TXST Choirs Today!

Meet our 2024 TMEA All-State Conductor Michael Barrett on Texas State Choirs Today! Michael talks about the University of Pretoria Choir, including their travels, membership, and local events. We also discuss Dr. Barrett's activity as an arranger of South African folk music.

Composer, conductor and singer Rosephanye Powell talks about her life as an artist, an educator and performer.

Featured recordings:

Songs of Separation: If you should go William Grant Still

Gospel Trinity - III. Holy Spirit, Come Rosephanye Powell; Rosephanye Powell, soloist

To sit and dream Rosephanye Powell; California State University-Long Beach University Choir

The Word Was God - Rosephanye Powell; Texas A&M-Commerce Chorale

Prof. Max Mendez discusses his research on the Amusia disorder (tone deafness), and his use of Body Mapping as it relates to singing and the choral rehearsal.

On April 5, the TXST Chorale will perform as part of the London Handel Festival virtual performance of Handel's most famous oratorio Messiah. In this episode we speak to Festival Director Samir Savant about the project.

Recorded from the floor of the 2020 TMEA Convention, Temple University professor Dr. Deb Confredo speaks with Dr. Babcock about the future of music education including technology in the classroom and the new world of remote teaching.

TXST Choirs Today speaks with Maestro Craig Jessop from the Southwestern ACDA Convention in Little Rock Arkansas. Dr. Jessop discusses his time leading the Air Force Singing Sergeants, his work with Robert Shaw and his time as Director of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

The men of the San Marcos High School Men's Choir are our home town heros, having had given a stunning performance at this year's TMEA convention. The Choirs Directors Dawn Reinhuber and Brigitte Smith talk with us about their performance, their program and their community.

All musical excerpts are from the San Marcos HS Men's Choir 2020 performance.

TMEA SPECIAL EDITION: Recorded from the floor of the TMEA 2020 Convention, Dr. Robert (Bob) Horton talks with us about the importance of service to our professional communities, and how TMEA helped shape his career.

Dr. Horton is the Fine Arts Director for the Conroe, TX ISD, and currently serves as the Past-President of the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA). He has held multiple leadership positions in both TMEA and TCDA.

Prior to working in Conroe, For eleven years, Dr. Horton was the Head Choir Director at Woodlands High School, Texas. In 2011 and 2014, The Woodlands HS Chamber Choir won the American Classics Madrigal Festival and presented Honor Concerts in 2012 and 2015. The TWHS varsity treble choir, conducted by Bob and his assistant Lynn Bull, was also selected to perform at Southwest American Choral Directors Association in March 2014. 

All musical excerpts are of the Woodlands HS Varsity Treble Choir Performing at the 2013 TMEA Convention.