2010 AFA Faculty - Conductors Click on each name for a biography
Barbara Scowcroft, Conservatory Orchestra (High School)
Clifton Evans, Conservatory Orchestra (High School)
Penelope Meitz, Middle School Orchestra
Cathy Fishburn, Middle School Orchestra
Lynne Gackle, Choir (Featured Clinician, High School)
Amy Lewis, Choir (High School)
Jed Ragsdale, Choir (High School)
Deidre Douglas, Choir (Featured Clinician, Middle School)
Jason Carson, Choir (Middle School)
Kimberly Tobola, Choir (Middle School)Warren Sneed, Jazz Big Band
Jason Carson
Choir Conductor, Middle SchoolMr. Carson is beginning his third year as Director of Choral Activities at Westside High School. Under his direction, the choir students have created a new standard of excellence at Westside High School. Most impressive was the successes of his choirs at the annual UIL Concert and Sight-Reading Competition where two of the three participating choirs earned “Sweepstakes” trophies.
Mr. Carson holds a Master’s Degree in Choral Conducting from Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge, LA), and a Bachelor of Music Degree from Baylor University (Waco, TX). He is also certified in Kodaly (Level I).
Before accepting a position at Westside High School, Mr. Carson started the Vocal Music program at Pin Oak Middle School in 2003. A year prior to this, he had the great opportunity to teach at the Spence School, one of the premier girls’ schools of New York City. His teaching experience also includes a position at Pasadena High School, and opening a new high school, Sandra D. O’Connor High School, in Helotes, TX. He has studied conducting and score study with Dr. Kenneth Fulton, Dr. Robert Young, Dr. Stephen Hyde, and Michael Haithcock.
Mr. Carson is a member of the Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Choral Directors Association, American Choral Directors Association, Music Educators National Conference, Organization of American Kodaly Educators, and the Pi Kappa Lambda Music Society.Deidre Douglas
Featured Clinician, Middle SchoolBiography coming soon!
Clifton Evans
Conservatory Orchestra, High School
Dr. Clifton Evans currently serves as Director of Orchestras and String Area Coordinator at the University of Texas at Arlington. Dr. Evans has enjoyed a conducting career that has taken him to England, Austria, the Czech Republic and throughout the state of Texas. Mostly recently, he had his debut performance in China with the Qingdao Symphony Orchestra. Highly sought after as a clinician and lecturer, Dr. Evans has conducted numerous Region Orchestras and Bands and given multiple lectures on conducting and rehearsal technique.
At the 11th Annual International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival and Competition in Buxton, England, he was awarded Outstanding Music Director for his work with the Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Houston. Recent concerts here at home have also been reviewed enthusiastically in the Houston Chronicle. His guest appearance with OrchestraX was hailed as "strong music-making" with "plenty of character" by music critic, Charles Ward. Mr. Ward later wrote that Dr. Evans' debut as Music Director with the Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Houston "exploded with beauty," and added, "the performance was the best musically I've heard from the society." Everett Evans wrote that Dr. Evans' performance of H.M.S. Pinafore featured a "crisp, vivid orchestral performance: sprightly in the brisk turns, gracefully flowing in the lyrical numbers."Cathy Fishburn
Middle School OrchestraBiography coming soon!
Lynne Gackle
Featured ClinicianDr. Lynne Gackle is an active clinician, conductor, and adjudicator for various choral clinics, honor choirs, workshops, and festivals throughout the United States. She has conducted All-State Choirs in 19 states and has served as conductor for several Divisional ACDA Honor Choirs and one National Junior High Honor Choir. In 2002, she served as conductor of the Australian National Choral Association's High School Women's Choir in Brisbane, Australia and the Alberta Choral Federation's High School Honour Choir in Calgary, Canada. She has conducted various workshops, honor choirs and All-State Choirs in Alabama, Florida, Idaho, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Ohio, and Pennsylvania in recent years.
Dr. Gackle has taught at all levels, elementary through college in Louisiana, Florida, and Mississippi. She is also the Founder/Artistic Director of the Gulf Coast Youth Choirs, Inc., a community choral arts organization in Tampa, Florida where she also serves as the conductor of the advanced touring ensemble, Le Petit Choeur. Previously, she served as the Vocal/Choral Coordinator at the New World School of the Arts in Miami, FL, Assistant Professor of Music at the University of Mississippi and Adjunct Professor, Music Education at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, FL.
She received her Bachelor of Music Education degree from Louisiana State University and her Master of Music Education as well as her Doctorate of Music Education from the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida.
Her choirs have performed at the State and Divisional Conventions of the American Choral Directors Association as well as the Music Educators National Conference Bi-ennial Convention. She served as President of the ACDA Southern Division as well as ACDA - Florida. Lynne received the Wayne Hugoboom Distinguished Service Award from the Florida ACDA Chapter for dedicated service, leadership, and excellence in choral music in Florida. In addition to ACDA, she holds memberships in the Florida Music Educators Association, MENC, the Florida Vocal Association, and NATS.
Dr. Gackle was a contributing author to the MENC publication, Music at the Middle Level: Building Strong Programs, and has had several articles published in the Choral Journal. Additionally, she is the editor of the Lynne Gackle Choral Series for Colla Voce Music, Inc. and of Choral Artistry for the Singer with Walton Music.Amy Lewis
Choir Conductor, High SchoolAmy Lewis is in her thirteenth year of teaching, twelve of which have been at Spring High School as the associate choral director. She directs the Concert Men’s, Women's, and Mixed choirs and assists with the Chorale, A Cappella Women and Chamber choirs. Choirs under her direction have consistently received sweepstakes at UIL Concert and Sight-reading and have been successful at local and regional competitions.
Amy co-conducted the Chorale at their 1997 TMEA performance, 1998 Southwestern ACDA performance and their 2004 TMEA performance. Additionally, she co-conducted the Chamber Choir’s four Honor Choir performances at the American Classic Chamber Choir Festival. Amy has been invited and honored to serve as region choir clinician for High School and Middle School Region Choirs throughout the state. She is also very active as a clinician and adjudicator.
Amy received the Bachelor of Music in Education from Louisiana State University in 1995 where she was member of the Chamber and A Cappella choirs under the direction of Dr. Kenneth Fulton.
Her professional affiliations include TMEA, TCDA, ACDA and Pi Kappa Lambda. She is so thankful for her husband Greg, her most faithful supporter. Greg and Amy reside in Spring with their twin 11 month old daughters Abigail and Ella.Penelope Meitz
Middle School OrchestraPenelope (Penny) Meitz received the Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and the Master of Music degree in Viola Performance from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. She has had extensive performing experience, playing with the Houston Ballet Orchestra for 10 years, as well as Houston Grand Opera and numerous freelance ensembles.
As a teacher, Ms. Meitz taught in the public schools for 31 years. Her teaching assignments have included schools in Michigan and Texas. In May, 2006, Ms. Meitz retired from public schools after seven years as Orchestra Director at W. P. Clements High School in Fort Bend I.S.D. In August, 2006, she began a new phase in her professional life as Orchestra Director and String Teacher at St. John’s School, Houston. Ms. Meitz conducted the Greater Houston Youth
Orchestra String Ensemble from 1995 - 1997 and the GHYO Philharmonic from 2001-2003. In January, 2007, she will begin conducting the Bay Area Youth Symphony. Ms. Meitz is a frequent clinician for All-Region Orchestras throughout Texas. Her conducting teachers include Elizabeth Green and Samuel Jones.Over her long career as a public school Orchestra Director, Ms. Meitz’s orchestras have consistently won Sweepstakes awards in Texas’ University Interscholastic League competitions. The Clements Symphony Orchestra was a featured orchestra at the Midwest Clinic, an International Band and Orchestra Conference, in 2000, and was selected TMEA High School Symphony Honor Orchestra in 2001-2002. Ms. Meitz served on the board of the Texas Orchestra Directors
Association from 1997 - 2002. Ms. Meitz was raised in Royal Oak, Michigan. In her spare time she enjoys bicycling, reading and cooking. She lives in Houston with her husband, Mike Mason.
Barbara Scowcroft
Conservatory Orchestra, High SchoolBarbara Scowcroft is currently in her 24th season in the Utah Symphony as a first violinist, where she also served as acting Assistant Concertmaster in the 1998-1999 season.
In 1986, Ms. Scowcroft became Music Director and Conductor of the Utah Youth Symphony Orchestra. The orchestra was invited to participate in the Cultural Olympiad for the 2002 Winter Olympic games in Salt lake City, for which she expanded the orchestra of 135 Utahns into an International orchestra of 170 musicians representing twelve countries and five continents.
Ms. Scowcroft was Music Director and General Manager of the Nova Chamber Music Series from 1986-2004, receiving the Governor's Award in the Arts for that organization in 1999. She was also Music Director and Conductor for the Vivaldi Candlelight Concerts from 1997 to 2004. She performs annually in the Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra, and recently conducted works for large ensembles on their chamber music series. Ms. Scowcroft has been a guest conductor at the American Festival for the Arts in Houston, Texas since 2000, for which she was recently appointed Resident Conductor. In April of 2006, Ms. Scowcroft made her debut as the first woman conductor of the Salt Lake Symphony, receiving positive reviews for her musical interpretation. Ms. Scowcroft is an Adjunct Professor of Violin at the University of Utah.
During her high school years, Ms. Scowcroft was a member of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra. She studied at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria, and at the North Carolina School of the Arts. Ms. Scowcroft received both her Bachelor of Arts in Violin Performance and her Masters of Music degree in Conducting from the University of Utah.
In 1992, Ms. Scowcroft received Salt Lake City's first Mayor's Award for the Arts. In 2003, she received O.C. Tanner's "Everyday Hero" award for her contributions to Utah non-profit organizations, and in 2004, was selected by the National Association of Women Business Owners, Utah Business Magazine, and the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce as one of "Thirty Visionary Women" of Utah.
Warren Sneed is the Director of Jazz Studies at Houston's High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. Sneed has a Master’s degree in Applied Music from the University of Houston, and a Bachelor’s degree in Jazz Education from the University of North Texas. He is also an HSPVA graduate.
Prior to teaching at HSPVA, Sneed directed various jazz bands and taught improvisation and jazz history at the University of Houston and at Houston Community College’s Westchester Campus.
Sneed is very active in the Houston jazz scene and has performed at most of the top jazz venues in Texas.
Some of the artists he has performed with include: Louis Hayes, Freddie Hubbard, Doc Cheatum, Kenny Wheeler, Carl Fontana, Jimmy Haslip, Helen Sung, Kent Jordan, Rosemary Clooney, Hal Crook, and Joe LoCascio.
Recording credits include: The Late Show, Warren Sneed/Joe LoCascio, Pathway Music, 2004; In the Mood, Champion Sisters, Capstone, 2004; Window of Light, Dave Catney, Urbana Records, 2000; Brothers, Warren Sneed, Pathway Music, 1999; Fly By Night, John Adams, Congruent Music, 1999; Tomato Kiss, Kellye Gray, Proteus Records, 1996; Gliders, Joe LoCascio, CMG Records, 1987; Texas State of Mind, Pete Peterson and the Collection, Pausa Records, 1980.Kimberly Tobola
Choir Conductor & Voice, Middle SchoolKimberly Tobola is in her 8th year as Director of Choirs at Lanier Middle School in HISD. Under her direction, Lanier Choirs have consistently received Sweepstakes awards at UIL Contest and Sight Reading and Splashtown Choral Festival. In addition to her teaching, Ms., Tobola also sings with the professional vocal ensemble, VOX.
