Brad Adams is a veteran music educator, clinician, and mentor with more than 36 years of experience in instrumental music education. Throughout his career, he has led successful marching and concert band programs, served as an adjudicator and clinician, and worked with students and educators across a variety of educational settings.

In addition to ensemble success, Adams has become increasingly passionate about helping music educators develop sustainable rehearsal systems, reflective teaching practices, and intentional program structures that support long-term growth for both students and directors. His work emphasizes consistency, clarity, preparation, healthy rehearsal culture, and the belief that meaningful success is built through purposeful daily habits rather than short-term solutions.

Adams currently works closely with middle school band programs, supporting directors through individual student instruction, sectional coaching, ensemble observation, and collaborative problem-solving designed to strengthen both musical development and classroom culture.

He is the founder of The Resonance Project Consulting Group (RPCG), anorganization created to support instrumental music educators through mentorship, reflection, practical strategy, and sustainable program development. RPCG was founded on the belief that many educators know what they hope to achieve, but are often left without the systems, guidance, and support necessary to build those resultswith consistency and confidence.

Through consulting, professional development sessions, and reflective resources,Adams seeks to help educators move from overwhelmed to intentional while building programs centered on student growth, clarity, and long-term sustainability.

Dr. Alexandra Arnold is the Director of Music Education and Performance at Presbyterian Christian School where she directs the high school and middle school choirs and assists in the drama department. Her previous experience includes Assistant Professor of Music Education and Recruitment and Enrollment Specialist at William Carey University where she created the a cappella choir, Carey On and taught many music education courses at the undergraduate, Master’s, and doctoral level. Her experience also includes assisting with the Concert Choir at Jones College and directing the women’s and junior high choirs at Southaven High School in Southaven, MS. She also founded the theater program at Glade Elementary School where she was the music teacher for three years. She has been achoral clinician and adjudicator for many local and regional organizations including serving as the Children’s Honor Choir clinician for the MSACDA conference in 2025. She lives in Ellisville with her husband, Todd, and daughters Lila and Collier.

Andy Beasley is the Director of Choirs at Pearl High School in Pearl, Mississippi, where he directs multiple choral ensembles and teaches AP Music Theory. He holds degrees from Delta State University and Mississippi College and is currently completing his Doctor of Arts in Music Education at William Carey University. Andy is the immediate Past President of the Mississippi Music Educators Association and currently serves as editor of the Mississippi Music Educators Journal. He is passionate about helping students and fellow educators succeed through practical, innovative approaches to music education. Outside the classroom, Andy enjoys traveling with his family and helping others explore the world as an independent travel advisor.

Karen Berger is a 4 th and 5 th grade music teacher in the Pearl Public School District. She is Orff Level 1 certified and earned her Master of Music Education from Mississippi College. She completed the initial National Board Certification process in 2011 and successfully renewed certification in 2020. She has taught in the public-school setting for the past 18 years and is currently serving as Elementary Division President-Elect for MMEA.

Dr. Congcong Bi is the orchestra director at Lakeside High School in Atlanta, Georgia. In recent years, she has led her orchestras in state level performance evaluations and performances throughout the community. An active cellist, clinician, and music educator, Dr. Bi has presented solo and chamber music performances at venues throughout metro Atlanta. She has also taught music courses at the college level. Her research has been presented at national and

international conferences and published in the International Journal of Computer Mathematics. She also serves the Georgia music education community as a judge for Georgia All State auditions.

Her professional interests include program growth, community outreach, mathematics,and creating meaningful musical experiences for students of diverse backgrounds and ability levels.

Dr. Micah Bland is Assistant Professor of Music at the University of South Alabama, where he directs the Concert Choir, and teaches courses in choral music education. As an accomplished choral musician and educator, Bland previously directed ensembles at the University of Southern California, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, University of Texas at San Antonio, The University of Toledo, and secondary schools in Texas, in addition to professional leadership positions in community and religious organizations.

During his three-year tenure as Director of Choral Activities at The University of Toledo, the Chamber Singers were invited to perform at the Ohio Music Education Association’s Professional Development Conference, the ensemble’s first conference invitation in twenty-eight years. At the University of Southern California (USC) Thornton School of Music, Bland served as the choral department’s Senior Teaching Assistant and Associate Conductor of the USC Chamber Singers, the university’s premier choral ensemble. His work as a conductor can be heard on their 2021 album, Gregorian Meditations: Choral Works of Forgotten French Masters. Bland is an active author and clinician with nineteen articles published in academic and practitioner journals including Psychology of Music, Choral Journal, Music Educators Journal, The Choral Scholar, International Choral Magazine, The Journal of Film Music, and Tactus. His passion for music educator training led to the creation of ChoralEd, a video podcast on YouTube, which is also a monthly blog feature on the American Choral Directors Association’s (ACDA) Choral.Net. Bland currently serves ACDA as editor of the “Student Times” column for the Choral Journal and member of the Education and Communication National Standing Committee. Additional honors include first place at the Barbershop Harmony Society’s International Chorus Competition (2003) with the Vocal Majority Chorus, with whom he has recorded three albums, recipient of the Music Teaching and Learning Award from the Thornton School of Music, and first place in the ML Daniels Composition Competition. Bland holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Southern California, a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from the University of Texas at San Antonio, and a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Music Education from Abilene Christian University. He has studied conducting with Jo-Michael Scheibe, Cristian Grases, Tram Sparks, John Silantien, Michael Scarbrough, Vance George, and Craig Hella Johnson, and choral arranging with Nick Strimple and Morten Lauridsen. He is an active member of ACDA, NAfME, NCCO, WMEA, and WCDA.

Soprano Bonita Bunt has worked as soloist, stage director, and stage manager for multiple opera companies, festivals, schools, and workshops. Recent directing credits include Mozart’s Der Schauspieldirektor with original dialogue, Dan Shore’s The

Beautiful Bridegroom, The Turn of the Screw, and Alcina. She serves as Director of Opera at the University of Mississippi where she specializes in teaching voice, opera, and diction for singers, and Body Mapping. She holds a doctorate in voice from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, completed a graduate certificate in Vocology, and is a Licensed Body Mapping Educator with the Association for Body Mapping Education.

In parallel with my teaching philosophy, my research and creative activities aim to explore the paths “between ourselves and the infinite” and embrace the process of being human and an artist. Because my educational background includes degrees in performance and music education, and my professional experience encompasses performing full-time in a professional orchestra, teaching in academia, community music settings, pre-service teacher supervision, public schools, and private studios, I actively pursue ways to grow, listen, learn, and discover as an artist and researcher. As humans, we are much more than a singular identity, and music continues to propel me to pursue various facets of my identity in performance, research, teaching, and service.

Dr. Harry Mathurin-Cecil is the Director of Choral Activities at Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi.  He is an educator, conductor, scholar, and equity advocate with over fifteen years of teaching experience.  His current research is centered on decolonizing the mainstream music curriculum with a focus on more Afrocentric music courses in collegiate studies.  He is also passionate about presenting concerts that reveal a balance in repertoire, composers, and themes.  With extensive research in the preservation and accurate performance practice of African American music, he also has taught classes, published articles, and presented sessions at local and regional conferences on these subjects.  Cecil is the co-founder and artistic director of Hear Us, Hear Them, an ensemble focused on performing and centering works by underrepresented composers. 

Before becoming Director of Choral Activities at Jackson State University, Cecil held teaching positions in Missouri both at Mineral Area College (Park Hills) and Jennings Sr. High School (St. Louis).  He earned his Doctorate in Musical Arts degree in Conducting with a Choral Emphasis from the College-Conservatory of Music (Cincinnati, OH), with his Master’s in Choral Conducting from the University of Missouri-Columbia and his Bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance from Truman State University (Kirksville, MO).  He earned his teacher certification from Lindenwood University (St. Charles, MO).  Cecil was born and raised in Kansas City, and he acknowledges his wife and daughter as the most significant features of his bio.  For without their support, the achievements listed above would be of little value.

Kellie Clark is a choral music educator with over twenty years of experience teaching at the middle school, high school, and university levels. She currently serves as Assistant Teaching Professor of Music Education at The University of Southern Mississippi, where she teaches choral music education courses, supervises student teachers, and coordinates the undergraduate music education program. Dr. Clark holds a bachelor’s degree in vocal music education from Morehead State University, a master’s degree in vocal performance from Miami University (Ohio), and a doctorate in choral conducting from the University of Kentucky. Her choirs have performed at state and regional concerts and assessment events, including the 2016 KMEA State Convention. She has received the C3 Award of Excellence in Education and was named Kentucky Teacher of the Year in 2018.

Dr. Nicholaus B. Cummins is the Director of Choral Studies at Mississippi State University in Starkville, Mississippi, where he conducts the Mississippi State University Singers and teaches conducting and vocal music education methods.  Before joining the faculty at Mississippi State University, Dr. Cummins served as Director of Choral Studies at Northwestern State University. Under his direction, the Northwestern Chamber Choir achieved notable recognition, including performances at the 2024 Southern Region ACDA Conference and the 9th National Collegiate Choral Organization National Conference at the University of Maryland. The choir also earned distinctions such as Summa Cum Laude at the Laurea Mundi Choral Competition in Budapest, Hungary, 2nd place in the Ave Verum Competition in Baden, Austria, and 2nd place in the Leonardo da Vinci Choral Competition in Florence, Italy. Dr. Cummins has collaborated on two album recordings with composers Michael Trotta (ECS Publishing) and Richard Burchard (Centaur Records) and has commissioned new choral works from composers Vytautas Miškinis and John August Pamintuan. Dr. Cummins was previously honored as an ACDA International Conducting Fellow in Brazil and recently conducted the 2025 South Carolina SATB All-State Choir.

Jennifer D. Davis is the Director of Fine Arts and Head Choral Director for Starkville Schools. She previously led choral programs at Meridian High School and Kate Griffin Junior High in Mississippi, as well as Crowley High School and H.F. Stevens Middle School in Texas.

With 29 years of experience, Mrs. Davis has developed piano labs, AP Music Theory, and strong, vertically aligned music departments. Her choirs consistently earn Sweepstakes at festivals and have performed at venues such as Carnegie Hall, Festival Disney, regional entertainment venues, and major sporting events. She is committed to ensuring every student has access to music education.

She also coordinates Starkville-MSU Symphony's Programs for Children. Mrs. Davis serves as Past President of MSMEA and as the MS Solo and Ensemble Chair. She has served in leadership positions that helped shape state music policies through MHSAA and MDE. Shehas recently earned one of five prestigious national Citation Awards given to professional association educators by the National Federation of High School Associations (NFHS). She is the only Mississippian in history to earn this award among Coaches, officials, Speech/Debate, Theatre, and Music as of 2025. She is also serving on the NFHS Music Advisory Committee representing the South for the next four years.

Calloway “Callie” Ellis is beginning her tenth year teaching and this year full time at Starkville

Highschool. She has served as the Junior High Choral Director for Armstrong Junior High School and Freshman director at Starkville High School. In her nine years in the Starkville School District, she has rebuilt the junior high (8th/9th grades) program from 9 students to her highest enrollment of 118 singers. Her choirs have consistently won superiors in sight reading and concert performance, received superior ratings at Solo and Ensemble Festival, and has a consistent average of 15-20 Allstate Honor Choir Winners every year. Her special skills in the classroom are building confidence in the individual singer and working collaboratively with colleagues. Her passions are “leveling the playing field” and removing barriers that gatekeepchoral excellence for all students: everyone deserves to make beautiful music.

Dr. Selim Giray is Director of Orchestra at the University of Mississippi, Vice Chair (‘25–26) and Chair (‘27–28) of ASTA’s National Orchestra Festival. In 2026, Giray is national finalist as conductor in four categories with The American Prize. Giray conducted the California High School All-State String Orchestra, Georgia11–12 High School String Orchestra, and in 2028, will conduct Florida All-StateHigh School (11–12) Honors Orchestra. Since 2023 Selim Giray has performed as cover conductor for Memphis Symphony Orchestra. Giray is the co-author of Fundamentals of Instrumental and Choral Conducting, and author of String Methods for Beginners.

Jabarie Glass serves as Director of Choral Activities and Assistant Professor of Music at the University of Oklahoma, where he provides artistic and administrative leadership for the choral program, teaches graduate courses in conducting and choral literature, and conducts the University Chorale. He previously served on the faculty of the University of South Carolina after nearly a decade of distinguished leadership in secondary choral music in Mississippi. Ensembles under his direction have performed by juried invitation at state and regional conferences of the American Choral Directors Association and the National Association for Music Education. Glass maintains a national profile as a conductor, clinician, scholar, and educator. He has shared perspectives on conducting, rehearsal technique, repertoire selection, and singer development through conference presentations, conducting masterclasses, professional development workshops, and publication in The Choral Journal. He continues to support the musical development of young choral artists by conducting honor choirs across the United States.

 Dr. Courtney Grant is an Assistant Teaching Professor of Music Theory and Strings at Mississippi State University. As an orchestral musician Dr. Grant performs with many orchestras including the Meridian Symphony, Mississippi Gulf Coast Symphony, Pensacola Symphony, Tuscaloosa Symphony, Mississippi Symphony, and Mobile Symphony. She also serves as the orchestral librarian for both the Meridian and Mississippi Gulf Coast Symphonies. 

As a chamber musician Dr. Grant has played with the Graduate String Quartet at West Virginia University who competed at the National Level of the MTNA Chamber Music Competition in 2014. In 2015 Dr. Grant and her husband, percussionist Kristopher Grant, formed the Sonorous Duo. They are committed to expanding the repertoire for the combination of viola and marimba by commissioning a wide variety of composers as well as performing for audiences worldwide.

Dr. Grant received her Doctorate of Musical Arts degree from West Virginia University. She also holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Performance from the Pennsylvania State University and a Master of Music degree in Music Performance from the University of Delaware. Additionally she has also studied at Peabody Conservatory while pursuing a Graduate Performance Diploma. Her primary teachers have included

Dr. Timothy Deighton, Andrea Houde, and Richard Field.

Besides music she enjoys running, horseback riding, studying foreign languages, and

reading.

Dr. Elizabeth (Libby) Hearn is an Associate Professor of Choral Music Education at the University of Mississippi, where she conducts Women’s Glee and the University Chorus. She also teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in choral music education, conducting, and qualitative research. Additionally, Libby serves as the conductor of the Mississippi River Chorale, an adult community choir, for the Midsouth Music Organization.

Before joining the faculty at Ole Miss, Dr. Hearn earned a Ph.D. in music education from the University of Alabama. She previously served as an Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at Marian University in Indianapolis. Her career in secondary education began in Alabama, where she successfully taught choral music at Hueytown High School for seven years.

In addition to teaching and conducting, Libby has published her research in peer-reviewed journals and presented at international, national, regional, and state conferences. Her research interests include Treble and SA choirs, job mobility in music education, assessment, choral music teacher education, and ACDA history. She currently serves as past-president of the Mississippi American Choral Directors Association, co-editor of the Research Report Column in the Choral Journal, and co-editor of the Mississippi Music Educators Journal.

Dr. Lynn Holliman is a graduate of Delta State University with a Bachelor's in Music Education and received her Master's in Music Education from the University of Southern Mississippi. She graduated in 2021 from Auburn University with her Doctorate in Music Education with an emphasis in music technology for instruction. Dr. Holliman is in her twenty-first year at Riverside Schools teaching High School, Junior High, and Elementary Choir, as well as Elementary General Music. She is currently serving as the Chairman of the MSMEA Prescribed List Committee and Master Class Coordinator, the MSMEA Junior High Division

President-Elect, the MSMEA Elementary Mentor, and the MSNATS Chapter President. She is also the recipient of the 2011 Mississippi Music Educators Association Outstanding Young Music Teacher of the Year Award.

Toney Keeler is a choral conductor and music educator entering his 15th year in education. He serves as Director of Show Choir and Choral Music at Jackson Preparatory School, where he leads the school’s choral and show choir programs. His work also extends into collegiate, church, and ecumenical spaces. He serves as Director of Music and Worship Arts at Northside Baptist Church in Clinton, Mississippi, and as an adjunct instructor at William Carey University, where he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music education. Keeler served for four years as Co-Chair of the Mississippi ACDA All-State Show Choir and has held leadership roles as an MMEA District Choral Chair and Middle School Solo and Ensemble Chair. He also served for three years as Rankin County School District’s New Music Teacher Coordinator and presented music-focused professional development for RCSD in-service programs for four years. Keeler has presented for ACDA, MMEA, the Polyphony Conference, and Show Choir Camps of America, where he has also served as a panelist. He is an active adjudicator at choral festivals and show choir competitions across the country, including events in New England, Illinois, Alabama, Nebraska, and throughout the Southeast.

Reese Liggett is the Director of Bands at Denton Magnet School of Technology in

Mobile, Alabama. As an early-career music educator, he is passionate about helping fellow teachers build thriving music programs through strong relationships, positive school culture, and intentional advocacy. Since taking over the Denton band program, Reese has focused on increasing student engagement, strengthening community support, and creating an environment where students can succeed both musically and personally. He enjoys sharing practical, real-world strategies that music educators can immediately apply in their own classrooms and programs.

Ian Loeppky has been the Director of Choral Activities at the University of North Alabama since 2003. He directs two choral ensembles at UNA and teaches conducting, choral techniques, world music, and graduate choral literature. In addition, he is founder of the Florence Camerata, Artistic Director of the Huntsville Community Chorus Association, and a frequent contributor to the ACDA Choral Journal and Anacrusis. He is the author of Foundational conducting: showing, listening, serving published by Routledge, Taylor & Francis; his choral works are published by Cypress Publications, Santa Barbara Music Publishing, UNC Jazz Press, and Carl Fischer. Under his direction, the UNA Chamber Choir and Una Voce sing regularly at local and regional concerts, festivals, and conferences.

Janel Long currently teaches at Mississippi State University. Previously, She previously taught elementary general music for 12 1/2 years and early childhood music for 4 years in the Mid-South. She completed her PhD in Music Education, Graduate Certificate in Cognitive Sciences, and MM in Music Education from the University of Memphis. She also holds a BMus in Music Theory from the University of Georgia. Her research interests include emergent musicliteracy, dyslexia and music learning, the use of language in research and teaching, and motivation in music settings.

Janel has completed multiple trainings in Music Learning Theory through the Gordon Institute for Music Learning (GIML) covering multiple instructional settings (Elementary General, Instrumental, Early Childhood) along with Levels 1 & 2 trainings in Orff Schulwerk through the American Orff-Schulwerk Association (AOSA). She is also a registered Suzuki Teacher with the

Suzuki Association of the Americas (SAA) in both Recorder (Units 1 - 3) and Brass (Horn) (Units 1 - 2) and has trained in Modern Band instruction through Music Will.

With a career in education that spans 46 years, Mark Hugh Malone has worked with students of all ages. Though a native of Miami, Florida, the majority of Malone’s teaching has been in Mississippi at Pearl River Community College, William Carey University, and the University of Southern Mississippi. Choirs under Malone’s direction made three European concert tours, sang for ACDA Southern Division and Mississippi State Conventions, performed in New York, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Nashville, New Orleans. Anaheim, Seattle, aboard Carnival Cruise Lines, at Walt Disney World, and Six Flags Over Georgia. As Curriculum Designer for the Mississippi Arts Commission, Malone created arts-integration and STEAM curricula that can be found online at arts.ms.gov. Dr. Malone’s book on the life and work of African American composer William Levi Dawson was published in March of 2023 by the University Press of Mississippi and is the seminal work on this incredible musician. Malone holds the B.S. in Social Studies Education from the Florida State University, the B.A. in Humanities (Music) from Rollins College, the Master of Music Education and the Ph.D. In Music Education from the Florida State University.

Gary McCullum Jr., Ed.S. is an educator, conductor, speaker, and arts advocate dedicated to transforming lives through music, leadership, and service. As Director of Choral Activities for Hattiesburg Public Schools, he has led significant program growth while cultivating a culture centered on excellence, opportunity, and belonging. His ensembles have earned superior ratings, state and national recognition, and have performed on prestigious stages, including Carnegie Hall.

Beyond the classroom, Gary serves as a presenter, clinician, and mentor, equipping music educators and student leaders with practical strategies for building successful programs and lasting impact. His work emphasizes artistic excellence, meaningful community engagement, and the belief that every student deserves to be seen, challenged, and inspired.

Gary holds degrees in Music Education and Educational Leadership from William Carey University. He is passionate about developing future leaders, strengthening arts education, and using music as a catalyst for hope, unity, and transformation. At the heart of Gary's work is his faith and his family. He is married to his wife, Shybril McCullum, and together they are the proud parents of three daughters: Aubrey, Grace, and Harmony. Their love, encouragement, and shared commitment to faith, education, and service continue to inspire his mission of investing in others and leaving a legacy that extends far beyond the concert stage. 

Sara Miranda serves as Assistant Teaching Professor at the Mississippi State University Department of Music. She is the Artistic Director and Conductor of the MSU Symphony and Philarmonia, applied violin professor, and the coordinator and faculty member of the Starkville- Oktibbeha public schools strings program in partnership with MSU. Research interests in this appointment have led to collaborations with violinist Adrian Anantawan and the MSU Biomedical Engineering Department to develop a prosthetic for a young violin student.

As an orchestra conductor, she has appeared at the North Star Music Festival and worked as an assistant of the Truman State University Symphony Orchestra. Sara has held teaching appointments at National System of Music in Costa Rica, and in the United States at Truman State University as well as The University of Arizona as a teaching assistant.

As a violinist, her orchestral experience includes appointments with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Heredia, Orquesta Sinfónica de la Universidad de Costa Rica as assistant concertmaster, and in the United States a substitute position at the Tucson Symphony Orchestra.

In 2025, Sara Miranda finished a Doctoral degree in Music and Arts in violin performance along with a minor in Cognitive Science at the University of Arizona, where she was a Medici scholar. In 2026, she was selected as a Carlos Miguel Prieto conducting fellow.

Linzie Mullins is an Orff Music Specialist at Snowden School, where she also currently serves as a District Mentor Teacher with Memphis-Shelby County Schools, and an AOSA Orff Movement Teacher Educator. Mullins is a recent recipient of the CMA Teacher of Excellence Award (2019, 2021, & 2024) and the TnMEA Outstanding Young Music Educator of the Year (2019). She currently serves as President-Elect for TnMEA. In the past, she has served as the general music state chair of TnMEA, president of WTGMEA, Treasurer, Program Chair, Vice President, and President of the Memphis Chapter of the American Orff Schulwerk Association (MCAOSA). Linzie earned her undergraduate degree in K-12 Music Education from the University of Tennessee at Martin, a master's degree in Instruction and Curriculum Leadership as well as her English as a Foreign Language Certificate from The University of Memphis, and her Administrator's Certification from Christian Brothers University. She also attained Orff Levels I, II, III, and Masterclass through the University of Memphis. She is a mom of two sons, Jesse and Bentley, and the wife of Ray Mullins, who is also an Orff music specialist.

Teletha Newell is the orchestra director for Tupelo High School and Tupelo Middle School in the Tupelo Public School District (2009-). She previously served as the beginning orchestra director at Milam Elementary School in Tupelo. She earned her Bachelor of Music Education degre  from Mississippi State University and Master’s Degree from William Carey University. She is a National Board Certified Teacher. Teletha has taught private voice, piano, and strings for several years and has assisted several marching band programs in North Mississippi. This year marks her 18th year as a string orchestra director. Under Teletha’s leadership, the orchestra program in Tupelo has grown immensely. Her students attend LOU Youth Symphony, LOU Side by Side, Mississippi Strings Day, Mississippi Belhaven All-State Honor Orchestra, North Mississippi Youth Symphony, and the THS Orchestra participates in a spring competition trip annually. Teletha has won several awards: Delta Kappa Gamma Society internal “Can Do Spirit” award, two-time Tupelo Public School District Teacher of Distinction, Outstanding Student Teacher award, and Music Teacher National Association First Place in Junior/Senior Woodwind. She was also a four-year member of the Mississippi All-State Honor Orchestra (3 years on violin and 1 year on violin and viola.

Mrs. Newell lives in Tupelo, Mississippi, with her husband, Joseph, and their four-legged children: Puppy Dog, Ollie, Penny, and Phoenix.