In today's episode, you'll hear Part #1 of a conversation with my former Choir director about fostering community and a sense of belonging among his students, and how some of that might apply to the Christian Church.

 Troy Meeker, Phoenix Children’s Chorus Artistic Director and Conductor of Encore, has taught with the organization since 2011. Mr. Meeker is a graduate of Northern Arizona University, where he earned degrees in Music Education, Educational Technology, and Choral Conducting.

Mr. Meeker taught at the middle, high school, and collegiate levels most recently as the Choir Director at Trevor G. Browne High School, a thriving urban choir program which grew to over 350 singers.

Mr. Meeker has presented at the Western Division and Arizona Choral Directors Association (AzACDA) Conventions as well as the Arizona Music Educators (AMEA) Convention on topics ranging from rehearsal techniques to technology integration in the choral classroom.

Mr. Meeker was recently recognized for his outstanding teaching winning the O.M. Hartsell Excellence in Teaching Music Award from AMEA and the Arts Educator of the Year Award from the Arizona Department of Education. In addition, his choir Encore performed for the AMEA Convention in 2020 marking the 3rd performance appearance of ensembles under his direction.

In his free time, Mr. Meeker enjoys watching movies, cooking, cycling, and studying karate with his son. His home is in Glendale, Arizona, with his wife, Adrienne, and their children Grant and Annika.

This episode was recorded on Zencastr.com and edited on Audacity.
Artwork by Isaiah Smoot, @zeke.crtv
Intro and outro music by Shane Davis, @its_just_me_andthatscool