Professor of Music

Director of Choral Studies

University of Houston Moores School of Music

Houston, TX

Betsy Cook Weber is Professor of Music and Director of Choral Studies at the University of Houston’s Moores School of Music and is also active internationally as a conductor, clinician, adjudicator, and lecturer. Weber also served for the past eight seasons as Director of the Houston Symphony Chorus. In that role, she prepared choral-orchestral masterworks for some of the world’s greatest conductors. Choirs under Weber’s direction have been featured at multiple state (TMEA 2002, 2005, 2008, 2013, 2017) and national conventions (ACDA 2007 and 2017 and NCCO 2017). Internationally, Weber has led choirs in performances with orchestras in the Czech Republic, Poland, and Germany and to top prizes at prestigious competitions in Wales, France, Germany, Hungary, Norway and Italy. Weber routinely prepares singers for Houston’s early music orchestras Ars Lyrica and Mercury Houston, as well as preparing singers for touring shows, including Josh Groban, the Eagles, NBC’s Clash of the Choirs, Telemundo’s Latin Grammy’s, Star Wars in Concert, Andreas Bocelli, and Harry Potter. In 2013, Weber became the 1st woman to receive TCDA’s Texas Choirmaster Award. She is editor of the Betsy Cook Weber choral series with Alliance Music Publishing.  Before coming to the University of Houston, Weber taught vocal music, K-12, in the public schools. She holds degrees from the University of North Texas, Westminster Choir College (Princeton, NJ), and the University of Houston.

Evaluators

Reginal Wright

Head Choral Director

Mansfield High School

Mansfield, TX

Reginal Wright is a clinician, composer, conductor, and educator from Arlington, Texas.  He currently teaches at Mansfield High School where his choirs are consistent Sweepstakes winners in concert and sightreading contests as well as winner of “Outstanding in Class” festival awards. Choirs under his direction have performed at SWACDA (2012 & 2022) and TMEA (2018).  As an educator, Reginal has earned many awards, including Outstanding Teacher, Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers and the Secondary Educator of the Year Award.  His choral works have been performed by All State and invited Convention Choirs, including “Invictus”, performed by the 2022 Texas All State Tenor-Bass Choir and he has received commissions from middle school, high school, university and professional choirs.  His works are published and distributed through BriLee, Carl Fischer, Graphite, Hal Leonard, Oxford University Press, Santa Barbara Music Publishing and his own company, Reginal Wright Music. As a conductor, he is a sought-after clinician in both middle school and high school. He has enjoyed the opportunity of conducting honor choirs throughout the United States.  Reginal has performed throughout Europe and the United States.  Reginal received both his Bachelor’s degree and Master of Music Education degree from Stephen F. Austin State University.

Clinicians

Dianne Brumley 
Director of Choral Studies, Emerita
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley – Brownsville
Canyon Lake, Texas

Dianne Brumley is Director of Choral Music Studies and Professor of Music Education, Emerita at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley – Brownsville. She was appointed in 2003 and was the first person to hold the position of Director of Choral Studies at the University.  Brumley was the founding conductor of the University Master Chorale. During her ten-year tenure at UTRGV, the Master Chorale was selected to perform at the 2011 Texas Music Educators Association Convention and toured internationally. Brumley also served for 20 years as the founding Conductor and Artistic Director of the South Texas Chorale and Orchestra.

Brumley is a frequent guest conductor, clinician, motivational speaker and adjudicator throughout Texas and the United States.  Currently, she serves as a choral music education consultant. Before her time with the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Brumley was a successful choral music educator in public schools. Choirs under her direction were selected for honor performances at Texas Music Educators Association conventions, American Choral Directors Association regional and national conventions and a featured performance at the Texas Choral Directors Association convention.

Active in Texas choral music endeavors for many years, in 2011 Brumley was honored to receive the Texas Choral Excellence Award from the Texas Choral Director’s Association.  In 2018 TCDA named her the 18th recipient of the Texas Choir Master Award, reserved for TCDA members with superior choral conducting and musicianship skill with many years of performance success.

Kristina Caswell MacMullen, DMA
Associate Professor of Choral Conducting
University of North Texas
Denton, TX

Conductor-teacher Kristina Caswell MacMullen has devoted her career to sharing music and inspiration with students and audiences. Her collaborations with fellow musicians continue to confirm her abiding hope for the future and an unflagging belief in the power of choral music.

Currently, MacMullen serves as an Associate Professor of Choral Conducting at the University of North Texas where she conducts the University Singers, Kalandra, and instructs both undergraduate and graduate students. Prior to her appointment at UNT, Kristina spent eight years on the faculty of The Ohio State University. While at OSU, her interdisciplinary work earned her the Sir William Osler Award for Humanism in Medicine.

As an active adjudicator and clinician, MacMullen has conducted All-State and honors choirs throughout the United States. She has presented and co-presented interest sessions at state, regional, national and international conferences. Her teaching and conducting is featured on the DVD Conducting-Teaching: Real World Strategies for Success published by GIA (2009). Her editions for treble choir are published by Boosey & Hawkes, Musicatus Press, and MusicSpoke.

MacMullen earned both the Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Music degrees from Michigan State University. She completed the Doctor of Musical Arts degree at Texas Tech University.

Ryan Sullivan
Director of Choral Activities
Arkansas State University
Jonesboro, AR

Ryan W. Sullivan is the Director of Choral Activities at Arkansas State University where he directs the Concert Choir, Chamber Singers, the Jonesboro Chorale, and teaches undergraduate conducting. His research focuses on reviving accessible Renaissance and Baroque repertoire. Sullivan holds degrees from the University of North Texas (D.M.A.), Texas Tech University (M.M.), and the University of Missouri – Kansas City Conservatory (B.M.E., B.M.). During his career, he has led singers of all ages in academic, community, and church settings including as the Associate Conductor for the Dallas Symphony Chorus. Sullivan is an active soloist and performer in professional choral ensembles such as the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, San Antonio Chamber Choir, Cecilia Ensemble (GA), and Spire Chamber Ensemble. Prior to graduate studies, Sullivan taught at Lee’s Summit West High School and was named the Kansas City Metro Director of the Year in 2014. He is a frequent clinician and guest lecturer at universities and festivals. Sullivan currently serves as Chair of Ethnic Music for Arkansas ACDA and Chair for Youth/Student Activities for the Southwest American Choral Directors Association Conference. His principal teachers are Allen Hightower, Richard Bjella, Joshua Habermann, and Richard Sparks.

Evaluators

Keith Dixon
Choral Conductor / Teacher
Bossier City, LA

Keith Dixon’s teaching career spanned 44 years in Louisiana and Houston area.  His choirs from Westchester, Hastings, and Kingwood presented concerts for TMEA.  Collaborating with Houston friends,  the Kingwood choirs launched in succeeding years the annual FACE concert series with international conductors Robert Sund and Maria Guinand.  Craig Jessop, Jerry Blackstone, Sigrid Johnson, Robert Ray, and Charles Bruffy conduct concerts that continue to this day.  When not conducting school, church, and the Bay Area Chorus, Dixon sang in the Bev Henson Chorale, Concert Chorale of Houston, Houston Symphony Chorus, and the Robert Shaw Festival Singers.  With Mr. Shaw he sang on the recordings Amazing Grace, Evocation of the Spirit, and Appear and Inspire.  These summer workshops took place in the scenic Dordogne River Valley in southwestern France.  Each January the choir convened in NYC to present works of Brahms, Verdi, Berlioz, Britten, and Hindemith in the famed Carnegie Hall.  After retiring in 2012 and receiving the 2013 TCDA Choral Excellence Award, he returned to teaching first at LSU , then six years at Spring Woods High School until the pandemic brought an end to public school teaching.  He now resides in Bossier City, Louisiana.

Thomas Rinn
President, TCDA
PhD Student – Music Education, University of North Texas
Director of Music – St. Alban’s Anglican Parish, Arlington
Denton, TX

Thomas Rinn, currently pursuing his Ph.D. in music education at the University of North Texas, taught high school choral music for 20 years in Texas holding positions at Colleyville Heritage HS (Colleyville), Juan Seguin High School (Arlington), Clear Lake HS (Houston), and John Jay HS (San Antonio). He holds a Master of Music Education from Florida State University and a Bachelor of music from the University of Texas at San Antonio. Choirs under his direction receive consistent accolades at local and regional festivals, engage in both domestic and international performance tours, and have performed as invited ensembles to TMEA in 2010 and 2018 and SWACDA in 2018. Mr. Rinn happily strives to give back to the organizations that serve music education and currently serves as the president of the Texas Choral Directors Association and chair of the UIL Choral Sightreading Committee. Previously he has served as the TCDA High School Vice-President, TMEA Region 5 Vocal Chair, and numerous volunteer positions for TMEA and TCDA. Rinn is a frequent choral clinician, adjudicator, and presenter of teacher training nationwide with engagements most recently in Texas, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Florida, Tennessee, and Colorado.

Clinicians

Richard Bjella 
Director of Choral Studies Emeritus
Texas Tech University
Artistic Director for the San Antonio Chamber Choir
Appleton, WI

Richard Bjella, Professor Emeritus from Texas Tech University, and former choral conductor at Lawrence University, Bjella has distinguished himself as a conductor, clinician, choral pedagogue and choral arranger. He has been honored to have his choirs appear at the 2009 and 2013 National ACDA Conventions, as well as performances at Carnegie Hall, Orchestra Hall, and at TMEA conventions. In addition, Bjella’s graduate conductors also received finalist recognition in conducting competitions at two of the most recent National ACDA Conventions and one was awarded the Julius Herford Dissertation Prize.

It has also been his honor to conduct and present masterclasses throughout the world and over 400 festivals and workshops in 32 states. He is also active in the promotion of creative choral programming and is a contributing writer for the book, The Oxford Handbook of Choral Pedagogy (2017) with his chapter, The Art of Successful Programming: Study, Selection, and Synthesis.

Bjella also served as President of the WCDA (Wisconsin) and was awarded the prestigious Lawrence Excellence in Teaching Award (2007) and the Morris Hayes Lifetime Achievement Award (2013) from WCDA. Most recently, Bjella was the recipient of a 2017 Professing Excellence Award at Texas Tech University. Presently, he is the Artistic Director for the San Antonio Chamber Choir.

Dianne Brumley 
Director of Choral Studies, Emerita
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley – Brownsville
Canyon Lake, Texas

Dianne Brumley is Director of Choral Music Studies and Professor of Music Education, Emerita at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley – Brownsville. She was appointed in 2003 and was the first person to hold the position of Director of Choral Studies at the University.  Brumley was the founding conductor of the University Master Chorale. During her ten-year tenure at UTRGV, the Master Chorale was selected to perform at the 2011 Texas Music Educators Association Convention and toured internationally. Brumley also served for 20 years as the founding Conductor and Artistic Director of the South Texas Chorale and Orchestra.

Brumley is a frequent guest conductor, clinician, motivational speaker and adjudicator throughout Texas and the United States.  Currently, she serves as a choral music education consultant. Before her time with the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Brumley was a successful choral music educator in public schools. Choirs under her direction were selected for honor performances at Texas Music Educators Association conventions, American Choral Directors Association regional and national conventions and a featured performance at the Texas Choral Directors Association convention.

Active in Texas choral music endeavors for many years, in 2011 Brumley was honored to receive the Texas Choral Excellence Award from the Texas Choral Director’s Association.  In 2018 TCDA named her the 18th recipient of the Texas Choir Master Award, reserved for TCDA members with superior choral conducting and musicianship skill with many years of performance success.

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Kristina Caswell MacMullen
Assistant Director of Choral Studies
The Ohio State University
Columbus, Ohio

Kristina Caswell MacMullen serves as Assistant Professor of Music and Associate Director of Choral Studies at The Ohio State University, where she conducts the Symphonic Choir, the Women’s Glee Club, and instructs both undergraduate and graduate students in choral conducting, repertoire, and rehearsal pedagogy.

As an active adjudicator and clinician, Professor Caswell MacMullen has conducted All-State and honor choirs throughout the United States. Recent and future engagements involve students in Colorado, Texas, Alaska, Virginia, Ohio, and Nebraska.  In 2011, she was runner-up in the National American Choral Director’s Association graduate level conducting competition. She was also selected as a Fulbright Fellowship Alternate to Slovenia. Her teaching and conducting is featured on the DVD “Conducting-Teaching: Real World Strategies for Success” published by GIA (2009), and her editions for treble choir are published by Musicatus Press, Boosey & Hawkes, and MusicSpoke.

Caswell MacMullen is a graduate of Michigan State University and Texas Tech University.  Prior to her appointment at The Ohio State University, she enjoyed a diverse career as a public-school teacher, interacting with students in rural, suburban, and urban settings, elementary through high school. She has presented and co-presented interest sessions at state, regional, national, and international conferences.

Evaluators

Denise Eaton
Retired HS and Collegiate Choral Director
Editor, Carl Fischer & BriLee Music
Choral Consultant
Kingwood, TX

Jo Scurlock-Dillard
Choral Conductor, Clinician
Advocate, Consultant
San Antonio, TX

Jo Scurlock-Dillard received a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Master of Arts in 1975 from Stephen F. Austin State University.   She  taught Choral Music and Theatre for 35 years before retiring from the classroom.

Jo is a Past President of the Texas Music Educators Association and she also served two years as the Vice President in charge of the Vocal Division.  She has served in many Music Advisory Committees, such as:  UIL Sightreading Committee, UIL Prescribed Music List Committee, Chair of the SWACDA Repertoire and Standards Committee for Women’s Choirs, Chair of the TCDA Ways and Means Committee and the UIL Music Advisory.

In 2000, Jo was named as the recipient of the Southwestern Bell UIL Sponsor of the Year for her work with students in Choir.  She was also named as SFASU’s Music Alumnus of the year.   In 2011, she was awarded TCDA’s Choral Excellence Award.  Choirs under Jo’s Direction have been chosen to perform for the TMEA, SWACDA and ACDA conventions.

Jo continues to be active as a Choral conductor, advocate, clinician, and consultant.  She supervises student teachers for Texas Tech University and Texas State University.

Clinicians

Dr. Carolyn Cruse 
Associate Director of Choral Activities
Associate Professor of Music Education
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, TX

Dr. Carolyn Cruse is Associate Director of Choral Activities and Associate Professor of Music Education at Texas Tech University, where she conducts the Women’s Chorale and teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in choral music education. The TTU Women’s Chorale was invited to perform for SWACDA in 2012. Dr. Cruse has served as a clinician/conductor and festival adjudicator throughout Texas and in Colorado, Delaware, Florida, New Mexico, Illinois, and Michigan. She is a founding member of mirabai, a professional-level women’s choral ensemble dedicated to enhancing artistic expectations of women’s choral singing. Prior to her appointment at Texas Tech, Dr. Cruse taught middle and high school choral music in Richardson and Plano ISD’s. A native of the Houston area and a product of choral music education in Texas, Dr. Cruse is passionate about shaping and influencing lives through choral music.

Allen Hightower
Professor of Music
Director of Choral Studies
University of North Texas
Denton TX

Allen Hightower is the Director of Choral Studies at the University of North Texas. At UNT, Allen serves as conductor of the A Cappella Choir and the Grand Chorus, and oversees a comprehensive choral program that includes seven choral ensembles. Dr. Hightower leads the master’s and doctoral programs in choral conducting.

Prior to his appointment at UNT, Dr. Hightower was the first holder of the Weston Noble Endowed Chair in Music, at Luther College, where he served as conductor of the renowned Nordic Choir and Artistic Director of Christmas at Luther. As Luther’s Director of Choral Activities, he gave leadership to a choral program that included four conductors, six choirs, and over 530 singers.

From 2000-2010, Dr. Hightower served as Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at Sam Houston State University. During his tenure, the SHSU Chorale performed for the 2007 National Convention of the American Choral Directors Association, the 2010 Southwestern Division of ACDA, and the 2003, 2006, and 2010 conventions of the Texas Music Educators Association. From 1992-1996 he was Director of Choirs at Odessa Permian High School, and led the PHS Kantorei and Chamber Orchestra in performance at the 1996 Texas Music Educators Association convention.

Karen Kenaston-French
Associate Professor and Director of Choral Activities at the University of Texas Arlington

Karen Kenaston-French is the Associate Professor and Director of Choral Activities at the University of Texas Arlington, where she conducts the A Cappella Choir, teaches graduate and undergraduate conducting, and heads the Vocal Area. Under her direction, the UTA A Cappella Choir has been invited to perform at the National Collegiate Choral Organization convention in College Park Maryland (2019), gave invited performances at the Texas Music Educators Association state convention (2019 and 2014) and Southwestern Division Conference of ACDA (2016), and served as Ensemble-in-Residence for the National Student Conducting Competition at the American Choral Directors Association conference in Salt Lake City (2015).

The choir has made appearances with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the Fort Worth Chorale, Texas Ballet Theatre, and the Fort Worth Symphony. Prior to her arrival at UTA, Dr. Kenaston-French served as Director of Choral Activities at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee, taught conducting at Southern Methodist University and the University of North Texas, and was director of music ministries at Plymouth Park United Methodist Church in Irving, Texas.

She holds a B.A. from West Virginia Wesleyan College, M.M. and M.S.M. degrees from Southern Methodist University, and a D.M.A. from the University of North Texas. Beginning with the 2019-2020 season Dr. Kenaston-French will take over as Artistic Director/Conductor of the Ft. Worth Chorale, following Jerry McCoy as only the fifth conductor in the organization’s 56 year history.

Evaluators

Nora Henson
Youth Chorus Conductor
Children’s Chorus of Greater Dallas
Adjunct Professor, Meadows School of the Arts
Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX

Nora Henson has been a music educator in Texas for 42 years. She has conducted the Youth Chorus of the Children’s Chorus of Greater Dallas since its inception in 2004. For 27 years, Ms. Henson taught choral music to middle school and high school students in Texas public schools. Groups under her direction were invited to perform for the American Choral Directors Association, the Texas Music Educators Association, and the National Organization of American Kodaly Educators. She serves as clinician and consultant for music teachers, conductors, and singers. She currently is an Adjunct Associate Professor of Music Education and Coordinator of Music Student Teachers at the Meadows School of the Arts of Southern Methodist University. Ms. Henson received the Choral Excellence Award from the Texas Choral Directors Association in July 2013.

Michael Lysinger
Chorus Administrator
Dallas Symphony Chorus
Dallas, TX

Michael Lysinger is the Chorus Administrator for the Dallas Symphony Chorus. Prior to that position, he taught choral music in Texas public secondary schools. For the last 14, he was Head Choral Director at J. J. Pearce High School and for five years directed the Youth Choir at First United Methodist Church in Richardson, Texas. Prior to teaching in Richardson, Michael was the Head Director at Plano East Senior High School and Jersey Village High School in Houston, Texas.

While in Houston, Michael was also the Artistic Director of the Houston Boychoir. Choirs under his direction have appeared at the 2008 and 1996 Texas Music Educators Convention, the 2001 American Choral Directors Convention and at the 2010 Southwest Convention of the American Choral Directors. He has prepared his choruses for performances with the Houston Symphony and the University of Houston Choruses and the UH Opera. His choirs have toured around the nation including New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles and abroad to Austria, Hungary, France, The Netherlands, Italy and Mexico City.

In competition, Michael’s choirs earn consistently high ratings and awards for their performances. As a member of TMEA, he has served as Region Chair, Area Chair, Region Choir Organizer and as a section leader for the All-State Choir. In 2012, Michael was selected as STARS Teacher of the Year for Pearce High School. This past year, he served as Musical Director for Pearce’s production of Mamma Mia. In past years, he served as musical director for Les Miserables, Peter Pan, Singin’ in the Rain, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and Beauty and the Beast. Michael received his Bachelor of Music Education from Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas and is a member of ACDA, TMEA, TCDA and TMAA.

John Dickson
Director of Choral Studies
Edward G. and Catherine M. Galante Chair for Choral Music Education
Louisiana State University

Baton Rouge, LA

John Dickson is the Edward G. and Catherine M. Galante Chair for Choral Music at Louisiana State University. As Director of Choral Studies, he conducts the A Cappella Choir and supervises the masters and doctoral programs in choral conducting. He is also the conductor of Coro Vocati, one of Atlanta’s most accomplished professional chamber choirs.

As a conducting pedagogue, Dr. Dickson has presented master-classes before the Association of British Choral Directors and the Russian State Music Conservatories of St. Petersburg and Moscow. Beginning his 40^th year as a collegiate choral conductor, his choirs and workshops have been featured throughout the U. S. and Europe. A Visiting Fellow of Wolfson College, Cambridge University, Dr. Dickson sang with Sir David Willcocks and The Bach Choir; a second post-doctoral fellowship allowed him to serve as David Hill’s assistant conductor. He is the Founding Director of the Oxbridge C. S. Lewis Choral Institute.

Dr. Betsy Cook Weber
Professor of Music
Director of Choral Studies
University of Houston Moores School of Music

Director of the Houston Symphony Chorus

Houston, TX

Dr. Betsy Cook Weber is Professor of Music and Director of Choral Studies at the University of Houston’s Moores School of Music and is also active internationally as a conductor, clinician, adjudicator, and lecturer. Weber also serves as Director of the Houston Symphony Chorus. In that role, she prepares choral-orchestral masterworks for some of the world’s greatest conductors. HSC recently concluded performances with the Prague Symphony Orchestra and the Litomysl Festival Orchestra in the Czech Republic.

Choirs under Weber’s direction have been featured at multiple state (TMEA 2002, 2005, 2008, 2013, 2017) and national conventions (ACDA 2007 and 2017 and NCCO 2017). Internationally, Weber has led choirs to top prizes at prestigious competitions in Wales, France and Germany.

Weber routinely prepares singers for Houston’s early music orchestras Ars Lyrica and Mercury Houston, as well as preparing singers for touring shows, including Josh Groban, NBC’s Clash of the Choirs, Telemundo’s Latin Grammy’s, Star Wars in Concert, Andreas Bocelli, and Harry Potter. 

In 2013, Weber became the 1st woman to receive TCDA’s Texas Choirmaster Award. She is editor of the Betsy Cook Weber choral series with Alliance Music Publishing

Before coming to the University of Houston, Weber taught vocal music, K-12, in the public schools. She holds degrees from the University of North Texas, Westminster Choir College (Princeton, NJ), and the University of Houston.

Evaluators

Carolyn S. Cruse
Associate Professor of Music Education
Associate Director of Choral Studies
College/Community Vice-President, TCDA
Texas Tech University School of Music

Lubbock, TX

Dr. Carolyn Cruse is Associate Director of Choral Activities and Associate Professor of Music Education at Texas Tech University, where she conducts the TTU Women’s Chorale and teaches undergraduate music education courses including Choral Techniques, Vocal-Choral Pedagogy, and Curriculum and Practicum in Music Education. Dr. Cruse is also active with the TTU Summer Master of Music Education program.

Dr. Cruse serves as a clinician and festival adjudicator, and has conducted All-State and Regional Honor Choirs and presented workshops in Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Texas, and St. John’s, Newfoundland (Canada). The TTU Women’s Chorale performed for the 2012 SWACDA, in the Meyerson Symphony Center, in Dallas, TX. As a singer/performer, she is a member of the new professional level women’s ensemble, “mirabai,” conducted by Dr. Sandra Snow, and recorded a CD with the ensemble, for release in March 2018.

Dr. Cruse is a contributing author for the Hal Leonard/McGraw Hill Choral Textbook, “Voices in Concert,” and she currently serves as the College/Community Choirs Vice-President of TCDA. Her degrees are from Michigan State University (PhD-Music Education), Westminster Choir College (MM-Conducting), and the University of North Texas (BM-Music Education). Dr. Cruse taught choral music for nine years at both the junior high and high school levels in Richardson and Plano, TX. She is passionate about music teacher education and dedicates her time and efforts to prepare and nurture future music educators in all contexts.

Dinah Menger
Director of Choral and Elementary Music
Department of Visual and Performing Arts
Fort Worth Independent School District

Fort Worth, TX

Dinah Menger is in her fourth year as the Director of Choral and Elementary Music for the Fort Worth Independent School District. Before coming to Fort Worth ISD, she taught at Baylor University for 2 years directing the Women’s Choir, the Chamber Singers, and the contemporary a cappella group “VirtuOSO”. She also taught Music Appreciation and Conducting. Before her appointment at Baylor, Dinah spent 18 years as the Director of Choral Activities at Arlington High School in Arlington ISD. Varsity choirs under her direction performed at the 2007 and 2013 national American Choral Directors Association Conventions and the 2005 and 2009 Texas Music Educators Association Conventions. Her Arlington High Chamber Choir was selected to perform at Carnegie Hall by the Kurt Weill Foundation and this same choir won the 2010 Madrigal Festival in San Antonio. Her ensembles have toured Italy, Ireland, and Scotland. Dinah is the Past President of both the Texas Music Educators Association and the Texas Music Adjudicators Association. She is a past Chair of the Texas UIL Prescribed Music List Committee. She is an active Region Clinician and adjudicates several times each year for the UIL Concert & Sight Reading contest.

Clinicians

Dianne Brumley
Director of Choral Studies Emerita
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley – Brownsville

Canyon Lake, TX

is Director of Choral Music Studies and Professor of Music Education, Emerita at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley – Brownsville. She was appointed in 2003 and was the first person to hold the position of Director of Choral Studies at the University. Brumley was the founding conductor of the University Master Chorale. During her ten-year tenure at UTRGV, the Master Chorale was selected to perform at the 2011 Texas Music Educators Association Convention and toured internationally. Brumley also served for 20 years as the founding Conductor and Artistic Director of the South Texas Chorale and Orchestra.

Brumley is a frequent guest conductor, clinician, motivational speaker and adjudicator throughout Texas and the United States. Currently, she serves as a choral music education consultant. Before her time with the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Brumley was a successful choral music educator in public schools. Choirs under her direction were selected for honor performances at Texas Music Educators Association conventions, American Choral Directors Association regional and national conventions and a featured performance at the Texas Choral Directors Association convention.

Active in Texas choral music endeavors for many years, in 2011 Brumley was honored to receive the Texas Choral Excellence Award from the Texas Choral Directors Association.

Kristina Caswell MacMullen
Assistant Director of Choral Studies
The Ohio State University

Columbus, Ohio

Kristina Caswell MacMullen serves as Assistant Professor of Music and Associate Director of Choral Studies at The Ohio State University, where she conducts the Symphonic Choir, the Women’s Glee Club, and instructs both undergraduate and graduate students in choral conducting, repertoire, and rehearsal pedagogy.

As an active adjudicator and clinician, Professor Caswell MacMullen has conducted All-State and honor choirs throughout the United States. Recent and future engagements involve students in Colorado, Texas, Alaska, Virginia, Ohio, and Nebraska.  In 2011, she was runner-up in the National American Choral Director’s Association graduate level conducting competition. She was also selected as a Fulbright Fellowship Alternate to Slovenia. Her teaching and conducting is featured on the DVD “Conducting-Teaching: Real World Strategies for Success” published by GIA (2009), and her editions for treble choir are published by Musicatus Press, Boosey & Hawkes, and MusicSpoke.

Caswell MacMullen is a graduate of Michigan State University and Texas Tech University.  Prior to her appointment at The Ohio State University, she enjoyed a diverse career as a public-school teacher, interacting with students in rural, suburban, and urban settings, elementary through high school. She has presented and co-presented interest sessions at state, regional, national, and international conferences.

John Wayman
Assistant Professor
Choral Music Education
University of Texas at Arlington

Arlington, TX

John Wayman is the Assistant Professor of Choral Music Education at the University of Texas at Arlington, where he conducts the University Singers and helps guide future choral music educators. He is in great demand as a conductor, adjudicator, and clinician; regularly working with school music programs and directing honor choirs throughout the nation. He earned his graduate degrees from Texas Tech University and undergraduate degree from Wayland Baptist University. Prior to his position at UT Arlington,  Dr. Wayman held similar positions at Young Harris College and the  University of Georgia. The changing male voice and teacher preparation is the focus of his research. He regularly presents at the state (Texas MEA, Tennessee MEA, andGeorgia MEA), national (National Association for Music Educators, Society of Research for Music Education, Society of Music Teacher Educators) and international venues (Greece, Brazil, England, Uganda, China and most recently in Scotland and Ireland).

Evaluators

Denise Eaton
Retired HS and Collegiate Choral Director
Editor, Carl Fischer & BriLee Music
Choral Consultant

Kingwood, TX

Clinicians

Lynne Gackle, Ph.D.
Professor of Ensembles
Director of Choral Activities
Baylor University

Waco, TX

Lynne Gackle is the Director of Choral Activities at Baylor University and holds the Mary Jane Gibbs Professor of Music Chair.  She conducts Baylor Bella Voce, Baylor Concert Choir, teaches choral conducting, choral literature and serves as the Director of the Ensemble Division.  Prior to her Baylor appointment, Lynne taught at the University of South Florida, University of Mississippi and the University of Miami (FL).  She received her education from LSU (BME) and the University of Miami (MM/PhD).  Lynne is an active choral clinician and conductor, nationally and internationally.  She has held various positions within the American Choral Directors Association, including President, Southern Division and ACDA-Florida and served as the TCDA-VP of Collegiate/Community Choirs.   She currently serves as the National President-Elect for the American Choral Directors Association.

Gackle is the editor of Choral Artistry for the Singer  (Walton Music/GIA) and the Lynne Gackle Choral Series  (Colla Voce).  Internationally recognized for her research on the female adolescent voice, Lynne is the author of Finding Ophelia’s Voice, Opening Ophelia’s Heart in addition to contributing-author for other books published by GIA, Oxford, and Lead Author for Voices In Concert (Hal Leonard/McGraw Hill).   Gackle was awarded Baylor’s Outstanding Faculty Award in Research (2012).  She holds memberships in ACDA, TMEA, TCDA, and NATS.

Randall Hooper, DMA
Director of Choirs and Vocal Activities
Texas A&M University-Commerce

Commerce, Texas

Dr. Randall Hooper, DMA is the Director of Choirs and Vocal Activities at Texas A&M University-Commerce where he conducts the Men’s Chorus, Chamber Singers and Chorale while overseeing the masters program in choral conducting and teaching undergraduate courses in conducting. Dr. Hooper earned degrees from Texas State University, Baylor University, and Louisiana State University.  Prior to his position at Texas A&M University-Commerce, Dr. Hooper held similar positions at Tennessee Tech University, Georgia State University and taught high school choral music for eleven years in Texas. Choirs under Dr. Hooper’s leadership have performed in Carnegie Hall, by invitation for the Southwestern Division of the American Choral Directors Association, the Tennessee Music Educators Association Conference, the Georgia Music Educators Association, for the International Anthony Burgess Foundation Symposium in Liverpool, England, and the Festival Internacional de Música de Campina Grande in Brazil along with touring Germany, Austria, England and France. Dr. Hooper has served the Texas Choral Director’s Association as the College and Community Choir Vice President. He is also actively involved with church music.  He has served as music director for churches in Texas, Louisiana, Tennessee and Georgia and is currently the Director of Music of Kavanaugh UMC in Greenville, TX.

Z. Randall Stroope
Director of Choral and Vocal Studies
Doug and Nickie Burns Endowed Chair in Choral Music
Oklahoma State University

Z. Randall Stroope is an American composer, conductor and lecturer. He has had recent conducting engagements at the Santa Maria sopra Minerva (Rome), Hong Kong, Barcelona, Singapore, Canterbury Cathedral (England), Berliner Dom (Germany), Salzburger Dom (Austria), St. John (Canada), Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (Washington, D.C.), Carnegie Hall (New York), and seven performances for Mass at the Vatican. The Director of Choral and Vocal Studies at Oklahoma State University, Randall coordinates the undergraduate and graduate choral conducting program. The OSU Concert Chorale has performed on the many conventions, including the 2016 Southwest ACDA in Kansas City and the 2017 National ACDA convention in Minneapolis. As a guest conductor, Randall directed 20 summer international music festivals in England, Germany, Spain and Italy, and conducted 41 American all-state choirs. He also taught summer sessions for FENIARCO (Italy National Choral Federation) last summer and again in 2018. Born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Randall completed a Master of Music (Voice Performance) degree at the University of Colorado Boulder, and Doctor of Musical Arts (Choral Conducting) degree at Arizona State University. He did post graduate work with Margaret Hillis, Chorus Master of the Chicago Symphony. As a recipient of the Australian-American Fulbright, he has also done work in Western Australia.

Evaluators

Rachel Forester
Choral Director
Hebron High School

Carrolton, Texas

Rachel Forester is the Director of Choral Activities and Department Chair for Fine Arts at Hebron High School. Ms. Forester has taught at Hebron High School since the school opened in 1999.  Prior to her appointment at Hebron High School, she opened The Colony High School also in Lewisville ISD. Ms. Forester holds a Bachelor of Music Education, with an emphasis in voice from Oklahoma Baptist University.  She has completed master’s courses for music education and counseling at Oklahoma State University, the University of North Texas and Texas Women’s University.  Ms. Forester is a member of Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Choral Directors Association and Texas Music Adjudication Association.  She is also listed as one of Marquis Who’s Who of American Women.  Ms. Forester is a frequent judge for Texas UIL contests and has served in leadership roles for TMEA and TCDA. Under her direction the Hebron HS A cappella Choir performed as a TMEA invited choir in 2015 and was named the Grand Champion ensemble at Festival di Voce in 2016. The Hebron Treble Chorus has recently been named a SWACDA performance group in Oklahoma City in March of 2018.

Kathy Hackett
Plano West Senior High School

Plano, Texas

Kathy L. Hackett is the Director of Choral Music at Plano West Senior High School and the Leader of the West Cluster Choral Feeder Program in which she oversees seven schools. She has had the joyous opportunity to teach in a variety of high schools including Liberty and Kingwood, Texas, Atlanta, Georgia, Kansas City, Missouri, as well as Plano. The PWSH Choral program has grown from two choirs to six choirs establishing a rich tradition of excellence.

Ms. Hackett has recently served the State as the Choral Vice President of Texas Music Adjudicators Association training teachers in UIL procedures, rules, and rubrics for judging competitions in concert and sight-reading. She has developed and presented workshops in various areas for music conferences.  She has served as a guest clinician, conductor, and adjudicator throughout the State of Texas as well as in the Southeast, Colorado, and Alaska. Ms. Hackett has served as the All-State Choir Organizer and All-State section leader on several occasions for TMEA and was the 2014 recipient of the Texas Choral Directors Association Choral Excellence Award for Teaching.

The West Choirs, under her direction, have received consistent Sweepstakes and first divisions at UIL and festivals, received a Grammy Award of Education, and have placed numerous students in the All-Region and All-State Choirs. Her choirs have performed for TMEA and the Southwest ACDA conferences. She takes great pride in the number of students who have made a career in music.

Ms. Hackett and her husband, Paul, have two wonderful sons, Kevin and Stephen.