Ronald A. Nelson

The commission of Ronald A. Nelson’s music for TAE’s 2000 All County Choral Festival was the result of The Arts Experience’s selection by the National Endowment for the Arts and the American Composer’s Forum to represent North Carolina in Continental Harmony, a nationwide celebration of the millennium through music. 

Ronald A. Nelson is a resident of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and is a well respected composer.  Mr. Nelson served as director of music for 37 years at the Westwood Lutheran Church in St. Louis Park, MN, where he organized its choir school, directed its entire music program involving singers from age three to senior citizens, and presented major choral works each year.

Known as a composer, clinician, editor and choral conductor, Mr. Nelson is creative in composing and presentation.  Now in semi-retirement, he remains active in all aspects of music.  Mr. Nelson is recipient of many distinguished music awards.

Carl Nygard is a lifelong resident of Pennsylvania and a 1969 graduate of West Chester University.  The successful completion of his graduate studies in 1977 resulted in the first Masters degree in Composition even bestowed by West Chester’s Graduate School.

Since then he has composed music for both instrumental and vocal groups, including two prize-winning instrumental quintets with more than eighty pieces of choral music in print with thirteen publishers.  He has conducted county, regional and all-state festivals in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia at the junior and senior high school levels, and has also served as clinician at workshops and reading sessions in eleven states.

Mr. Nygard is presently employed by the Fleetwood Area School District, where he conducts five choirs, teachers vocal music, music theory and music appreciation courses for grades 6 - 12.  A member of MENC, NEA, ACDA and ASCAP, he lives with his wife in Hamburg, Pennsylvania.

Pail Oakley is the Minister of Music and Organist for the Myers Park Baptist Church, a highly liturgical and theologically progressive American Baptist congregation in Charlotte. He is the Music Director and Conductor of the Cantana Singers of Charlotte, Charlotte's only professional chamber choir. He is the Artistic Director for the Northstar Choral Festival and the Manhattan Festival of Sacred Music (both held in New York City) and he Masterclass Conference in Church Music.

Mr. Oakley has conducted a large number of All-State High School choirs and hundreds of festival choruses throughout the United States and beyond. He has performed in many widely respected venues, among them: Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, The White House, Washington National Cathedral, Westminster Abby, Coventry Cathedral, The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, St. Bartholomew's Church, The Cathedral of Notre Dame (Paris) and Chartres Cathedral. He has prepared choruses for many significant conductors including: Robert Shaw, Helmuth Rilling, Roger Norrington, Andrew Parrott, Sir David Willcocks, John Rutter, Weston Noble, Ann Howard Jones and Kenneth Kiesler.

Paul Oakley's graduate education is from Boston University, where he was a Dean's Scholar in Music, was a student of Ann Howard Jones, and where he conducted the Repertory Chorus. His undergraduate degrees are in Organ Performance and Sacred Music from Friends University in Wichita, Kansas, where he was a Presser Scholar in Music.

Mr. Michael T. Murphy is presently the Choral Director and General Music Teacher at E.B. Aycock Middle School in Greenville, North Carolina where he was named the 2002-2003 Teacher of the Year. Mr. Murphy is the conductor of the Greenville Choral Society Youth Chorale, a community based honor choir for high school students. In addition, he serves as Director of Music for Immanuel Baptist Church in Greenville, North Carolina.

Mr. Murphy is the Chairperson-Elect of the Middle School Choral Section of the North Carolina Music Educators’ Association and has served on the Executive Board of the North Carolina American Choral Directors’ Association.  

Strongly committed to developing vocal technique of young singers, Mr. Murphy is an active clinician throughout the state for workshops and All- County events. His soloists, ensembles, and large choral groups consistently score superior ratings at contests and festivals. He received his Bachelor’s of Music Education degree, with a concentration in Choral Conducting, from East Carolina University and is completing a Master’s of Music Education from the same university this fall.

Kenney Potter

Kenney Potter, a native of Kings Mountain, NC, has received degrees in Choral Music Education at Florida State University and Portland State University in Oregon.

After teaching nine years with Gaston County Schools, he is now pursuing a doctoral degree in choral conducting at UNC‑Greensboro.  Mr. Potter has enjoyed a variety of guest conducting opportunities as clinician for all‑county festivals across North Carolina.

His recent summer engagements include Bonclarken and Lutheridge Music Conferences, and the Oregon Bach Festival in Eugene, Oregon.  Mr. Potter is published by Hinshaw Music and Choristers Guild.  He serves as the North Carolina ACDA Repertoire and Standards Chair for High School Choirs.  Mr. Potter resides in Charlotte, NC with his wife, Heather.

Jeffrey Price, American tenor, has performed as a soloist with symphony orchestras, choral organizations and as a recitalist through the United States, Europe and China.  His performances of Handel's MESSIAH and Bach's PASSION ACCORDING TO SAINT JOHN have been broadcast on National Public Radio. 

His compact disc recording of the songs of Vittorio Giannini called "Hopelessly Romantic" has received national distribution and positive reviews in "The American Record Collector," "Fanfare" and "The Journal of Singing." Price appeared as soloist in the Bach "MASS IN B-MINOR" with the Louisville Bach Society in April 2004 and returned to the National Conferences on Worship and Music sponsored by the Presbyterian Association of Musicians in June 2004 to serve as Cantor and Vocal Clinician.

He has been a guest artist with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra on numerous occasions. As a choral conductor, Dr. Price served as Choir Master at Myers Park Presbyterian Church of Charlotte and currently serves as Choir Master at First Presbyterian Church in Concord.  Dr. Price is an Associate Professor of Music at UNC-Charlotte.

Kenneth Brooks received the Bachelors of Arts in Music Education from Gardner-Webb University and the Master of Arts in Education from Appalachian State University.  He also received School Administration and Supervision Certification from UNC - Charlotte.

Mr. Brooks became choral director of Crest Senior High School in the fall of 1977 and has held that position for the last 27 years. During that time, Crest choral groups have consistently received Superior ratings at State Contest Festivals.  Crest choral groups have served as guest choirs at Western Carolina Choral Festivals, Brevard College Community Concert Series, Gardner Webb Choral Clinic and selected to perform at the Holiday Candlelight Tour at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC.

Choirs from Crest have participated in choral festivals throughout the east coast and the Bahamas.  In 1997 and in 2003 the Crest Choir was awarded the Grand Champion of the Fiesta-Val Choral Festival in Williamsburg, VA.  Mr. Brooks is a member of the NC Music Educators Association, Music Educators National Conference and the American Choral Directors Association.  Mr. Brooks was the 1998 Rotary Teacher of the Year, a recipient of the 1987 Time Warner Star Teacher Award and  was selected the 2004-2005 Crest High School Teacher of the Year.  Mr. Brooks is conductor of the Cleveland County Choral Society and is Music Director at Mount Sinai Baptist Church.

Dr. Stephen M. Hopkins

2005 Arts Experience All County High School Conductor 

Dr. Hopkins is the Director of Choral Activities in the Hayes School of Music at Appalachian State University, a position he has held since 1992.  He conducts the Chamber Singers and University Singers and teaches choral conducting, choral techniques, and choral literature at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.  His previous teaching experience includes two years as Director of Choral Activities at West Texas State University in Canyon, Texas and seven years of public school teaching in Tennessee and Texas.

A native of Paris, Tennessee, Dr. Hopkins holds the Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees in Choral Conducting from the University of Texas at Austin and received his Bachelor of Music Education degree from Murray State University.  He is a member of Music Educators National Conference and the American Choral Directors Association and has contributed articles to the Choral Journal.

Dr. Hopkins recently conducted the University Singers of Appalachian in a performance at the National Convention of the American Choral Directors Association.  They also performed under his direction at the ACDA Southern Division Convention in Nashville in 2004.  A frequent guest clinician and adjudicator, he is also an active composer and arranger.  His compositions “Jonah!” and “Dear John, Dear John” are published by Hinshaw Music, Inc. 

Dr. Hopkins has served as Director of Choral Activities for Cannon Music Camp since 1993 and has been Camp Director since the 2001 camp session.

Tom T. Shelton, Jr.

2005 Arts Experience All County Middle School Conductor

Tom Shelton, Jr., a native of Greensboro, North Carolina, received his undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.  A middle school music specialist in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, Tom has been named the “Teacher of the Year” by both Atkins and Kernersville Middle Schools, and in 1999, by the Middle School Choral Section of the North Carolina Music Educators Association.  From 1996 to 1998, Tom served as Chairperson of the Middle School Choral Section of NCMEA.  He also served as Member-at-Large on the NCMEA Board from 1999-2001. 

Mr. Shelton currently serves as President-Elect of the North Carolina Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association.  In addition, from 1999-2003, he served as the state Repertoire and Standards Chair for Middle School Choirs for NC-ACDA. 

An active clinician, Mr. Shelton has conducted the ACDA Central Division Junior High Honors Choir, Alabama All State Choir, South Carolina ACDA Junior High Honors Choir, Tennessee All West Junior High Honors Choir, Virginia District III Workshop Chorus, as well as elementary and middle school festivals throughout North Carolina. 

Mr. Shelton’s compositions have been published by Heritage Music Press, Hinshaw Music Company, and Santa Barbara Music Publishing Company.  In addition to ‘I AM A CHILD,’  he has written compositions for the North Carolina Elementary Honors Chorus, the North Carolina Middle School All State Chorus, the North Carolina Summer Institute for the Choral Arts, and the Montreat Worship and Music Conference. 

Mr. Shelton is the conductor of the Greensboro Youth Chorus’ Chorale and he is the Director of Music at First Christian Church in Greensboro.

Daniel Bara

2006 All County Choral Festival High School Clinician

DMA in conducting, Eastman School of Music; MM in organ, MM in conducting, University of Michigan; BM in organ, University of Michigan. In March of 2001, prior to graduating from Eastman, Bara won first place in the graduate division of the American Choral Directors Association Nation Conducting Competition at the national convention in San Antonio, TX. In May, Bara was awarded Eastman's top conducting honor, The Walter Hagen Conducting Prize. During his residency at Eastman, he served as assistant conductor of Eastman's three choral ensembles, and taught undergraduate conducting. Additionally, Bara served on the music faculty of Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, NY, where he was the conductor of the Colleges Community Chorus.  Prior to matriculating at Eastman, Bara served as Director of Choral Activities and School Organist for the prestigious Hill School, in Pottstown, PA. His choirs have consistently received superior ratings at adjudicated festivals. In 1999, his high school men's choir was one of seven choirs invited to perform at the East Coast Regional Convention of the Music Educators' Nation Conference held in New York City. 

As an organist, Bara has performed at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, in New York City, Bruton Parish Chapel in Colonial Williamsburg, VA, Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor, MI, Interlochen Arts Camp, Interlochen, MI, and at the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, CA as part of an internationally televised broadcast of Robert Schuler's Hour of Power.

Daniel Bara is assistant professor of choral music at East Carolina University where he directs the Concert Choir and teaches choral conducting and choral literature.

Martha W. Youngwood

2006 All County Choral Festival Middle School Clinician 

Martha Weathers Youngwood is founder and artistic director of Voices in the Laurel, a regional community choir program based in Lake Junaluska, NC. In addition, she is the chorus and drama teacher at Central Elementary School. Youngwood began her work with community youth and childrens choirs as Assistant Director of the Carolina Children's Chorus in Greensboro, North Carolina; and later the director of the Prep Choir for the University of Cincinnati Children's Choir; and the director of the Lexington Children's Chorus in Lexington, Kentucky.

A native of Elkton, Kentucky, Youngwood earned her Master's Degree in Choral Conducting at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. She received a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Asbury College, and a Master's of Music in Education at the University of North Carolina Greensboro.

Youngwood has taught all levels of music education from Kindergarten through college-level music theory. However, Youngwood has found that her passion for teaching is in directing young choirs. "My goal is not only to work to produce beautiful choral music, but to provide a music education in which young people experience all styles of music through performance. Many of my best memories and learning experiences are of choirs that I have been a part of."

Youngwood has sung with the Cincinnati International Chorale and the Bel Canto Chorus of Milwaukee on international concert tours. She is active in the American Choral Director's Association, where she has served as the North Carolina Chapter Secretary. She is a frequent vocal soloist for regional events, and frequently is a choral clinician for church, school, and state organizations. Martha and her son Liam and daughter McLain reside at Lake Junaluska.

Julia Hubbard

2007 All County Choral Festival Middle School Clinician

Julia Hubbard serves as Associate Minister of Music at St. Stephen United Methodist Church in Charlotte, N.C.  With a ministry focus on children and youth, Ms. Hubbard directs a program including four children’s choirs, children’s chimes, two youth handbell choirs, youth choir, the annual children’s choir camp and youth musical.  In 2006, she conducted the St. Stephen Chancel Choir at the Piccolo Spoletto Festival of Churches in Charleston, S.C.  She also maintains a piano and voice studio and adjudicates at the Carowinds Choral Festival.

Ms. Hubbard holds the Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, as well as Orff Level One certification.  She taught for six years at Northwest School of the Arts, Charlotte’s magnet school for the visual and performing arts, where she was a district finalist for the Sallie Mae First Year Teacher and Ben Craig Young Educator awards.  She served as a clinician for the Cleveland County and Charlotte-Mecklenburg All-County choruses.  Ms. Hubbard’s professional memberships include ACDA, Chorister’s Guild and the American Guild of English Handbell Ringing. She is the proud mom of Bennett, 6, and Reid, 3, and appreciates the opportunity to be a part of this special event!

Scott Allen Jarrett

2007 All County Choral Festival High School Clinician

Conductor Scott Allen Jarrett was recently lauded by the Boston Globe as “the most promising young figure to emerge on the local choral scene.”  A native of Virginia, Jarrett came to Boston in 1997 to pursue graduate degrees at Boston University, where he received his doctorate in conducting. Jarrett serves as Director of Music, Chapel Organist and Choirmaster at Boston University’s Marsh Chapel. Also at Boston University, his appointment includes adjunct faculty posts in both the School of Theology as a Lecturer in the Practice of Sacred Music and in the College of Fine Arts as Teaching Associate in Choral Conducting. As Director of Music at Marsh Chapel, Jarrett leads the Chapel Choir and Collegium in weekly worship services broadcast on the internet and National Public Radio. Recent seasons of Music at Marsh Chapel have included Bach’s Magnificat, Easter and Ascension Oratorios, St. John Passion, Handel’s Saul, the Faure Requiem, and Mozart’s Mass in C Minor.

This fall, Jarrett will begin his fourth season as Music Director and Conductor of the Oratorio Singers of Charlotte, the resident chorus of the Charlotte Symphony in North Carolina. This season Jarrett will lead the chorus and orchestra in semi-staged performances of Handel’s Saul, in addition to works by Bach and Mendelssohn, and chorus preparation for Orff’s Carmina Burana. In recent seasons with the Charlotte Symphony, Jarrett led performances of Brahms’ Schicksalslied, Schumann’s Nachtlied, Messiah, Barber’s Prayers of Kierkegaard, and Mozart Violin Concerto No 4. Each year, Jarrett leads the Oratorio Singers Chamber Chorus in performance at the annual Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston, SC.

After guest conducting the 30th Anniversary Concert, Jarrett was named the fifth music director of the Back Bay Chorale in Boston. The performance of Handel’s Judas Maccabaeus garnered critical acclaim from the Boston Globe: “Judas Maccabaeus was a great success, and Jarrett established himself as the most promising young figure to emerge on the local choral scene… This was Jarrett’s night – he’s tasteful and talented, someone to keep our eyes and ears on.” Recent seasons included performances of Schumann’s Das Paradies und die Peri, the St Matthew Passion of Bach, Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610, and the Beethoven Missa Solemnis.  Highlights of the current season are Haydn’s ‘Lord Nelson’ Mass and Mendelssohn’s Elijah.

For eight summers, Jarrett served as the Assistant Conductor of Choirs at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute where he assisted Dr. Ann Howard Jones. Also at Tanglewood, Jarrett taught advanced music theory and history to the students in the Young Artist Vocal Program. In August each year, Jarrett serves as Resident Conductor for New Hampshire’s White Mountain Musical Arts Bach Festival, leading the festival’s orchestra and chorus in performances of the great orchestral and choral masterworks of Bach.

As a pianist, Jarrett frequently serves as rehearsal pianist and assistant for Ann Howard Jones. He also accompanied rehearsals for the late Robert Shaw during his Boston visits. As the rehearsal pianist for the Carnegie Hall Choral Workshop, Jarrett played rehearsals for Charles Dutoit. As a baritone, Jarrett has been a member of the Robert Shaw Festival Singers, the Boston Bach Ensemble, and Schola Cantorum of Boston. He is also a proud alumnus of Furman University.

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